Thank you very much, both of you.
This was, to some degree, some new and interesting information, and to some degree there is lots I already know from past work and past discussions, as I was involved with domestic workers' advocacy for a while with a colleague of mine, Judith Ramirez. You may have heard the name in the past to do with immigrant women and so on.
Mr. Poulin, there was a lot of good information in all the things you said, but the bottom line that struck home with me was when you said we need to attack the causes of prostitution. To some degree, Ms. Jeffrey is suggesting the same thing, that the objectification of women and children is a problem, and that we're going to find equality for men and women by breaking that down and tackling it.
This is where I have to put this on the record. I find it goes back to some of the motions we were discussing earlier. This is where I found the most disheartening situation last week when this government took away that tool from Status of Women Canada, from women in this country, as if we had already reached equality. That's the statement they've made. Women in Canada are equal; therefore we no longer have the problem.
Yet the organizations that are no longer going to be funded are where we are able to get the research that is needed to inform women of their rights, to empower women to fight for their rights, and to address the issues of lower economic situations.
I find what you say, which is part of what we've been debating around this table for some time...to tackle the main causes of prostitution and trafficking. Fundamentally, it's also a culture of the law, which is to make sure women and men are equal and that women feel that and feel empowered, which is what was stated recently. Unfortunately, in this particular government we're going in the opposite direction in Canada.
I want to question both of you.
The first one may be an unfair question, but I have to ask it since you put the causes on the table. How do you view what's happening in this country in terms of what's happening with the Status of Women Canada, which is really our main tool to tackle these issues? It's a political question. I apologize. You can choose to pass it by if you like, but I have to ask it. How will the kinds of cuts and the kinds of changes that have happened recently affect the ability of women in this country to research and identify and fight for their rights and continue to empower themselves?
It's a loaded question, and I understand that. If you want to pass, I can go on to others.