Status of Women Committee on Feb. 5th, 2009

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Is there any further discussion? If not, I'll call for a vote on the motion.

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

Is it this motion or an amended motion?

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

If you want to propose an amendment, go ahead.

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

I would amend it and, after “Thursday, February 12”, simply eliminate what's here, and have that she introduce herself to the committee as a new minister and after that discuss the estimates.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

What I have is the amendment, which would read: “That the Standing Committee on the Status of Women welcome the Honourable Helena Guergis to speak to the committee members on Thursday, February 12, from 11 to 12, to introduce herself to the committee as the new Minister of State for the Status of Women and to discuss the estimates”.

Madam Davidson.

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

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I think probably everybody's aware that we're hoping to have the estimates before the House on Thursday afternoon, so we need to make sure that we have the minister here for Thursday morning to go over them.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

So you're agreeing with the motion, then?

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

Yes, I am.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Is there any other discussion on the amendment? No.

I will read the motion as amended:

That the Standing Committee on the Status of Women welcome the Honourable Helena Guergis to speak to the committee members on Thursday, February 12, from 11 a.m. to noon, to introduce herself to the committee as the new Minister of State for the Status of Women and to discuss the estimates.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

I want there to be absolutely no misunderstanding. The word “discuss” does not necessarily require the minister to answer questions, and I want her to answer questions. I don't want there to be any ambivalence about what we want from her.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Will you propose an amendment?

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

I would like to change the word "discuss" to “answer questions” on the estimates.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Is there discussion on that amendment? No. Then I will read the amended motion:

That the Standing Committee on the Status of Women welcome the Honourable Helena Guergis to speak to the committee members on Thursday, February 12, from 11 to 12 noon, to introduce herself to the committee as the new Minister of State for the Status of Women and to answer questions regarding the estimates.

(Motion as amended agreed to)

[Nicole Demers, Bloc, Laval, QC]

Madam Chair, I would like to make a special request to the committee. As we will be sitting on Tuesday and Thursday every week, and as we will also be sitting in the morning or the afternoon, the meeting from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. does not give us time to eat because, at 1:00 p.m., we have to get ready for Question Period with our caucuses, or go into the House.

So I am asking the committee if we can have soup and sandwiches here. That is what we did at the Committee on Health. We have never spent any money at this committee, and I feel it would make sense to have soup, sandwiches and juice for members.

Since my colleagues seem to agree completely, Madam Chair, we could add wine and port.

[Some hon. members]

Ah! Ah!

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Madame Deschamps.

[Johanne Deschamps, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Along the same lines as Mrs. Boucher's motion, can I give notice of a motion that I have submitted to the clerk?

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Do you want to distribute the motion before I read it?

Ms. Deschamps' motion reads as follows:

That the Standing Committee on the Status of Women call on the federal government to take real action to support women and denounce their abuse, both in Canada and abroad.

Is there any discussion on that motion?

Madame Deschamps.

[Johanne Deschamps, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Should I speak to this motion, Madam Chair?

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Madame Deschamps, there is an amendment from the clerk, who says that the committee cannot make something happen. The clerk would like it to say in the French version--it's now different from the English version--the word recommande instead of exige.

Is that okay with you?

[Johanne Deschamps, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

I see no problem with “recommande“ instead of “exige“.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Okay. Go ahead, Madame Deschamps.

[Johanne Deschamps, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

We talked about this yesterday, at a meeting with the Minister of the Status of Women. Sylvie was there too. Both in our committees and on the Hill, most of us have been told about the mistreatment of women in conflicts such as the ones now raging in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Women are often the victims of conflicts and wars. A number of Canadian women overseas have demanded that the government intervene because they are in danger. The Parliament of Canada, the Government of Canada, has the duty and the moral responsibility to intervene when situations like this are brought to its attention. I find it unacceptable that no action is being taken, nothing is being done, to protect these women.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Is there any further discussion?

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

One moment; it loses something in French. In English it's not the same. Sometimes the translation is....