Status of Women Committee on Feb. 14th, 2008

[Nicole Demers, Bloc, Laval, QC]

Aboriginal women's shelters in the Aboriginal communities currently have only $90,000 a year to meet their needs, whereas battered women's shelters in Quebec have $300,000 a year. We consider the problems of Aboriginal women even more significant. In the Aboriginal communities where there are shelters, it's even more difficult because women no longer go to the shelters anonymously. They therefore need additional resources to meet the needs of women who seek their help and assistance.

[Bruce Stanton, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

All right, I understand.

I'll wrap up with that, and I'll go to Madam Davidson.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Ms. Davidson.

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

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I'd like to ask Madame Demers if it would be possible to split her motion and vote individually on the individual points.

[Nicole Demers, Bloc, Laval, QC]

You're suggesting we split it in two?

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

Pardon me?

[Nicole Demers, Bloc, Laval, QC]

The first two concern Aboriginal women's shelters.

It doesn't bother me at all to split the motion in two parts and vote on them individually.

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

Thank you very much. I'd appreciate that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Ms. Neville, and then Madame Boucher.

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

Further to my comments earlier, Madam Chair, and particularly if we're splitting the motion in two, I would ask Madame Demers if she would include in the motion, for one, that “the Standing Committee on the Status of Women call upon the Minister for the Status of Women and the Minister of Indian Affairs”.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Agreeable?

[Nicole Demers, Bloc, Laval, QC]

Absolutely, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Madame Boucher.

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

I have a question for Ms. Demers.

You said $90,000 and $300,000 for battered women's shelters. Is that correct?

[Nicole Demers, Bloc, Laval, QC]

Currently in Quebec—

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Does the money come from the federal government? That's what I want to know.

[Nicole Demers, Bloc, Laval, QC]

No. The Quebec government has made an addition, but not for battered Aboriginal women's shelters, which are under federal jurisdiction. Battered women's shelters are a provincial jurisdiction.

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

The provincial government gives $300,000 to battered women's shelters.

[Nicole Demers, Bloc, Laval, QC]

Yes, it grants $300,000 for Quebec's battered women's shelters, not for Aboriginal women's shelters.

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

All right, that's good. You've enlightened me.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

I have a technical question for you, Madame Demers. I will give it to you.

If we put in the words “the Minister of Indian Affairs” and you split the motion into two, then “the reinstatement of the criteria” is only for the Minister for the Status of Women. So that's where the next sentence would be put, because you can't have two ministers responsible for that.

Mr. Stanton, and then Ms. Minna.

[Bruce Stanton, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

I'm glad you raised the point.

If we were going to split the motion, I would suggest points one, two, and four could be in the first part. And point three in this proposed motion would be the second part; it would begin with the preamble in the motion as it was circulated. In other words, we go with the amended preamble for points one, two, and four, and the second motion, la deuxième partie, would be the existing preamble plus point three.

I say that principally because I don't see any difficulty with the points and including the changes that Madam Neville has suggested; these would be things we could probably support. Having said that, point three is objectionable, from our point of view.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

We need two motions.

Ms. Minna next.

[Maria Minna, Liberal, Beaches—East York, ON]

Two things, Madam Chair.

One, does Madame Demers want this reported to the House? I think this would obviously make sense.

The other is that Mr. Stanton just said number four would be put in with numbers one and two, but that doesn't work because it refers to criteria that follow point three, just referring to reinstating criteria for the Status of Women. So it really doesn't work to move it. By moving it, then you essentially are killing...so I think those two go together.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

The two together and the other two together...okay.

So can we vote on the modified motion, which reads that the Standing Committee on the Status of Women request the Minister for Status of Women and the Minister of Indian Affairs to...bullet one and bullet two--and report to the House.