Thank you, Madam Chair.
I thank the minister and the officials from her department for being here. Things are a bit unruly. This is my first time at this committee.
I've had talks with some of the local organizations in my riding, and some national organizations, to find out about their relationship with Status of Women Canada. Those organizations appreciate that the renewal period for grants has been extended from three to five years, because this allows them to plan their activities over a longer period of time. However, several organizations, such as Justice alternative du Suroît, say that applying for grants is very complicated, and that the wait before obtaining any can be very long, from six months to two years. They also stated that it takes a lot of concerted action and partnerships with other organizations in the field, and that they sometimes have to submit projects more than once, which can take up to two years and thus demobilize some organizations.
Can the minister guarantee that the changes that will be made to the Women's Program will decrease the administrative burden that is transferred to those organizations? They must receive funding for their basic operations or activities, and not just assistance for pilot projects or special projects, so that women's concerns may be taken into account at the decision-making level.