Status of Women Committee on March 12th, 2009

[Carmela Hutchison]

I'm just very excited to be here, and I really have enjoyed these discussions.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Patricia Davidson]

We have one more speaker.

Ms. O'Neill-Gordon, please. You have five minutes.

[Tilly O'Neill-Gordon, Conservative, Miramichi, NB]

Thank you. We're glad to have your presentation here this afternoon.

First of all, I want to congratulate you on making a note that women are the main purchasers. That is so true. We are the ones out there buying the groceries and the clothing and making our decisions for home renovations. We are the prime drivers in purchasing a lot of things. I congratulate you for making that comment and making it known, because it is a very true fact that we're always there purchasing and making decisions.

I assure you that our government is working to improve the lives of Canadian women. That is why, in our economic action plan, we've just committed to invest $75 million in the construction of social housing for people with disabilities. Can you explain how that will help the ladies in your area have access to better housing?

[Carmela Hutchison]

Again, it's going to depend on how it rolls out. There needs to be provision for a certain percentage of units. Most of the units for people with disabilities are built for people who are single. They're one-bedroom or studio apartments. They're not built for a woman with two children and where the woman is disabled as opposed to the child. It's very important that a certain number of long-term housing units be made available.

Also, it's very important for battered women's shelters, homeless shelters, that type of housing as well, that the proper accessibility and disability supports are brought into play. That's another essential thing. For any area of disability, and especially for the mental health sector, home support and independent living support certainly has to be part of any social housing program. You can't have one without the other.

[Tilly O'Neill-Gordon, Conservative, Miramichi, NB]

However, the $75 million is a good thing. It will help some, but a few circumstances have to be met in the process. Is that what you're saying?

[Carmela Hutchison]

Absolutely.

[Tilly O'Neill-Gordon, Conservative, Miramichi, NB]

It's good to know that the $75 million is helpful.

The other thing is that I'm not really sure what you mean by the two-week waiting period. Could you explain? If you've been working and you get your last cheque, do you then have to wait two more weeks before getting employment insurance? How long is that term?

[Carmela Hutchison]

It's two weeks from the date that you apply for your EI. I think the idea of it is that they're worried that there's any vacation earnings or anything like that. That all has to be exhausted. I think that's the premise behind it. That's the idea behind it.

It's also sort of a disincentive. You're not just going to automatically go and take your disability or EI benefits. It's hoped that people who lose their jobs suddenly will immediately go out and get another job. That's also what the waiting period does.

[Tilly O'Neill-Gordon, Conservative, Miramichi, NB]

I was thinking in terms of your getting your cheque today and then being off, and then you'd have to get your holiday pay and so on. If you applied for your employment insurance right away, would it be more than two weeks? Would it be longer than if you were working and got your cheque today and then waited another two weeks for your next cheque? What would be the difference between getting your cheque every two weeks and getting this employment insurance cheque at the end? Would it be about three weeks maybe?

[Carmela Hutchison]

Yes, and also—

[Tilly O'Neill-Gordon, Conservative, Miramichi, NB]

Or is it much longer? I'm just weighing the fact of our government having attached the five weeks on the end as opposed to having changed it at the beginning. Which would be better for our women? That's what I'm trying to get at in regard to the system.

[Carmela Hutchison]

Right. It would be better to do both.

[Tilly O'Neill-Gordon, Conservative, Miramichi, NB]

Sometimes you just have to have one or the other.

[Carmela Hutchison]

If there's a choice of one or the other, add the five weeks at the end.

[Tilly O'Neill-Gordon, Conservative, Miramichi, NB]

Okay. That's good to hear.

[Carmela Hutchison]

But it would definitely be better to do both.

[Tilly O'Neill-Gordon, Conservative, Miramichi, NB]

I know what you're saying.

[Carmela Hutchison]

Maybe it would be better to do both in the case of medical reasons. If a person is able to work, they can perhaps have the waiting period, but if people are ill, it kind of proves the point. You can't market yourself when you're sick.

[Tilly O'Neill-Gordon, Conservative, Miramichi, NB]

That's why I was wondering about the two weeks. I know we have two weeks, but how long would that two weeks sometimes extend to?

Thank you.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Patricia Davidson]

Okay. There are about 15 seconds left. Did you want to take that quickly?

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

I was also shocked that some people commented on the way you were dressed. I think you are dressed quite appropriately and that you look fine. Some people have no manners whatsoever.

Do you feel that women with disabilities—

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Patricia Davidson]

Okay. That ends our second round of questions.

Again, I want to say thank you very much. I hope we haven't put you through too gruelling an experience here this morning, being the only witness. I know we've expected a lot of you, and you've given a tremendous amount.

[Carmela Hutchison]

It was my tremendous privilege. I liked being the only witness. I really enjoyed the discussion. It's been tremendous. Thank you.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Patricia Davidson]

Thank you again.

May I have a motion to adjourn, please?

Madame Zarac, seconded by Madame Demers, moved the adjournment of the meeting. Everybody's in favour?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.