Madame Demers.
Evidence of meeting #59 for Status of Women in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was language.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #59 for Status of Women in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was language.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:40 p.m.
Bloc
Nicole Demers Bloc Laval, QC
Madam Chair, it is not just the information that we want. We want an assessment of the gender-based study done on the awarding of funding and infrastructure. This is what we want, not just information. The information is already available on the Internet. However, the information on the Internet does not indicate whether or not a gender-based analysis was done on the impact that these various donations and subsidies to both athletes and infrastructure projects had on women, men and children.
So we are not just auditing everything that was given to Sport Canada or to infrastructure projects. Rather, we are trying to check whether or not a gender-based analysis was done. That is the purpose behind Ms. Neville's motion. She would like to have a gender-based analysis and not simply a general analysis.
12:40 p.m.
Conservative
Merv Tweed Conservative Brandon—Souris, MB
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I guess that's the brunt of my argument. Before you undertake a study, would it not be better for the committee to hear from the staff and the minister and then formulate what they want out of the study or review you're prepared to undertake?
I'm not arguing with the fact that the motion is sound and doable; I'm just asking whether we are doing it in reverse order. If you have the minister and the department staff here you can ask those questions. If you're not satisfied, then you can move forward to a study, a review, or an audit. I suspect they're sitting in their offices right now. They won't be listening to this debate because it's in camera, which surprises me as well.
12:45 p.m.
Conservative
Merv Tweed Conservative Brandon—Souris, MB
Thank you. I appreciate that. I can't believe that committee business would be. If they are listening right now they're probably collecting that information, hoping for a chance to appear before the committee to present that--
12:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
Sometimes committee business is conducted in camera at the wish of the committee itself.
12:45 p.m.
Conservative
12:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
Actually, sometimes the committee wishes a motion to be in camera.
Madame Boucher?
12:45 p.m.
Conservative
12:45 p.m.
Conservative
Sylvie Boucher Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Really, I do not understand where you want to go with this. I searched for information on all of the athletes who have obtained grants and so on. I can tell you that a lot of women received them; more than 50% went to women, in fact. That information, and more, is on the Internet.
In other committees, we have invited ministers as well as officials. It was very lively, particularly at the Standing Committee on Official Languages. It was a good thing to do. The minister is prepared to appear. We have invited ministers, and this one is prepared to meet with us. I spoke to Mr. Lunn and he is prepared to come in order to explain what they do and how Sport Canada works.
We have very little time remaining, particularly since we also have the issue of social media which is important to us, at least to my riding. We're always putting those matters off. As far as I'm concerned, it is important that we study social media as they affect women. We're always postponing matters that are important for the people in the street in my riding. Ms. Demers has also met with girls who were asking questions about social media. I do not want to drop the issue.
The minister and the officials from Sport Canada are prepared to explain how they operate. We also have a great deal of information. I certainly will not be supporting the motion as it is drafted.
12:45 p.m.
Bloc
Nicole Demers Bloc Laval, QC
Madam Chair, I think that there is some confusion here. The motion is not asking the committee to undertake a study. The motion is recommending that the government audit federal funding. We're talking about the government, not the committee.
As I see it, every time that representatives from Status of Women Canada and other departments have testified before us, they tell us that they do a gender-based analysis before submitting projects to the Department of Finance. If the gender-based analysis is done, they should not have any problems providing us with the information, particularly since all departments have rules stating that gender-based analyses are to be done.
As we have been so often told, if that is not the case, the people from Status of Women Canada will be pleased to help them conduct their gender-based analyses, because that is their role.
12:45 p.m.
Liberal
Lise Zarac Liberal LaSalle—Émard, QC
First of all, I would like to answer Madame Boucher.
She is saying that women's causes are not the priority, but that social media...
12:45 p.m.
Conservative
Sylvie Boucher Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Social media are important. Sorry to have to tell you that.
12:45 p.m.
Liberal
Lise Zarac Liberal LaSalle—Émard, QC
Women's causes are as well.
Today, in the newspapers, we read that Professor Kathleen Lahey...
12:50 p.m.
Liberal
Lise Zarac Liberal LaSalle—Émard, QC
from Queen's University said concerning women's causes, which is that we haven't come such a long way after all and that even then we might be backsliding. So I think it's very important.
I just want to repeat what Ms. Demers said. It's not complicated. As Mr. Tweed said, the information is there. We just want to bring all the information together, make an analysis, and make sure that it's equitable for women. The information there shouldn't be complicated.
May I ask for the vote, Madam Chair?
12:50 p.m.
Liberal