Status of Women Committee on May 9th, 2006

[Maria Minna, Liberal, Beaches—East York, ON]

I'm not sure what there is in the routine motions that is so unusual. They're pretty standard, and they've been adopted in previous committees. Generally, the practice is that you do them right after the elections so that you can move on, and then we can start addressing some other issues in the subcommittee. Routine motions are generally not dealt with in subcommittee. They're dealt with by the committee.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Is there a particular area in the routine motions you have difficulty with or that you want to look at further? Maybe we can adopt the other ones and separate that particular one.

[Joy Smith, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

There is one we're looking at right now, number 10, but I thought today, mostly because of things that are happening in the House right now--one of my colleagues has a speech she needs to do.... I know that normally routine proceedings are done at committee right after the elections, but I'm appealing to this committee--just so I can help my colleague get ready for her speech, and things like that--that we adjourn after the elections today and proceed on Thursday.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Ms. Neville.

[Anita Neville, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I would suggest that we move forward with routine motions. We all have other commitments and obligations, and we can move through these pretty quickly.

As to the agenda, Madam Chair, it's usually the practice in committees that all members of the committee put forward their ideas as to what the agenda will be before a subcommittee meets. I hope we will have that opportunity as well, as a committee, to discuss the issues under consideration by this committee.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Ms. Mourani, go ahead, please.

[Maria Mourani, Bloc, Ahuntsic, QC]

Good day, everyone.

I agree with Ms. Smith, quite simply because the new members are not familiar with these motions. I have just learned something, right here at this table, but I have not had the time to read the motions. I think that we should each take the time to do so. Some members are not new here, and I understand that. Those of us who are new do however want to take the time to read the motions, understand them, and see what we are committing to before voting on anything.

Furthermore, as for the agenda, we want to know what the procedures are. We all have a very specific agenda. We would like to be able to discuss it before the agenda is passed. Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Ms. Mathyssen, go ahead, please.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Yes, Madam Chair.

I am a new member as well, but it seems to me that these standard motions are quite clear. I think we can indeed go through them at this point in time. They are very workable, and I would like to get on with the work of this committee as expeditiously as possible. Getting this taken care of now would be my preference.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Ms. Smith, go ahead, please.

[Joy Smith, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

I would like to call for a vote on adjournment. I agree that we all need to discuss agenda and all be a part of it, but I do think today Maria Mourani really has a very good point. I know I've heard that brought up on my side of the House with the new members as well. It takes only about three minutes to go through these proceedings. I would like to get off to a really good start and make everyone feel very much included. So if I could call for a vote on adjournment, I would appreciate that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Is there any other discussion further to this?

Ms. Minna, go ahead, please.

[Maria Minna, Liberal, Beaches—East York, ON]

Madam Chair, I understand the fact that there are new members, but also generally it's incumbent on members, when they do the training, to be exposed to this sort of thing. This is very straightforward. We could take the time now. If it takes a couple of minutes per item, it shouldn't take that long to understand what they are. They are fairly straightforward. Then the committee can move on, rather than having another meeting and coming back to do the basics, before getting on with the issues. Otherwise we would be postponing it to another meeting until those issues are discussed, and we won't get going until two meetings from now, which is unfortunate because there are a lot of issues that are outstanding from work that was being done by the previous committee, and other pressing women's issues that I think we would want to get into.

As the member for the NDP said, she is new as well, but none of these is that complicated. We can discuss them now. It wouldn't take long for each one. I suggest that we could do number 10 and give it a bit more time than the others and then move on. This is the first time in I don't know how many years that I have seen this kind of thing not discussed at the very beginning. Usually it's done immediately, and this is very straightforward. There is nothing unusual about it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Ms. Mathyssen and then Ms. Bourgeois, go ahead, please.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

My point was the same as Ms. Minna's. This is not complicated. It takes a couple of minutes to go through them; we can afford to do that now. I think we should do it now.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Ms. Bourgeois, go ahead, please.

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

First, I want to apologize, Madam Chair, for the incident with my cell phone.

I want to know, Madam Clerk, if you sent these documents to everyone.

I see that that is the case. Everyone should therefore, in principle, have read them, as I did. Furthermore, everyone knew that the committee was meeting this morning. Everyone should therefore have set aside two hours for that purpose, correct? Under those circumstances, there is no reason to delay the adoption of motions.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Thank you.

Is there any further discussion?

Ms. Neville, go ahead, please.

[Anita Neville, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I agree with my colleagues Madam Bourgeois, Ms. Minna, and Ms. Mathyssen that there is no reason to delay this. It is false to portray this as a means of cooperation. This is in fact an attempt to stall the efforts and the work of this committee.

We are starting later than any other committee, Madam Chair. The time is running out, unless we're sitting into July, as has been touted. We have a lot of work to do in this committee, and I think it's time to move forward.

If members opposite have a problem with number 10, I have no difficulty delaying it until the beginning of next week, but I'm not prepared to delay all of it. I think it's important that we move on, if not today, then first thing Thursday morning, with prioritizing the agenda items for all of us.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Are you moving a motion that we deal with all of the items other than item 10?

[Anita Neville, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

Well, there's a motion on the floor to adjourn.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

I think it's really important that we listen to each other and make sure we're being as reasonable with each other as possible. I have no problem either way. I hear Ms. Mourani's issues, but I also hear issues around the fact that there is a lot of work, with lots of opportunity for us to move forward together on these issues.

We don't want to waste another whole meeting going over things that maybe most of you are comfortable with. Maybe some of the new members would look to the people sitting to the left or right of them on some of those issues. If there's a particular issue raised, maybe we should try to go through it.

A request for a vote is on the table.

Ms. Smith.

[Joy Smith, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

My understanding is that if it's the consensus that we should go through the routine motions, that's fine, but this was done in the spirit of cooperation, by some requests. I think that no opinion around this table should be minimized. When people are new--and people are old, too, because if truth be told, I think a lot of the veterans haven't read the routine motions right now--we need to reach a consensus in terms of what we want to do.

There was no hidden agenda. It was cooperation. Around this table, no matter who is new or old, or what experiences we have, we're here together as women to work in cooperation. Quite simply, I did make a motion to call for an adjournment. If it doesn't happen, that's just fine with this side of the House. But we will be voting for the adjournment, to be mindful of the questions that other people have. It's only in the spirit of cooperation.

That's why I voted for you, Madam Chair, to be chair of this committee.

I would wish that maybe we could enter this. It's a very simple request. Adjournment is not the end of the world, but it will help us to be mindful of each other's needs and wants, and to work together.

This side of the House is certainly ready to work together, but there is a motion on the floor right now.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Ms. Mourani.

[Maria Mourani, Bloc, Ahuntsic, QC]

Madam Clerk, I want to know when you sent these documents.