Evidence of meeting #66 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was amendment.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Ya'ara Saks Liberal York Centre, ON
My comments were just outlining the procedure and process in relation to this. I did not give any indication of how we would be voting. I would like that corrected for the record, please.
Conservative
Michelle Ferreri Conservative Peterborough—Kawartha, ON
Thank you.
Well, I hope they do support it, because.... What I want to have on record here is that we have supported this. I think it is exactly the thing we are fighting for in this bill. When we look at Bill C-35 and why we supported this amendment put forth by my NDP colleague....
I respect her greatly and I know how fierce she is for indigenous rights. Conservatives believe in the rights of parents to choose what is best for their children, and it is a similar that conversation we are having. This bill continues to have winners and losers, because there are parents on wait-lists who will never have access to this program. These small, entrepreneur-owned businesses are shutting down because they can't afford it.
There was a woman who wrote to me and—
Liberal
Ya'ara Saks Liberal York Centre, ON
On a point of order, Mr. Chair, entrepreneurs aren't relevant to the language of the preamble.
Conservative
Michelle Ferreri Conservative Peterborough—Kawartha, ON
They certainly should be, Mr. Chair. If entrepreneurs don't matter to the Liberals, I think we have a big problem for women and feminism.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey
Madame Ferreri, the convention is to keep your comments to the motion currently on the floor.
Conservative
Michelle Ferreri Conservative Peterborough—Kawartha, ON
Thank you.
My point is that we have been adamant and we've been the only party saying we want parents to have the freedom to choose. We want all children included in this bill. That's why we will support this amendment. Again, we've seen the Liberals not supporting this.
I want to say this: There's a quote that came to me yesterday. It's on a public forum, the Coalition of Independent Childcare Providers of Ontario, and it says, “Why are so many home childcare providers closing? I just filed my taxes: 56% of incoming funds went directly back into my program.” They are closing because they cannot afford to stay open because of the way this legislation is written.
That's all I have to say, Mr. Chair. Thank you.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey
Thank you, Ms. Ferreri.
I believe, Ms. Gazan, that you had the floor.
NDP
Leah Gazan NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Through you, I have a very great working relationship with my colleague on the FEWO committee. We all do, actually. It's a lovely committee.
I think it's important, though, when we're talking about free, prior and informed consent as it relates to indigenous people, to go back historically to when it was legislated that we didn't even have rights over our children. That was in law. That was in the Indian Act. We're moving on from there.
I have to commend colleagues around the table who have taken this position. We didn't even have rights over our children, in fact, when they shipped them off to residential school. If we opposed that, we would be arrested.
Now it's 2023. We saw a motion pass in the House of Commons today. We had families there—we're talking about impacts on families—who were so touched and shocked that this motion passed. I know that as we're talking about how, as I said before, no indigenous parent would argue against this.
I want to commend my colleagues who are supporting this, taking this brave step and knowing the sky isn't going to fall and that it's going to be a better day for all families when we recognize our rights as parents to make decisions about our kids. I just want to thank my colleague for her comments and thoughtfulness, and for the time she has spent listening and having hard conversations. I commend all my colleagues in the House who have had brave, hard conversations with me about some of these matters. It means a lot to me as a human being, but it also means a lot to indigenous people throughout the country.
I'll accept the will of the committee, but I also want to thank everybody for journeying through this discussion with me and all of us.
Thank you.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey
Thank you, Ms. Gazan.
Seeing no further discussion, we have on the floor of the committee the amendment of Ms. Gazan.
Go ahead, Ms. Saks.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey
All right.
(Amendment agreed to on division: yeas 7; nays 4 [See Minutes of Proceedings])
The amendment to the preamble was adopted on division.
Shall the preamble as amended carry? Do I see consensus on the preamble carrying as amended?
Liberal
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey
Shall the committee order a reprint of the bill as amended for the use of the House at report stage?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey
Thank you.
That concludes the clause-by-clause debate on Bill C-35. I thank all committee members for their input and discussion, as well as departmental officials for showing up to answer technical questions on the bill.
With that, Mr. Clerk and committee, the meeting is adjourned.