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.
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Thank you.
Ms. Davidson, if I may, there is Minister Finley; Minister Nicholson--
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Well, Minister Day is security, and I don't think it'll have that much of an impact. The other three ministers will have a far greater impact: Minister Nicholson because we're coming very close to the Olympic Games and we want to hear something from Minister Nicholson; Minister Finley because some of our recommendations on this trafficking dealt with the immigration issue, and from what I heard on her show, she has some ideas around this; and thirdly, Minister Solberg, so that will be the economic security.
We'll be able to at least get some issues organized and out of our way.
Yes.
Conservative
Patricia Davidson Conservative Sarnia—Lambton, ON
Have they been asked to come? Has anything gone to them?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Yes, the clerk phoned. Remember, you asked me the question. The clerk had pre-phoned, then I sent out letters and we have had another follow-up.
So if there's a little push from your side, it will help.
Conservative
Patricia Davidson Conservative Sarnia—Lambton, ON
Could I please have a copy of the letter you sent? I can use that as reference.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
That brings me to an update on how much it would probably cost us if we have to do a video conference and it's already budgeted for. If we're doing a teleconference it will cost $100. If we're doing a video conference, it's $100 per hour for four hours for two people, etc., about $2,600. It's already part of our budget submission that we submitted to the liaison committee, so we are within our parameters. We might use it. We might not use it.
Just so that the committee members know, that is the approximate money we're looking at.
Are there any problems?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
I need a motion to adopt a budget.
Mr. Stanton moves that the budgets for video conferencing and teleconferencing be approved.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Mr. Stanton, I'll repeat the total figure for the gender budgeting study.
The video conference may be $2,600, but witnesses' expenses, with 30 witnesses at an average cost of $1,200, is $36,000.
So the total budget, Mr. Stanton, is $39,102.
Conservative
Bruce Stanton Conservative Simcoe North, ON
That's fine.
(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Thank you.
Committee members, how would you like to proceed with the court challenges program? I know that everybody is keen on getting it out of our way. We have received three reports from the clerk on the three committees that studied the court challenges program.
We have before us a motion. I would like to have the committee's consensus on a moving forward strategy.
Does anybody wish to speak on how we move forward?
I guess you haven't had enough time to analyze what is missing from the other three reports. When I was at the liaison committee--and Ms. Davidson can vouch for it--we were told that official languages was asking for $17,000 to study the court challenges program.
When I brought it up that we were under the impression they had already studied it, they said, no, this is in the pipeline.
So there's some confusion going on. I think the report we have is a very....
Pardon?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
We have a small report that we have received, which is a two-pager.
Committee members, I am all for suggestions as to how we move forward.
I have asked the analyst to give us an objective overview of the three studies, because not all of us have had a chance to look at the report and say here is what it is. Then we will have a better idea of how to move forward.
Clara, please.
Clara Morgan Committee Researcher
Ms. Ratansi asked me to look over what was done in the three committees.
The Standing Committee on Official Languages did submit a report and submitted a recommendation. In accordance with its mandate under the Standing Orders, it recommended that the government continue funding the court challenges program at the level set in fiscal years 2005 and 2006 to ensure the continuation of this program.
They had several witnesses in. I don't know if you want more details about who the witnesses were, but there weren't any specific women's groups represented. Generally, there were some groups represented such as the Quebec Community Groups Network, the Canadian Constitution Foundation,
the Société des Acadiens et Acadiennes du Nouveau-Brunswick.
These kinds of groups were represented at official languages.
The report they presented in May 2007, “Communities Speak Out: Hear Our Voice”, had a section, section 4.5.1, on the court challenges program. In it they recommended that the government reinstate the court challenges program or create another program in order to meet objectives in the same way. That was another subsegment.
The Canadian heritage committee had also studied the program, and they had several communities in as well. They did have the National Association of Women and the Law, and they had REAL Women in, so they had two women's groups represented, but they didn't specifically address women's perspective. It was more the general impact on various groups. They just issued a report, with a recommendation stating that the government should continue funding the court challenges program at the fiscal 2005-06 level.
The Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights also studied the court challenges program, but they also did not have a specific women's perspective. They had such organizations as the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and the Women's Legal Education and Action Fund, but again it wasn't focused as consistently as perhaps the status of women's committee might in addressing the issue pertaining to women specifically.
That's what I had looked over for the committee.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
I think Madam Minna had her hand up, followed by Madame Demers. Then we can see where we go with this.
Go ahead, Ms. Minna.
Liberal
Maria Minna Liberal Beaches—East York, ON
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I'm not going to go to the wording of the motion just now, because I think there's maybe something that could make it a bit clearer, but I'll go to the overall thing.
The reason I put this forward and support it is that as was just mentioned, other committees did some reports immediately after the program was eliminated and of course there were some recommendations, but really there's not been a proper look at the impact on women. I think that's what we're discussing here, impacts such as the McIvor case and other cases that have affected women specifically.
The Official Languages Act is looking at a particular aspect of it, and to some degree I think there's also legislation that indicates something about the role they have to play there, but I think doing a quick study on the court challenges program shouldn't take us a great deal of time, especially since we're going to be dealing with women and justice as part of the gender-based study.
Because it's a project and a legislative piece unto itself, we could take it as a piece. Its ramifications are quite major. I was looking at the work plan; obviously it's challenging before Christmas, but each meeting is two hours. We could add a meeting or two at some point before Christmas to fit in the court challenges part, or certainly to start it, and then hopefully finish it once we get back. But I still think it's a piece that would help us a great deal, both in terms of what we're already doing in terms of gender-based study as well as in terms of the impact it's having on women in our country with respect to women's rights.
For that reason, I still think it's worthwhile to do.
