Evidence of meeting #42 for Status of Women in the 39th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Bloc
Nicole Demers Bloc Laval, QC
Madam Chair, when witnesses appear — we often have a number of them, three, four, five, six witnesses, and the evidence of each is very important — I'd like us to be able to group them together by category or field of interest. In that way, we could ask all the witnesses questions, without forgetting any of them. Sometimes we would like to ask three or four witnesses questions, but they concern various aspects and we can't do it. If we could do it that way, that would be very good. Thank you.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Thank you, Madame Demers.
That's what the work plan is trying to accomplish. You have a very good suggestion, and I think it's important, because then your questions are targeted accordingly.
Committee members, are we in agreement? The only thing is the Status of Women witnesses. We want them, but they're not available until April. So we will get departmental witnesses and some long-standing organizations, and then move forward from there. Okay? But don't forget to provide your feedback.
At Thursday's meeting, we're having five deputy ministers, and I'll need your attention because I'm not going to be here. It's a televised meeting, and five deputy ministers have agreed to come.
I understand, Madame Demers, you won't be here, Madame Neville will not be here, and I will not be here. They're going to be discussing GBA.
I want directions from this committee. Shall we postpone it until we come back, so that you have full participation of everyone, or do you want to move forward with it? I am fine with whichever direction you wish to go.
Yes, Mrs. Smith.
Conservative
Joy Smith Conservative Kildonan—St. Paul, MB
Madam Chair, in my view, we should all be here. It's a shame when people are away and have to be away. Perhaps it would be most prudent to postpone it until all our committee members are back.
The trouble is with scheduling them. If it's going to be a big problem, we'll have to continue. I will be here.
Liberal
Anita Neville Liberal Winnipeg South Centre, MB
I wish I would be here to hear them, but Ms. Demers and I are going to New York.
I would suggest that we go ahead. I have somebody who has agreed to come in for me, but the challenge of scheduling five deputy ministers is beyond....
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Fair enough.
I'm fine. I have somebody else replacing me, not as the chair but here on the committee.
We will proceed, because the gathering of the deputy ministers is a problem. So here we go.
With that, if there's no other business....
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Sorry, you're right, there's a notice of motion by Madame Deschamps.
Everyone has received notice of the motion.
Madame Deschamps, would you read it into the record, please?
Bloc
Johanne Deschamps Bloc Laurentides—Labelle, QC
Madam Chair, the motion reads as follows:
Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), that the Standing Committee on the Status of Women recommend that the government make the necessary changes to the employment insurance program to eliminate its discrimination against women and that the Chair present the adoption of this motion to the House of Commons as soon as possible.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Does anybody want to speak to it?
Is it agreed that we adopt this motion?
I will have to take a vote.
Madame Deschamps, do you want a show of hands, or a recorded vote?
Conservative
Joy Smith Conservative Kildonan—St. Paul, MB
I would say this motion is not appropriate at this time, simply because we haven't had a study on the employment insurance program and we don't know what changes are the best to put forward. Certainly it would be very helpful to have this on the status of women, because of course employment insurance is extremely important to a big sector of our community and our nation. I think it would be very appropriate to have that put on here. Right now, we need some study on this before we can support this motion.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Ms. Mathyssen and then Madame Deschamps, you can respond to both.
Ms. Mathyssen.
NDP
Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
Thank you, Madam Chair.
There has been extensive work done with regard to this. In fact, this very committee did an extensive report. Of course, now that we don't have research with Status of Women Canada, it's very hard to come up with additional research. I think it's important to discuss this.
Bloc
Johanne Deschamps Bloc Laurentides—Labelle, QC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Ms. Mathyssen gave part of the answer.
As you know, I work very closely with my colleague Yves Lessard, who is the critic on the Committee on Human Resources, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities. I went on a tour with him during the last session, and we met a number of groups, associations and women from various regions across Quebec.
The finding is the same. The evidence is consistent, that of the women we've met here and who are coming to talk about the economic situation of women, and that of the women we met in the field.
It's increasingly clear that women are often victims of the present employment insurance program. They have trouble entering it because of stricter rules. Most women today are in the labour market and, in large part, occupy part-time jobs, both short-term and seasonal.
We could give them a bit of a hand, in view of all the cuts they're currently facing, and ask the Standing Committee on Human Resources to provide a solution within the employment insurance system to increase fairness for women.
