Status of Women Committee on June 10th, 2010

[Luc Desnoyers, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

The most recent report that you've submitted—

[Ellen Gabriel]

In 2008, we submitted a brief on spousal abuse.

[Luc Desnoyers, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

There are a number of recommendations—

[Ellen Gabriel]

I could submit to you—

[Luc Desnoyers, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

You can submit it to our analysts, and we could get a copy.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Yes, send copies to the clerk and they will be distributed to the MPs. The clerk can tell you what format she wants it in.

[Luc Desnoyers, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

A little earlier, we talked about statistics. Amnesty International stated some of those statistics. Do you have a document that would enable the committee to see statistics in Quebec? It isn't easy to get those kinds of documents.

Does this report generally concern violence against women, or are we talking about 582 cases of women who were killed in Canada?

Do we have that report, Madam Chair?

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

The committee has that, yes.

[Luc Desnoyers, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

I'd like to know whether there are any statistics. Amnesty International stated a few.

[Béatrice Vaugrante]

At the end of this report, there are notes, with all the references to government studies that have been conducted by the federal government.

In addition, with respect to the national action plan, I believe that Manitoba is quite advanced. You must be aware of that. There's a task force there that includes the police and a lot of social and economic players. I believe Manitoba is one of the most advanced provinces because they're trying to address violence against women in a slightly more holistic and comprehensive way. I think that's a model.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Ms. Émilie-Cloé Laliberté.

[Émilie-Cloé Laliberté]

At the end of the recommendations, you'll find a number of references to research projects that have been done in Canada. We did a research project on the legal system, and a project on HIV/AIDS was conducted for Canada. If we compare that to Montreal, they met with an enormous number of aboriginal women who were living on the street. That research contained some very interesting statistics and recommendations.

There's also the pivot legal society in Vancouver, which has surveyed sworn statements and testimony that can be admitted in court. These people have produced a publication for which I gave you the reference. They met with aboriginal women from the downtown east side. Those statistics and recommendations are quite extensive.

[Luc Desnoyers, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

I have a final question.

We talked about grants and funding. Ms. Gabriel said that this was an important part, but there's also the entire aspect of colonization that really has to be addressed.

My question is this: are there any organizations such as yours whose grants have been cut? If so, for what reasons?

[Nakuset]

You're referring to the Aboriginal Healing Foundation cuts?

[Luc Desnoyers, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Yes, there was that. Were there any other organizations? Does this affect a number of organizations?

[Nakuset]

I can only speak for the shelter, and it was the government that decided they no longer wanted to give money to the Aboriginal Healing Foundation. I was on maternity leave, so I remember speaking to AHS, the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, maybe at the beginning of March, when the government was prorogued. They were expecting money from the government. That's why we were all very surprised when they put an announcement on the website saying the government would not be....

[Luc Desnoyers, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

All right.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Ms. Brown.

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

Thank you, Madam Chair--

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Oh, just one moment, please.

We do have recommendations from Stella that have not been sent out to the committee yet because we need to just translate a few sentences that were in the brief. We have to do everything in English and French, so you will be getting the Stella recommendations.

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

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I just wanted to clarify, first of all, that the money for Sisters in Spirit was part of our 2010 budget, which is still in the process of being passed, so I don't expect that money will be able to flow until the budget goes through the House of Commons and then through the Senate. But that money, in my recollection of reading the budget document, was for research and policy. It was not money set aside for policing.

I think you will find that that money will be available once the budget gets through, and then the status of women minister will have the opportunity to have a look at where that money is going to go.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

As a point of information, I think it was suggested by Ms. Gabriel that she wasn't discussing the Sisters in Spirit money. She was discussing the $10 million in the Speech from the Throne that was earmarked for violence against women in general. No one knows what's happened to it, and then she was told that the $10 million was earmarked for policing.

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

Madam Chair, more money was set aside in the budget for Sisters in Spirit, but that is part of the 2010 budget and the budget is not yet passed. I think that is very important to keep in mind.

I wanted to ask Ms. France Robertson and Ms. Brazeau about the shelters. We heard the comment that there are not enough shelters. One comment was that it could be 100 kilometres to get to a shelter. With the disparity in geography that we have in Canada, what is the optimum accessibility? I suppose that would be the question that needs to be asked. I don't know that it's feasible to have a shelter in every community. Certainly I don't have shelters in every community in my area either.

And what is the repeat usage? Is it a revolving door or are we seeing the women who are coming...?

We had a witness in Ottawa who was talking about the skill sets that are being given to some of the women coming through their shelter doors. Is that happening here in Quebec? Is there more that needs to be done in that area? How can we help in that area? What is the repetition level that we see?

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Ms. Gabriel, do you want to respond?

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

Anyone can answer it. I just thought I would address the issue of shelters.