Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on Oct. 6th, 2009

[Jean Crowder, NDP, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

First of all, congratulations on your recent election, and welcome to the committee.

A number of other members touched on it, but I want to come back to the violence against aboriginal women, the murdered and missing aboriginal women. I know that the Native Women's Association, in conjunction with a number of other organizations, has called for a national plan of action. It has outlined elements such as improving public awareness and accountability, reducing the risk by closing the economic and social gap, and improving the child welfare system.

We just had the national chief from the Assembly of First Nations here. He would like to see a joint committee that would include the federal Department of Justice, that we have a subcommittee on human rights, the Standing committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, and the Standing Committee on the Status of Women look at violence against aboriginal women and girls.

I wonder if you could comment on whether you think that kind of joint process would be helpful.

[Jeannette Corbiere Lavell]

I just spoke briefly to the grand chief of the Assembly of First Nations, Shawn Atleo. We did talk about that briefly.

From what I know, we have made that commitment to work together to achieve the end of this violence towards our women. We have women on reserves, but 70% of our population is now actually living off-reserve in the urban centres. Of that 70%, I would say that over 40% are single mothers with children. If we could do something about that together with the other aboriginal organizations, it has to result in a positive change. We are open to working with the other organizations.

[Karen Green, Executive Director, Native Women's Association of Canada]

We would see the Native Women's Association of Canada as a key player in that, obviously because of the expertise and the work that we've done in this area over the last five years--well, after the last many years, but it's been very focused in the last five years.

[Jean Crowder, NDP, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

If the proposal was that we had various parliamentary standing committees looking at this issue, it would seem that the Native Women's Association would be a key partner in that process.

[A witness]

Absolutely.

[Jean Crowder, NDP, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

It seems that we could do some of this cross-jurisdictional work, because we're not just talking about the fact that women are murdered and disappear; we're talking about what happens in the justice system. We're talking about what happens with housing, infrastructure, education, and all those other things as well. It would seem important to have that cross-jurisdictional discussion.

[Karen Green]

NWAC has actually developed a very comprehensive action plan for its own work. It covers all aspects from violence to economic security, education, and human rights, so we've already developed a very comprehensive model that we're hoping to get support for from various federal departments.

[Jean Crowder, NDP, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

So it would be important, if we decided to have that cross-committee look at things, to include the work that's already been done by the Native Women's Association of Canada.

[Jeannette Corbiere Lavell]

As a matter of fact, it was us, through the Native Women's Association of Canada, who brought out what is happening to our women with this. We brought it forward. We brought it to light. We have been talking about it for many years.

We are really pleased that we're getting support to work on this from across the non-partisan government people, because it affects us all, this violence that is there within our communities. It affects not only us as aboriginal women, but all women. We can work together and put those provisions in there, and with the halfway houses, too, that we so desperately need, and all the other provisions that Karen has talked about.

[Jean Crowder, NDP, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

Do I have time left?

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Unfortunately, no. Next time we'll have more time.

Thank you, Ms. Crowder.

Mrs. Glover, you have four minutes.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

Merci bien.

Four minutes is a very short period of time, but I just want to take a moment to thank you very, very much and congratulate you. I can't tell you what an inspiration you are to many of us aboriginal women.

I just want to put into some context who I am. My background is Scottish and Cree. I am a Métis woman whose mother spent her entire career working for the Manitoba Youth Centre, which is, of course, our jail for kids. She worked extensively with aboriginal youth to try to give them some hope. These were misguided youth who simply were looking for a way to identify, so she brought the teepee to the youth centre and spent an enormous amount of time bringing ceremonies to the youth centre. Thankfully, I was able to learn much of the teachings of the aboriginals because of my mother's involvement with the community. She now works with aboriginal women's communities in Manitoba.

I have seen first-hand what you speak of when you talk about violence against our women. I was a police officer for almost 19 years with the Winnipeg Police Service. I spent much of my career in the child abuse unit and the missing persons unit. I have worked on cases of missing aboriginal women, including that of Felicia Solomon, who would not have been identified if it weren't for the actions of many investigators who collaborated, because all we found were body parts.

I want to bring up the fact that I am very pleased to hear that you are spearheading again the Sisters in Spirit project and that you believe in what our government is doing to get to the bottom of this case of more than 500 missing aboriginal women. Is that correct? Are you still of the conviction in your beliefs that this is a good project funded by the Government of Canada?

[Jeannette Corbiere Lavell]

Most definitely, and we are working on a regular basis with the minister of state, and she has been supportive.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

Thank you.

What brought me to this parliamentary world is frustration. When I was a police officer working on some of these cases, the Liberal government was in power, and I was angry because we could not get them to come to the table. So I thank them for finally getting to the table, but I assure you I've worked on this for much of my life and I agree that we must continue to do everything in our power.

But you've asked for further collaboration. I want clarification, if you could, because I believe in the investigative measures of our police forces. The RCMP is now collaborating on a task force in my province of Manitoba, where there are 75 women missing. They are trying to come to grips with perhaps more evidence that could help us reunify and bring justice to these poor families.

But I want to clarify something. You have asked for more collaboration. The opposition has mentioned inquiries, but I don't think we want more talking; we want more action. That means investigations, with more police officers and more people doing the grassroots work that's involved in stopping this violence and reunifying these women who are missing, if possible.

Is that correct?

[Karen Green]

It's really both. We're doing a lot of work with various police departments across the country. Part of our initiative for our Sisters in Spirit is to do more work with police departments, including curriculum development, protocol development, and working with the toolkits we've developed. We're encouraging them to investigate the cases more seriously and quickly and not have so many cases that haven't been cleared.

There are policing issues and response issues. Then there are the 520 cases that we've currently documented. We're asking for an investigation into how those 520 cases were handled in terms of where the gaps were. Where did things fall between the cracks around access to justice, media reporting, different police responses, and public reaction? That's the kind of information we're looking for in the broader investigation.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

I appreciate your comments.

I will always stand up for women, particularly when we are being suppressed. For a member of Parliament to swear at me at my first visit to the aboriginal committee is appalling. I apologize on behalf of Parliament that this type of behaviour goes on, but I won't take it. I am glad to see that you are strong women who won't take it either.

Thank you for coming.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Thank you, Madam Glover.

We will go to Mr. Bélanger for four minutes.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Mr. Chair, I wasn't going to go there, but I will.

In terms of partisanship, I was at the cabinet table when my colleague Andy Scott worked for a good 18 months to prepare the terrain to arrive at an accord that would see the Government of Canada try to address fundamental problems of health, housing, and post-secondary education for the aboriginal community at large. When 13 premiers and territorial leaders and the Prime Minister of the country and six aboriginal national leaders all agreed on a certain weekend in a certain community that indeed that was the way to go, they didn't get around to signing a document, because it wasn't yet drafted. It was agreed that it would be drafted and signed and that the government would include in its fiscal framework, over the next five fiscal years, an investment of $5 billion in additional money. That was called the Kelowna Accord. I would argue, with all due respect to Madam Glover, that it was bringing to the table and bringing forward some very positive action, which was supported. We had not only consensus but unanimity. Unfortunately, the government that was elected in 2006 decided not to follow up and not to respect that agreement.

If we're going to go that route, let's put all the facts on the table. I wanted to address—and it's a question I need to understand, if I may—a piece of legislation that's pending. We don't know what the government intends to do. They said that they wanted to bring it forward again. It's Bill C-8. You're aware of what I'm talking about. It is amendments to the matrimonial situation in the legislation. When we were debating that in the House, we were told that you supported that legislation. Then we were told otherwise. Could you clarify that? If you don't support it, tell us--perhaps not today, we won't have time in four minutes, but perhaps in future exchanges--what you would like to see. I think that would be very useful.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Mr. Duncan has a point of order.

[John Duncan, Conservative, Vancouver Island North, BC]

I'd just like to put on the record that we are very dissatisfied with some comments that were made during Shelly Glover's questioning. I'm not sure what the procedure is, but I want to lodge strong objections and make it clear that this was unacceptable behaviour. We all heard it on this side, and it was most inappropriate.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Okay.

[John Duncan, Conservative, Vancouver Island North, BC]

It came from Mr. Russell.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

The point of order is noted. I'm fairly certain that the record will not show the comment, although I must say that it was audible, and I heard it as well. I don't know if Mr. Russell wishes to comment at this time. Perhaps we can deal with it now.

[Todd Russell, Liberal, Labrador, NL]

Well, I guess it's like this.

When I hear rubbish being said at the table, I usually call it rubbish or some other adjective. I'll stand by my comments.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Okay.

We're not going to take away your time, Mr. Bélanger.