Status of Women Committee on May 12th, 2010

[Cicely McWilliam]

I couldn't give you a percentage. I imagine that, yes, maternal deaths would be prevented if you were able to prevent this atrocity from occurring, for sure. But I couldn't give you a statistic off the top of my head.

[Lois Brown, Conservative, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Do I still have time, Madam Chair?

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

You have one minute.

[Lois Brown, Conservative, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Thank you.

Ms. McWilliam, you made a comment earlier that they reduced their child mortality rate by 50%. I missed something in there. What was the investment that achieved that, and what would it take to repeat that success?

[Cicely McWilliam]

I will probably have to come back to you with that. I don't have in my notes the investment that delivered that number.

It is in the State of the World's Mothers report. I have a copy of it. I can't distribute it widely, unfortunately, because it's not translated. If you want I can give it to you later, and then I can get back to you on that number, if you don't mind.

[Lois Brown, Conservative, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Thank you. I'd appreciate that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you.

That is the end of that round.

I want to thank the witnesses for coming. Sometimes I take the opportunity to ask one question, because as a chair I don't ask many questions.

One question I want to ask is simply this. I've heard the question asked around the room, but I have not actually heard an answer. I'm a physician, and the word “comprehensive” means the whole range of services that are available to people. I note that you talked about front line workers being important, and I agree with you. A basic health system that is functioning is an important thing. Both of those are extremely top priorities, but I don't understand how one can suggest that you can then achieve the millennium development goals by only focusing on those two, and not completely ensuring that the other comprehensive range of services is there.

[Cicely McWilliam]

I wasn't saying you would only have to focus on two. We are saying that the value added for Canada could be or should be this piece. It's not to say that the other pieces don't have to be addressed and shouldn't be addressed. That is the point we're making. We put the focus there because that's where we believe it's needed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

I understand that.

Ms. Dendys, do you have anything to add further?

[Christina Dendys]

I absolutely agree with what Cicely just said. The broader G8 initiative--and beyond, because it's not all going to get solved in June--is comprehensive continuum of care. Our brief just focused on where Canada's specific contribution could be.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Ms. Snowdon.

[Dr. Anne Snowdon]

Comprehensive in my perspective would also suggest balance. Just as an example, 3,000 people around the world today will die in road crashes, and another 3,000 the next day, and the next day--1.2 million every year. A balance would suggest to me to look across all of the threats to both women's and children's health.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Ms. Fuselli.

[Pamela Fuselli]

I agree with Dr. Snowdon about incorporating injury prevention into that comprehensive approach. If you want to achieve results in children's mortality worldwide, injury prevention has to be a piece of that solution.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you very much.

I want to thank the witnesses for coming.

Ms. McLeod.

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

I know in past practice when we had extra time you asked the witnesses to do one-minute wrap-ups. Perhaps we don't have a lot of committee in camera business, so do we have time for that wrap-up?

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

We actually do have a motion, and you know how in this committee a motion sometimes takes a long time, depending on the motion.

I don't know if the motion can be presented, though, because the presenter of the motion is not here.

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Her substitute is here.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

The committee will have to decide whether they wish the substitute to present the motion.

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

I believe in the Standing Orders it's appropriate for the substitute to present the motion.

But I'm talking about the practice of wrap-up.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

I must say that, yes, obviously the Standing Orders say that you should. But I do recall, in this very committee, that when Ms. Mathyssen was not here to present her motion, this committee did not allow her substitute to present it, because the committee had agreed that this was how they wanted to function.

So I'm just talking about this particular committee.

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Oh, I think we go with the Standing Orders, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Yes, but this committee always agrees at the very first meeting how they want to conduct themselves. A lot of standing orders are not observed by this committee. For instance, we don't have a steering group that decides what we will do next. We have made a lot of decisions in this committee as to what we do, and how we allow people to speak who are not members of the committee. We have to get unanimous agreement.

This has all been decided by this committee, and committees can decide on particular manners in which they want to comport themselves. I know that this committee has different rules from any other committee I've been on.

So I just thought I would mention that.

We now have 25 minutes for what has been allocated as half an hour for committee business. I would like to just thank the witnesses for their presence. Thank you very much.

Does this committee agree that they want Mr. Watson to present Ms. Boucher's motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Good. I will read Madame Boucher's motion, and Mr. Watson will speak to it.

This committee actually has to go in camera.

Does the mover of the motion wish to go in camera for the motion?