Thank you, Madam Chair.
I agree that the women's income security issue should be properly studied by this group, and that we should come up with some real recommendations. When we look at all of the issues--trafficking, prostitution, or other things--at the core of them is women's economic instability. That's why they're ending up in some of the areas that they are. I think there are some core issues, and I looked at these with respect to women's economic security this summer. A lot of this has to do with what they call time poverty. A lot of people here know what that means: women are looking after children and elderly parents; they are in and out of the labour force, and by the time they're seniors they end up with a much lower pension. I understand that the average Canada pension for women is about $500, and of course it's much higher for men, and so on. I won't go into all of that. We'll get into those discussions when we get to them. I am pleased we are doing that, and I would like us to have a strong report by the end.
I want to refer to the list of witnesses. I must say I understand and appreciate that it's difficult to fit everyone in, but I can not see how we can possibly discuss women's economic instability or problems without talking to immigrant and visible minority women. I had put in some recommendations and had a list of organizations and groups, but I don't see them represented here. NOIVMW and OCASI are two major organizations. OCASI is an umbrella organization in Ontario for immigrant settlement programs. It's very well known. Of course, NOIVMW is a national women's organization.
In addition to that, I'd like to see a bit more. There's a long list for seniors, but I don't see enough on women like Maxwell and others with respect to younger women dealing with the issues early on before they become poor seniors. I don't see enough of a list there to address those barriers. That's where I would put NOIVMW. I can't remember all the ones I put in, and I'm not suggesting I have to have all of them, but I really think we're quite thin on the ground for information on younger women who are planning their lives, the barriers they face, and the implications on public policy that they have.