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.
Conservative
Helena Guergis Conservative Simcoe—Grey, ON
I believe that there were more than that, so I'm going to need some time to double check the ones I had sent.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Fair enough.
When we are calling witnesses, we had better remember the timeframe within which we want this report and work backwards to the number of witnesses so we give witnesses enough time and respect their time. We want a cohesive and comprehensive report and we don't want to duplicate the same thing over and over again. If these six organizations are not sufficient, for example, to address the pension issue, then the other six may not add value. Let's remember that we're adding value to the report, and let's work backwards, as well.
Conservative
Helena Guergis Conservative Simcoe—Grey, ON
They do assure me that they all have something valuable to bring and that they're not going to be duplicating each other.
Thank you.
Liberal
Liberal
Anita Neville Liberal Winnipeg South Centre, MB
I have just a quick question. When you say that an organization has declined to come, I am curious to know why. Is it because they're too busy, they don't like what we're doing, or they don't have the capacity to prepare a brief? I'm just curious to know, because we heard from NWAC that they didn't have either the time or the capacity to prepare a brief.
Michelle Tittley Procedural Clerk
For each group that has declined it is for a different reason. Some have said that they don't have any studies or information or research that would provide any insight to committee members. Some have said that on the issue on which they were previously lobbying they no longer feel they have to lobby. I've had a witness decline, specifically for this study, due to scheduling conflicts. When a witness declines because of time, that's another thing.
It's for various reasons. If members are interested to know specifically which groups, you can always contact the clerk's office and I'd be happy to relay that information to you.
NDP
Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
Madam Chair, I wonder if it would be possible for committee members to submit the names of the groups, perhaps half a dozen, that they would see as priorities.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
That's a wonderful idea, because we need to prioritize. I cannot overemphasize that you need to prioritize the number of witnesses, because we cannot keep hearing the same story and not get our end result, which is a report that is a comprehensive report.
Committee members, I think Ms. Mathyssen has come up with a good idea. Let us look at the list of witnesses and star, if you want, the six top witnesses that you think are critical, from your perspective. And then let's put them all in a bag and move forward with it.
Yes, Ms. Davidson.
Conservative
Patricia Davidson Conservative Sarnia—Lambton, ON
Are we going to do that with the current list in front of us, or are we going to wait until we get the additions? Ms. Minna had a couple, and we've talked about the single mom representation.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Thank you, Ms. Davidson. That's a good question.
Could members send the list, if it's possible, by tomorrow? Are we pushing you too much if we ask you to send it? Do you not have time?
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
By the end of the week, if you could, send to the clerk a list of witnesses. Then we can collectively group them, because you know who it is you have sent.
There are three conversations going on at once, so I will tell you what I heard.
By the end of this week, if you could, submit your lists; that's number one. Number two is, prioritize, because you are sending your list, and the list, I guess, is a collective of members' inputs as well.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Okay, members, you know who you are. You take this list that's in front of you, plus the additional list that you will give to the clerk, who will send you a revised list. Please prioritize, and then we can go forward from there.
I need to pick your brains now. When we come back, we will need witnesses here, so if members can agree what six witnesses we want to call.... The clerk is seeking direction for getting six witnesses.
This is the horse before the cart here.
Ms. Tittley will speak to this.
Procedural Clerk
In the interest of pleasing the committee.... As clerk I don't have the authority to call witnesses without the direction of the committee. So I will do my best to have the updated list to you sometime during the two break weeks, based on the feedback that I'll receive by the end of this week, Friday.
However, that leaves me without any direction for the week that we return, the week of March 18. If the committee is willing to wait until we get back to review witness lists and call witnesses from that point on.... I just might advise that the longer we wait, the less notice witnesses have, and so the harder it is to confirm them.
So my seeking of direction is simply to help the committee be efficient, so that when it returns we would at least have a week's worth of meetings and I would have feedback from the committee to be able to call witnesses subsequent to that.
It's at the committee's discretion.
Liberal
NDP
Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
Madame Chair, I might suggest that the clerk be in touch with our offices in regard to the witness list—many of us will have contact with our offices over those times that we're away—to perhaps provide that kind of direction.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Ms. Mathyssen, what will happen is that once the clerk submits to you a revised list after you have given her the information and prioritized it, if every office were to tell her “these are the six witnesses”, then there would be a confusion as well. I would like to ensure that we have a streamlined process.
Can we agree that we will submit to the clerk additional names, the clerk will submit to us the revised list, we will propose six, but then will leave it to my discretion to choose six? I'll go through priorities. You know I'm balanced; I was the one who brought in REAL Women, so I am very balanced. You have to trust my judgment in saying here are the six we have chosen for the first week we're back. There will be two days that we'll have them.
Is that okay?
Ms. Neville.
Liberal
Anita Neville Liberal Winnipeg South Centre, MB
I have no problem with that, Madam Chair, but I was going to suggest that there are groups on this list, including departmental officials, who could be called in that first week back, as well as some established organizations that no one should take offence with, such as the Conference Board of Canada and one or two other national organizations.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
That's a good suggestion.
Is the committee in agreement with that? If we come back and the department is there and the Conference Board of Canada is there, we would have a good balance.
It is agreed.
February 27th, 2007 / 4:30 p.m.
Liberal
