Evidence of meeting #29 for Status of Women in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was statistics.
A recording is available from Parliament.
10:40 a.m.
Bloc
Nicole Demers Bloc Laval, QC
That wasn't the same thing. There were groups that were still being subsidized by Status of Women Canada and that could take part in those consultations. Now they no longer have any resources to conduct research, engage in rights advocacy or lobbying. The situation is very different. I'm concerned. How will you be able to operate?
Ms. Dryburgh.
10:40 a.m.
Chief of the General Social Survey, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, Statistics Canada
There are a lot of data already available. I know that we do have a representative on this group. I've looked through some of the documents. I know that there is already beginning to be some thinking about where the sources of data would come from. It probably won't just be from Statistics Canada. But whatever we have already available is in the public domain, and that's great. If there's special work done, there will probably be a request for costs. It's a cost-recovery project, so there could be implications, yes.
10:40 a.m.
Bloc
Nicole Demers Bloc Laval, QC
Do you currently have the resources and the capability to meet the specific needs of Status of Women Canada?
10:40 a.m.
Chief of the General Social Survey, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, Statistics Canada
We have a unit that's working on it. We have a contact that does all of the gender retrievals for international databases. But again, this would be a cost-recovery project. We would probably be participating in it as partners, I would imagine, although I can't commit to anything, because I don't really know what the agreement is at this point. On a cost-recovery project, the money has to come from some place outside of Statistics Canada. It's not part of our base funding.
10:40 a.m.
Conservative
10:40 a.m.
Assistant Director, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada has a special surveys section, so, yes, if there were an interest, it would be possible to have a group of individuals who could work on new surveys.
10:40 a.m.
Bloc
Nicole Demers Bloc Laval, QC
Rather than conduct research elsewhere, Status of Women Canada would only have to request the financial resources for Statistics Canada to be able to do it. It would be done much more quickly and efficiently, I believe.
10:40 a.m.
Assistant Director, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, Statistics Canada
Exactly. First we offer a feasibility study service to determine whether the desired information can be gathered. Then it's possible to conduct a needs survey, if Statistics Canada doesn't have data that meet those needs.
10:45 a.m.
Bloc
Nicole Demers Bloc Laval, QC
Could we help Status of Women Canada by introducing a motion to that effect?
10:45 a.m.
Assistant Director, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, Statistics Canada
I'm going to ask Status of Women Canada to answer that question.
10:45 a.m.
Senior Advisor, Gender-based Analysis Support Services, Status of Women Canada
I'm not the statistics expert, but I don't think we're talking about exactly the same thing. The indicators project—I'm going to ask Suzanne Cooper if we have the time afterwards—is gathering data. We don't yet know whether there are any deficiencies in the data.
In the event there are, a logical step would be to turn to Statistics Canada. That's what I understand. However, we're not yet at that point. We're not mentioning either that there are various types of data. Statistics Canada gathers data, but there are also what's called “program” data, that come from the programs of the departments.
Human Resources and Social Development, for example, has an enormous data base, and it doesn't contain the same data as that gathered by Statistics Canada. The same is true for Treasury Board and Health Canada. You have to gather all the data before determining the deficiencies. Then the logical step would be to seek assistance from Statistics Canada. We're talking about a number of months.
10:45 a.m.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Patricia Davidson
Thank you very much.
The time is up on that.
I have two comments to make before we thank our presenters this morning.
Do Statistics Canada employees get GBA training?
10:45 a.m.
Chief of the General Social Survey, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, Statistics Canada
No, not at this time.
10:45 a.m.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Patricia Davidson
My other question is for Ms. Regehr. Could we have a copy of that income tax report, that 1976 report you've been referring to? Could you see to it that the clerk gets a copy of it?
10:45 a.m.
Director, National Council of Welfare, As an Individual
If I may, I would suggest that your clerk make contact with Jacques Maziade, the clerk of the human resources committee. These are out of print, actually. We really don't have them.
They had taken it upon themselves.... We gave them our last two English and French originals, and they were going to make copies. Perhaps they could provide them to you as well.
10:45 a.m.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Patricia Davidson
Sure, we can do that. Thank you very much.
Again, on behalf of the committee, I thank each of you for coming this morning and presenting again. It's certainly been a very good morning. We've received very good information from you.
We'll now go into committee business.
We are dealing with the motion by Ms. Mathyssen. I believe the clerk has circulated in both official languages the motion as amended, with the friendly amendment that was proposed at the last meeting.
Ms. Mathyssen.
10:45 a.m.
NDP
Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
Thank you, Madam Chair.
The motion is that the Auditor General, taking into account all of the elements of Canada's framework for equality, including the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women and Optional Protocol and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, conduct an audit to review Canada's implementation of gender-based analysis using “Setting the Stage for the Next Century: The Federal Plan for Gender Equality (1995)” as a federal guide, and review the last seven years, and report the adoption of this motion to the House of Commons without delay.
10:45 a.m.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Patricia Davidson
Thank you.
Are there questions or comments?
Mr. Stanton.
10:45 a.m.
Conservative
Bruce Stanton Conservative Simcoe North, ON
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I think this is consistent with what we discussed at the last meeting.
For the sake of being specific, I wonder whether the mover would consider changing “the last seven years” to the specific dates. For example, instead of saying “and review the last seven years”, it could read “and review the period from April 1, 2000, to March 31, 2008, and report the adoption” and so on.
10:50 a.m.
NDP
Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
That is fine, Madam Chair. I think it captures my intent. So that would be quite acceptable.
10:50 a.m.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Patricia Davidson
Is everybody clear on the motion? Are there any other questions or comments on the motion as amended?
(Motion as amended agreed to) [See Minutes of Proceedings]
