Status of Women Committee on May 8th, 2007

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Mr. Chong.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

My comments were relevant. Women are disadvantaged in our society—there's no doubt about it—and the most disadvantaged women in our society are women from visible minority groups, immigrant women. So when I ask questions about diversity, about visible minorities, and about what we are doing to promote them in the teaching profession, that has a high degree of relevance.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Thank you.

I'd like to thank you all for being here, and I'll give you a minute to wrap up. You have given us a very informative session. It was, as you can see, very lively here.

We are tackling the economic security of women, and we will be looking at some of the recommendations that you've made in terms of early childhood strategies or in terms of CPP, etc., as we prepare the report as well.

I thank you for taking the time out to be here. You've been witnesses before, so you know, in Parliament, what happens here.

With that, I'd like to give you each a minute to wrap up.

[Noreen O'Haire]

Thank you.

I agree with you, Mr. Chong. You're exactly right that the diversity of the teaching force is very important, and it's very important to us too, so I appreciated that part of your comment.

I'd like to, though, mention that what provinces decide is public education is the provincial mandate. Alberta has the same kind of thing, so it's a provincial kind of thing.

I'd like to again thank everyone for the opportunity to bring to your attention the welfare of women in general and the welfare of women teachers in particular. I think that equity is a supremely important concept for all of us, and the voice of women needs to be heard, and needs to be magnified, if we're to have true equity.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Mr. Staple.

[John Staple]

When we appear before committees, it's never our intent at the outset to say or do anything that appears to cast ridicule on anybody's position. You have to understand that we provide our opinions when we're invited to appear before a committee. We may differ in our views and opinions, but that's okay. That's what democracy is all about.

Thanks.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Ms. Oliver.

[Sheri Oliver]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I want to say thank you again to everyone. It's been an extreme pleasure to participate in the process today.

RPNAO believes strongly in collaborative relationships. As we go into the future, that must be embedded within the framework of any approach, working together, in addition to education, access to affordable and flexible child care, and enabling individuals to participate.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Thank you very much.

I'd like to suspend the meeting for a few minutes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

I call the meeting to order.

There are two or three items that we need to go through. The first is a motion from Madame Demers.

I understand, Madame Deschamps, you're going to be reading that motion for the record.

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

Madam Chair, Ms. Demers and myself agreed that I would move this motion in her absence. The motion reads as follows:

That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the Standing Committee on the Status of Women ask the Minister of Status of Women to provide by Wednesday May 30^th, 2007, a list of all organizations that applied for grants under the Women's Program, and to identify which grant applications were approved and which were turned down.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Mrs. Smith.

[Joy Smith, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

The minister will be very happy to provide this information. Due to the Privacy Act, she first has to ask the organizations if it's okay to do that. So it'll be forthcoming after that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Ms. Neville.

[Anita Neville, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

I have a clarification, which I should have mentioned earlier.

Where it says “asks the Minister of Status of Women to provide”, I assume that means provide to committee members.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Yes.

[Anita Neville, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

Okay, that's fine.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Can we make that change, Madam Deschamps?

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

Yes, absolutely.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

We'll add “to committee members”.

Ms. Neville moves it.

(Amendment agreed to)

Madame Deschamps, are you satisfied with Ms. Smith's response?

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

Perfect.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Ms. Smith.

[Joy Smith, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

I just want to add that she's going to try by May 30, but she needs to get permission from the organization, so it might take a little longer than that. But she'll do it as quickly as she can.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Ms. Deschamps.

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

We are taking the information provided by Ms. Smith into account. In any case, we do specify a date in the motion. What we would of course like is to obtain the requested list by that date.