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
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Madame Deschamps, you have written “that the Standing Committee on the Status of Women recommend that the government...”. You can't recommend to another committee. What do you want, the government or the human resources committee? You can't recommend to another committee.
Bloc
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Then your motion is as you have read it. You requested a recorded vote, Madame Deschamps.
(Motion agreed to: yeas 6; nays 5) [See Minutes of Proceedings]
Conservative
Joy Smith Conservative Kildonan—St. Paul, MB
Thank you, Madam Chair.
We do support you in doing this. I'm tired today, and I misspoke. I understood what I said, but I didn't get a chance to clarify it. It was the motion that we feel is definitely out of order. I would like to get permission from this committee to have a dissenting report on this motion.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Is the committee agreeable?
Ms. Smith, yes.
Before we go, on the dissenting report, a dissenting opinion, a committee report reflects the opinion of the committee and not that of individual members. Members of the committee who disagree with the decision of the majority may not present a separate report. There is no provision in the Standing Orders or the practices of the House for presenting minority reports.
Where one or several members of a standing committee are in disagreement with the committee’s report or wish to make supplementary comments, the committee may decide to append such opinions to the report, after the signature of the Chair. Dissenting or supplementary opinions may be presented by any member of a committee. Although committees have the power to append these opinions to their reports, they are not obliged to do so. In agreeing to append a dissenting or supplementary opinion, the committee will often specify the maximum length of the text, the deadline for submission to the clerk and whether it is to be submitted in one or both official languages.
Members of the committee, both official languages is normal. On maximum length?
This is just for you to know, and when we come back with the draft report of the motion then you proceed with your dissenting page.
Agreed?
The motion has to be turned into a draft report and it has to be done by Thursday. Then you will have the opportunity to get the length and the delivery time.
Thank you, committee members.
Sorry, Ms. Mathyssen.
NDP
Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
There is one thing I wanted to bring to the attention of the committee today before we adjourn. On February 21 I had a meeting with Minister Oda, and part of the discussion was about the loss of the policy research fund. I had spoken to a number of women who had done extensive work, the work was almost to the point where it was to be published, and they received notification that the work could not go ahead. I spoke to the minister about it, and she assured me that all work currently in process would indeed come to fruition and be completed and released. I've heard back from at least two of these women that they received letters from Status of Women Canada that their work will not proceed.
I think it's very important, (a), to get clarification, and the minister assured me this was not the case; and, (b), obviously a great investment has gone into the report, the research in terms of what the women themselves have done, and also the investment by SWC.
I'm very concerned about this and I'm not sure how to proceed. Perhaps we need to have the minister come back and explain. This is important research that is almost ready to go. It's being thwarted, and I think we need to know why.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Ms. Mathyssen, did the minister speak to you? Was it verbal or was it written?
NDP
Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
It was verbal, but her assistant was there. It was in the government lobby and she was very clear that work would be supported. I think it's important that that word be respected.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
The women's groups have told you they've been advised by Status of Women Canada that they are not getting the funding?
NDP
Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
That the work will terminate and that they will not be published.
Liberal
Anita Neville Liberal Winnipeg South Centre, MB
I have a suggestion, Madam Chair.
Would it be possible for the committee to agree for you to write a letter to the minister asking for clarification?
Conservative
Bruce Stanton Conservative Simcoe North, ON
Thank you, Madam Chair.
With the greatest of respect to my colleague, it sounds like this was a meeting between her and Minister Oda. She's received additional supplementary interventions by the people concerned. It seems to me this is a matter she is well within her abilities to take up with the minister directly. I don't see it as a direct issue for this committee per se. These were specific interventions she made to the minister directly. Similarly, she's heard back directly from the parties. We've had Minister Oda here twice in the last two or three months now. I see no reason why the honourable member couldn't continue and proceed from that basis.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Ms. Mathyssen, would you wish to proceed with writing a letter to the minister, and then, if you don't get satisfactory information or clarification, bring it to the committee?
NDP
Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
Yes, absolutely, I will do that. But I think it's very important that the committee know about this, since the business of safeguarding the rights of women is the business of this committee, and I wanted them to be apprised of this concern.
Liberal
Maria Minna Liberal Beaches—East York, ON
I was just going to say, Madam Chair, that while I understand Mr. Stanton's position, it is the committee's job. We are in essence the only advocates left, to some degree, for women, as I think Ms. Smith said at one of the previous meetings.
Also, I think that when the minister was here last time, she indicated that research into other materials—all that work—was continuing. Well, if that's not the case now, I think obviously we need to follow up. While that information has only been given to one of our members, certainly that member has the right to bring it to this table. Maybe we ought to write a letter from the chair. It's not a public document, it's a letter asking for the minister to clarify.
Conservative
Helena Guergis Conservative Simcoe—Grey, ON
I have a little bit—actually a great deal—of trouble with this; that if any member around this table has a conversation with the minister and wants to clarify what the conversation was, all of a sudden they can run into any committee, and all of a sudden the committee is going to demand that the minister clarify what happened in my colleague's conversation with the minister.
That's what we're proposing to do for Ms. Mathyssen. She had a conversation outside of this committee room, outside of the committee's being convened, with a minister. She's saying it's her word against what the minister may have said in the conversation, or perhaps there's another witness there, and she wants to take that conversation in here and ask the committee to ask the minister to clarify what happened in that conversation.
I'm not in favour of that.
NDP
Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I can assure you of my veracity. I'm not given to fantasy. I think it's very important that the minister clarify, because she was very clear to me, and I think it's important. If I did not think it were important.... I don't bring anything that is trivial here. I think it is very important that the committee be apprised of what is happening to the women in our community who have embarked on research in good faith. I don't understand why that would be objectionable.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Ms. Mathyssen, we're going back and forth; let's resolve this issue.
If you have a private conversation with the minister and you hear groups telling you something else, since it was a conversation between you and the minister, I think the first step in due process would be for you to clarify with the minister. If that does not result in any action, and you feel that the groups are being marginalized, that the minister is not giving you the right response that you are probably seeking, then perhaps you can bring it back to the committee. Let's review it, take it under advisement.
I'd like to take it under advisement. I think I understand the collective wisdom here, that when you have conversations with ministers.... I was not involved in that conversation; the chair has no idea what happened. The chair can intervene when we have done the due process. I think the second round would be for you to send a letter to the minister to clarify. Perhaps there is a misunderstanding; I don't know—perhaps. I'm always giving the benefit of the doubt to the parties involved.
I will take one intervention.
Ms. Smith.
Conservative
Joy Smith Conservative Kildonan—St. Paul, MB
I agree with you and applaud you for making that statement, Madam Chair. We have many conversations with ministers and many private meetings. We can't bring everything to the status of women committee; we have to stay focused.
