Yes. Thank you Madam Chair.
I have to say that I oppose the amendment because it has nothing whatever to do with the motion. It's universally known that women got equality, whether by fighting for it in the Charter of Rights.... That does not automatically give them equality or mean that they have it. It says so in the document, which doesn't mean they are equal.
The reason for establishing Status of Women Canada was in fact to ensure that what the Charter of Rights says actually becomes the reality in the lives of women across Canada, through the programs of the Status of Women Canada.
The Status of Women Canada terms and conditions have been changed. Therefore, stating that women have equality in this amendment is rather redundant. It doesn't make any sense because that's not the intent of my motion.
Yes, a lot of women are strong in this country, Madam Guergis. So was my mother. But she was discriminated against badly and paid peanuts to raise my family, and she was mistreated and abused badly in her factory. The fact that she had rights didn't matter much, and the fact that she was a strong woman did matter. So, yes, women in Canada are strong, but that doesn't change the fact that this motion addresses a specific issue.
I'm not accepting the motion because that doesn't change.... The intent of the motion has nothing whatever to do with whether or not women are strong.