Status of Women Committee on Feb. 17th, 2011

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you.

I want to thank everyone for coming.

All I have to say, Mr. Hill, is that your explanation saddens me so profoundly in Canada today.

Perhaps we can thank everyone now--

Ms. O'Neill-Gordon, do you have a point of order?

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

No, I just have a comment. It's not a question.

I'm happy to hear Sharon Matthews' comment that there is a sufficient amount of money on the table and even happier to hear Barbara say that for the first time they are given a five-year term and that gives them time. That's very, very important to hear, because our government is trying hard to work for the good of all the—

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you, Tilly, but we must go in camera now.

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

We don't have to go in camera for my motion.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

You don't have to go in camera for your motion? All right.

Then perhaps we can just move swiftly. While everyone is leaving, I'd like us to focus on a couple of things in business that we must do today.

We have a budget that I need you to okay, if I could have the attention of the committee, please. We have a budget to study the language changes at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. The budget is $6,300. Can I have an okay for this budget, please?

All right, Dona, so moved. Thank you very much.

A seconder? Good.

Thank you.

Now we'll go to Ms. Neville's motion, which I'm going to read for you:

That the Committee recommend that the government conduct a gender audit of all federal funding of sport, including Sport Canada funding programs, funding of infrastructure projects by Infrastructure Canada, as well as contributions to international athletic competitions hosted in Canada, to ensure that funding is being distributed on an equitable basis; That the conclusions of this audit be made publicly available and tabled in the House of Commons; and That this motion be reported to the House.

Ms. Neville, speak to your motion, please, and then I'll entertain debate.

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

Thank you.

Very briefly, Madam Chair, I guess I'm continually surprised—and I shouldn't be—at the inequities that are prevalent in so many aspects of the world we operate in. I don't want to equate this with violence against aboriginal women, but you talked about institutionalized discrimination. I would say to you that, knowingly or unknowingly, there is, very much, institutionalized discrimination against female athletes. I think it's important that we as a committee speak out on behalf of women athletes.

We did it in February of 2008, when we expressed concern to the Olympic committee on the recognition or non-recognition of women's ski jumping as an event at the Winter Olympics. We know that moneys are being given out or being requested for the Pan Am Games. We know that moneys are being given out for various infrastructure projects that are focusing largely on male-participation athletic events.

I'm not saying that we take radical action; I'm saying that we gather information and know the reality of the situation for women athletes in this country. I can go through a host of discriminatory events that take place. I don't want to prolong the discussion, but there are many instances: the number of events they're allowed to compete in, the dollars allocated, and the fact they're under the jurisdiction of an international sports body that makes up the rules, and whether they violate Canadian human rights codes in this country or not, they have the wherewithal to do that.

I am just asking that the committee speak out on behalf of women athletes and that we ask the government to move forward in gathering this information.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you, Ms. Neville.

Anyone wishing to speak for or against this, please speak up.

Madame Boucher.

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

I don't completely disagree, but I don't completely agree either, at least not with the way it is worded.

First, Sport Canada funding is already available to the public online. The list of everyone who has received funding is there, including funding for women. Everything is available.

As far as Infrastructure Canada is concerned, I would like you to be more specific. I am convinced that when you build roads and things like that, gender is not an issue. When you build a road, it's a road. When you build an arena, it's an arena. Not everything is gender-based.

Further, doing an audit costs the taxpayers. If you want information, perhaps we should invite representatives from Sport Canada, or the minister, to appear before us and to provide an explanation. That would be preferable and would not cost taxpayers any more money.

We should put that question to Sport Canada, through the clerk or the analysts, in order to find out more about the funding, but this information is already available. I am convinced that the representatives or the minister would be pleased to discuss this matter with us, since the information is already available online. I went online yesterday and everything is there.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you.

Is there anybody else?

Madame Demers.

[Nicole Demers, Bloc, Laval, QC]

I simply wanted a clarification, Madam Chair.

Sylvie, I thought that every department already conducted a gender-based analysis.

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

Perhaps gender-based analyses are already carried out, but when you are dealing with infrastructure projects, such as roads or arenas, I am convinced that the issue of female drivers is not taken into account.

[Nicole Demers, Bloc, Laval, QC]

I am thinking of how these infrastructure projects might affect men, women and children.

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

Yes, but a road is a road. It affects everyone the same way.

[Nicole Demers, Bloc, Laval, QC]

No, but we should find out whether the money which was invested will affect the number of workers who are women and the number of workers who are men.

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

Well, that is not the same—

[Nicole Demers, Bloc, Laval, QC]

Are we going to have a—

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

It's not the same thing.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Excuse me, Madame Boucher. Madame Demers is speaking. This is not a debate back and forth.

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

I'm sorry, but she asked me a question and I answered.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Let Madame Demers speak. Then I'm going to go to Mrs. Grewal.

[Nicole Demers, Bloc, Laval, QC]

I had the impression that gender-based analysis was already being carried out in various departments. If that's not the case, I think it should be done.

In the area of sport, after the Own the Podium program ended, many athletes ended up without any funding, without the support they had received from their sponsors in preparation for the Olympics. Indeed, Sport Canada, through the Own the Podium program, had provided funding to the athletes so they could compete in the Olympics. As a result, we won more medals than ever before: 26 medals, including 14 gold. I remember because, that week, it was on TV.

This should motivate us to provide our athletes with the support they need to continue their training without having to worry about money. This is especially the case for women, because they receive fewer sponsorships than men.

Skier Érik Guay won another competition this week. It is easy for him to obtain sponsorships. However, it is harder for women. This week, two female skiers said on TV that it was harder for them.

Perhaps this matter is worth looking into.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Madame Demers, we're going to have to.... We're running out of time here. We're going to have to go to Ms. Grewal.

[Nicole Demers, Bloc, Laval, QC]

Excuse me, Madam Chair.

It might be a good idea to look into this matter.

[Nina Grewal, Conservative, Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I would like to ask Ms. Neville if she could clarify this a little with regard to infrastructure projects.

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

I want to know when moneys are given to stadiums and other sporting activities whether the stadium dollars are going to support men's sporting events only or whether women's sports groups participate in those. I don't know that. I think it's information we want.

Infrastructure dollars go to a whole host of things. They go to--