Status of Women Committee on April 10th, 2008

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

But many of the recommendations from the women in the field were incorporated into the special commissioner's report. Those recommendations were not incorporated into the legislation.

Again, I'm interested to know about the intersection. Would it be after the legislation? Would you like to be part of the drafting of the legislation? I'm told the commissioner herself was not always listened to in the drafting of the legislation on MRP. Where would you be on it?

[Marie Frawley-Henry]

If I could add to that, the Assembly of First Nations, as Kathleen indicated, has developed a framework. That framework is a starting point, but we certainly need to expand on it. It provides certain key questions. We've developed a set of questions that are more culturally relevant and that in an analysis or any legislation or any of these kinds of processes would be key and instrumental in ensuring that this GBA lens is applied. Then we'd have the monitoring and tracking and all of these other processes as well.

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

I'm citing legislation that's specific to aboriginal people: Bill C-21 and the MRP legislation. Are you suggesting that your culturally based gender-based analysis be applied to all legislation? Would you have the capacity, should it be incorporated into government?

[Marie Frawley-Henry]

We certainly don't have the capacity right now, but this obviously is the plan. This is why we want to share this plan with all federal departments, and with all governments. We want to present to many of these committees, and future committees, so that these messages and these steps can be incorporated and there is a clear, culturally relevant gender plan, and that policy-making affects all future legislation.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Thank you.

Mr. Stanton, for six minutes.

[Bruce Stanton, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Good morning. I'm delighted to have you here, albeit for a short time. This is a very important subject.

I have a couple of quick questions. I had the chance, by the way, to read your draft framework dated March 2007. It indicates that at the time it was before the AFN assembly for adoption. What's the status of it now? I know it was adopted by the executive and supported by your council. Has it been adopted?

[Kathleen McHugh]

We have been working on this GBA since 2004. In March 2007 there was a special chiefs assembly in Gatineau. The presentation was made before the chiefs of Canada. They fully supported the GBA concept and approved it by way of resolution.

So it has been adopted by the chiefs of Canada. It's very strongly supported by the majority of the chiefs.

[Bruce Stanton, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

In its form that we have here?

[Kathleen McHugh]

Yes.

[Bruce Stanton, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Okay, excellent.

Just so I understand, there's another group that represents native women, the Native Women’s Association. Do both your associations work in concert? What is the distinction between the two?

[Kathleen McHugh]

There are several aboriginal women's groups in Canada. The Native Women's Association of Canada is one of them. We have the Métis National Council of Women. We work with each of the women's organizations to ensure that our voices are heard. And we have worked together. We've done presentations on our GBA to other women's organizations.

[Bruce Stanton, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

So they're in concert with the themes that you're presenting.

[Kathleen McHugh]

Yes, they're well aware of the work we've done.

[Bruce Stanton, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Excellent.

So your women's council is specifically for first nations. On the matrimonial real property question, I appreciate your remarks this morning about that. I understand there were fairly extensive consultations conducted on behalf of the government by an independent panel that was charged with that responsibility.

What is the AFN's overall position on the matrimonial real property question? In other words, is that consistent with the Assembly of First Nations position?

[Kathleen McHugh]

Yes, it is.

[Bruce Stanton, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

There were some inconsistencies. Did you feel it didn't go far enough?

[Kathleen McHugh]

There were several inconsistencies to the whole process. For example, the consultation process did not take into consideration the recommendations by the first nations women in the various regions, and because of our relationship with the federal government we felt that pushing our issues with the provincial government would do no justice to our first nations women.

[Bruce Stanton, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

I can imagine that when a consultation is undertaken and stakeholder opinions are sought, sometimes the recommendations don't necessarily--and can't, in a reasonable sense--accommodate every perspective that is shared with the panel. But that said, does it still not represent an improvement to what you had in the previous regime?

[Kathleen McHugh]

No, it doesn't. The way the current MRP bill was presented does not support the--

[Bruce Stanton, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

There's no improvement at all?

[Kathleen McHugh]

No.

[Bruce Stanton, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Okay.

That's all I have, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

You have one minute, if anybody wants it from your side. If you don't, then I would appreciate moving to the other side.

[Bruce Stanton, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Okay, I know we're short of time.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Thank you.

Madame Demers.