Status of Women Committee on March 29th, 2007

[Patricia Davidson, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

I'm not sure what you're referring to, but that's fine. If you don't wish to--

[Dr. Anuradha Bose]

I was just going to say this is not something.... I would not venture down the road of either tradition or faith; it's much more women's other roles that I'm more concerned with.

[Patricia Davidson, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

It is the implementation that would address that issue--

[Dr. Anuradha Bose]

Yes.

[Patricia Davidson, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

--and I think that's what Ms. Spencer has said.

I wanted to ask you another thing, Madam Bose. You talked in particular about newcomer immigrants from one to 10 years. In my community, I just recently met with a very highly qualified woman who was a doctor in the country she came from. She can't practise here because she doesn't have the certification. She is a very highly qualified professional and very much wants to contribute and be a part of the community and the workforce, but because of restrictions and so on, she's not able to do that at this time.

She is not working--she is staying at home--but lots of other people with the same qualifications or equal qualifications are doing low-paid jobs, as you just said.

My question is this: when people immigrate here, what are their expectations? Are they given expectations that their qualifications will be accepted or that there will be an avenue whereby they can have those qualifications accepted readily? Do we need to be talking to the immigration department about this? I need your opinion.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

We have just a couple of minutes, Madam Bose.

[Dr. Anuradha Bose]

I'll be very brief.

I think the information people are getting in the sending countries is very incomplete. It's not well put forward. There is a lack of fit between immigration policy, which is all about long-term ability, and the need, which is much more the labour market fit. I think the information structures have to change. That very outdated point system has to be revisited. I think there has to be a root-and-branch look, not just tinkering at the margins.

Thank you.

[Patricia Davidson, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Thank you very much.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Thank you so much.

Go ahead, Ms. Deschamps.

[Johanne Deschamps, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Thank you very much.

First I'd like to welcome you and thank you for being here today.

In view of the fact that I represent a quite rural riding, I'm very sensitive to your testimony, Ms. Fyfe. In recent years, we've seen a lot of farms and small farms disappear, particularly in our regions. What I appreciated or what I thought was remarkable was when you told us that the rural world is where you think we find our identity. That really moves me very much.

You also said you have five children.

A little earlier, you showed us a report. Perhaps I wasn't paying attention. Is that the report on Canadian agricultural policy that you showed us earlier and that you have in your possession?

The National Farmers Union, I believe, has carried out a research project on Canadian agricultural policy entitled “Farm Women and Canadian Agricultural Policy”. Does that report contain any recommendations to promote agricultural succession? When I say promote, I mean finding incentives to make youths want to take over the farm.

You have five children. Will one of your five children take over the farm?

[Karen Fyfe]

Thank you, Ms. Deschamps.

Yes, of the five children, I have a 20-year-old living at home and a 10-year-old. The 20-year-old, a daughter, is the one who would like to take over.

Of the five children, I'd have to admit she's the last one I would have thought would return to the farm and want to take it over, but she knows the financial realities and she knows that she has to continue with her education, and she knows that she will have to work off of the farm.

Right now, she works seasonally with me, in the summer and the fall, and she saves that money. When we can't pay the light bill, that's where some of her earnings go.

We are cow-calf operators. The BSE crisis basically wiped us out, along with the rest of the beef industry.

I wish I could say something good about the next generation of farm people, but all of our analysis and all of our research has led us to the conclusion that if there's not a public dialogue, if there's not an engagement between those of us who produce the food and those who eat the food in terms of getting a public food policy going in this country and a domestic food security policy in this country....

I'm very concerned about the next generation of farmers and where that food comes from. It's not good news.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Thank you very much. We've reached five o'clock. We have two motions, and we want to hear the wrap-up, as well. So I'm going to ask the pleasure of the committee.

I know, Ms. Crowder, you have another question, but we are running out of time if we want to deal with the motions today.

At your pleasure, then, I will ask our witnesses to wrap up so that we can deal with the motions.

Thank you for your very insightful comments and presentations. I would ask that each of you, in turn, starting with Ms. Bose, wrap up. You have one minute each to do so.

[Dr. Anuradha Bose]

Madam Chair, I would just say two things in conclusion.

First, when looking at the credentials question, a very vexatious question at best, a gender lens is required.

Second, there must be a soft loan facility for people to be able to access in order to be able to upgrade themselves, because the longer time you spend in a McJob, the more deskilled you get. Therefore, you have to be able to get here and requalify as soon as possible.

Third, somebody has to grasp the nettle and contend with the self-regulating bodies, and the best of British luck on that.

Thank you.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Thank you.

Karen.

[Karen Fyfe]

Thank you, Joy.

I want to allow Ms. Deschamps to know that this is the executive summary of the big blue book that Hedy held up. I have copies here.

To summarize, I haven't painted a very positive picture of where Canadian agriculture is going, but that's not to say it can't change. With the work that the National Farmers Union does and the work that our counterparts, the UPA and the QFA, do in Quebec, we have some solutions that we could put forward. We have been putting forward those solutions over the last 20 and 25 years. It's just that if they don't fit in with the current political realities, they don't get acted upon.

We'll keep pushing and we'll keep speaking, and we'll keep working together.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Thank you, Karen.

We have a link for that report that Ms. Fry has, the one to which you referred. We will send that link out to all committee members so they can access it.

Lucya.

[Lucya Spencer]

There are so many things I want to respond to, based on the discussions that have taken place--unpaid work, seniors, etc. We think that a meaningful effort should be made to improve the economic security for older women, and this will require a number of changes. I'll leave just four with you this afternoon.

First, change work-related legislation such as the EI Act to ensure that more workers qualify, to address the systemic inequality faced by women.

Second, introduce guaranteed income opportunities through instruments such as the federal budget so that Canadian residents can receive incomes that meet the low-income cut-off.

Third, eliminate systemic inequalities in CPP and OAS, and explore mechanisms to strengthen those programs so they provide a guaranteed income that matches LICO.

Finally, introduce and finance labour market skills training and employment initiatives for older workers, especially older women.

Thank you very much.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Thank you so much.

I'm going to suspend the meeting for two minutes. We'll resume for committee business after that.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

I call the meeting back to order, please.

[Dr. Anuradha Bose]

Ms. Smith, my remarks will be translated and the clerk will have them tomorrow.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Thank you very much.

You have a draft report in front of you on recent funding and program changes. This is not for consideration today.

[Jean Crowder, NDP, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

I don't have one.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Sorry, this is for members of the committee only. It is a confidential report, so how would you like to handle it?

I have consulted with the clerk because I am always nervous about confidential reports. These are for committee members only, and we would ask that all committee members please not leak this.

I'm really nervous about this, so can we hand them back in and deal with this? I know the intent was to hand them out today. We all have our names on them, and I want to make sure that all reports are handed back.

Could you please do that for us, Ms. Demers? Thank you.

I don't want to have a confidential report out for two weeks. I'm sorry.

[Nicole Demers, Bloc, Laval, QC]

I approve of your decision. We had problems the last time.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

I know, yes.

All right, you've all handed them back, then? Great. Thank you so much.

I'm taking a look at Ms. Mathyssen's motion. Amendments to the motion can be moved. Are there any amendments to this motion that's in front of us?

You should have two things in front of you: the original motion as of March 20 and then the amendments of March 27.

Today Ms. Mathyssen is not here. I have to ask the committee, would you like to set this motion aside for the first meeting back, when Ms. Mathyssen can speak to her motion, or would you like to continue to deal with it today?

Could I have a show of hands? Who would like to wait till Ms. Mathyssen is back here to speak to the motion? Do we all agree that we'll deal with it today? Great.

Ms. Mathyssen isn't here, so I will read it into the record, with the amendments. The motion is:

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), That the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women recommend that the Government publish the three research reports funded through the Status of Women Canada’s Independent Policy Research Fund, as follows:

Monica Townson and Kevin Hayes, “Women and Employment Insurance Program: the Gender Impact on Current Rules on Eligibility and Earnings Replacement”;

Shelagh Day and Gwen Brodsky, “Women and the CST: Securing the Social Union”;

Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women, “Integrating Marginalized Women's Voices into Policy Discussions and Debates Linked to the CST”;

and that the chair report the—

I'm sorry?