Evidence of meeting #4 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 groups.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Coordinator, Office of the Coordinator, Status of Women Canada
This would be documentation that's in the hands of the Department of Finance, so I think you may have to request that information directly from them.
NDP
Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
That would be fine.
Also, on page 2 at the top, I'm very interested in the submission that Canada has made in regard to the seventh report to CEDAW. I understand that it is going through the process, but I'm wondering when you anticipate that the report might be available to this committee. I'd be very interested in seeing what Canada reported to the UN committee.
Coordinator, Office of the Coordinator, Status of Women Canada
I think that report should be available to the committee, and we'll make sure you get a copy of it.
NDP
Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
That would be excellent. I'd appreciate that very much.
When you were answering the questions of Madame Demers, you indicated that due to the staff reductions, you had to be focused and strategic. Is there a sense within the department that some things may have fallen by the wayside, things that you would have liked to pursue, had there been opportunity, the staff, the resources to do that?
Coordinator, Office of the Coordinator, Status of Women Canada
I think if you ask any head of any organization, they would always say there are some things they'd like to do, that they never have enough resources to do what they'd like. What we are trying to do is to work in the areas that we think will get the best benefits, like the areas of accountability around gender-based analysis, strategic focus on where there are significant gaps that are hindering full participation of women in Canada.
As I say, I think there's always more work that we would like to do, but we do have to focus on priorities and what we can do with the resources that we have.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Thank you.
Time's up. I know that everybody is having lots of fun.
Ms. Beckton, thank you for coming. You have a very impressive resumé.
One moment, please. Are you asking a question?
Conservative
Sylvie Boucher Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Madam Chair, have you also considered my request? Ms. Neville requested the list of projects that have been rejected. I would like us to add to that ...
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
You were in too much of a hurry. I was going to officially ask that.
As you can see, there are a lot of questions and concerns, although we appreciate that you are new to this job. As you gave us the list of projects that have been approved, it appears that it's 23%, so we would appreciate receiving the list of projects that were denied and the list of projects that were approved, for our consideration, because that's part of our job as a committee.
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
You're coming back on December 10, the clerk tells me, to talk about gender budgeting or gender analysis.
Coordinator, Office of the Coordinator, Status of Women Canada
Well, if you say I'm coming back on December 10, then we will be here.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
There have been lots of questions, and I couldn't give Mr. Stanton his turn, etc. We have more questions, so I guess we could always pose questions around it and also some items for clarification.
Mr. Lunney--
Coordinator, Office of the Coordinator, Status of Women Canada
May I just say, with respect to the list of groups that were not approved, because of privacy we have to ask them for their permission to release that information. That could take a little longer than December 10.
Liberal
Conservative
James Lunney Conservative Nanaimo—Alberni, BC
I wanted to say on that same point that every government program is oversubscribed. Whether it's arts and council grants or sports groups or anything else, it's oversubscribed. I hope it wouldn't be the committee's intent to take over the work of the department in trying to evaluate individual requests.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Mr. Lunney, I don't think I heard that. What we heard was that 23% of the projects only had been approved. Ms. Beckton herself gave us the figures. I think the committee has an interest and a right to know what 60 were approved.
Did you say that you couldn't give us the projects that were not approved? Or was it the ones that...?
Coordinator, Office of the Coordinator, Status of Women Canada
We can give you the ones that were approved. What we cannot give you, without getting the consent of the groups involved, are the ones that were not approved on this round.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
And you will get their consent, if that's the will of the committee.
Coordinator, Office of the Coordinator, Status of Women Canada
We will seek their consent, yes.
Liberal
Conservative
Sylvie Boucher Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC
You spoke about having the representatives of Status of Women appear again on the 10th. Is that to discuss gender budgeting?
Conservative
Sylvie Boucher Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Okay, so only that.
It will be only to discuss the budget, because we are going to prepare the report? That is what I want to know. They will come back on the 10th to discuss gender budgeting?