Status of Women Committee on April 6th, 2017

[Sheila Malcolmson, NDP, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Yes.

By adopting the subcommittee report, I think we're adopting the work plan. Is that right?

[The Chair, Conservative, Marilyn Gladu]

No.

[An hon. member]

The witness list.

[Sheila Malcolmson, NDP, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

The witness list...?

[The Chair, Conservative, Marilyn Gladu]

We're considering the work plan. We would amend it at the bottom to say that we would extend the addition of witnesses to the end of April.

[Sheila Malcolmson, NDP, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Is this a good time to talk about the work plan?

[The Chair, Conservative, Marilyn Gladu]

For Bill C-337 or the economic security?

[Sheila Malcolmson, NDP, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

For Bill C-337.

[The Chair, Conservative, Marilyn Gladu]

Yes.

[Sheila Malcolmson, NDP, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

There are two what I think might be small details. One is on page 1 of the work plan, which is dated April 4. For panel two, under B, in meeting two, for the Native Women's Association of Canada, included there is the wrong name for the president. Francyne Joe is the interim president, and I think she has been for at least six months now.

[The Chair, Conservative, Marilyn Gladu]

Okay. That's a good correction.

[Sheila Malcolmson, NDP, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

On the news release, which is I think attached to the analysts' report, I have two questions.

This is not my bill, so I'll look to my Conservative colleagues on this. One, does this news release tell members of the public enough about the intention of the bill? It doesn't look very friendly to me, and I thought we might have one line that says what it is intended to do. I'll leave that to my Conservative colleagues to say whether that looks inviting enough.

Next, I just wanted to double-check this. April 14 is Good Friday. Is there any problem with having that as the deadline for submissions?

[The Chair, Conservative, Marilyn Gladu]

They're online submissions, so I think it's not an issue. All right?

With the amendment to the correction of the name on the work plan, and the amendment to allow the discussion on the economic security of women study to receive witnesses before the end of April, there is this motion to adopt the report of the subcommittee.

Is there any other discussion?

Mr. Fraser.

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

On the issue of written briefs, and not only because it's Good Friday, if we're extending the possibility of witnesses until the end of April, I feel that we may as well bump it back. Our study is not going to finish until early May, I don't think, before we get to clause-by-clause. Is that right?

Is there a reason why we couldn't bump it an additional week to give those who've just learned about it a chance to put something together, so that they essentially have two weeks instead of one?

[The Chair, Conservative, Marilyn Gladu]

The discussion was about how we were going to hear all of the witnesses on Bill C-337 by April 13, and we wanted the committee members to have the two weeks that we're in the constituencies to consider all of that. We thought that if we had all the briefs by then, they'd have the whole package. If the committee has the will to extend it to the 21st, I don't have an issue with it.

Ms. Vecchio.

[Karen Vecchio, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

I really like Sean's idea of extending it by a week. I don't think this is giving the appropriate amount of time, and I think it's an important issue. Since we are doing everything in a state-of-the-art way now, with technology such as iPads and fax machines and things like that, I think it's a great idea. I think it would be absolutely fine to extend it by a week, because even during that two-week break we can get it sent right to us in our constituencies, regardless of whether we get it in week one or two.

[The Chair, Conservative, Marilyn Gladu]

All right.

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

I have one related comment—or ask, I guess—for the analysts. Will we get any kind of summary of the evidence, based on what we heard, before we get to clause-by-clause, or are we on our own in terms of what we've heard and what briefs we read?

[Laura Munn-Rivard, Committee Researcher]

We can definitely provide a summary of evidence. The challenge now is that if you push the deadline back—

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

That's what I'm asking, yes.

[Laura Munn-Rivard]

—to April 21, it would be more challenging to get you that summary of evidence by the clause-by-clause. If I look at a calendar....

If we get the last briefs by the 21st, we could try to pull something together for maybe May 1, but then you're doing clause-by-clause on May 4.

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

Okay.

[The Chair, Conservative, Marilyn Gladu]

Also, the amendments need to be in by the 2nd.

[Laura Munn-Rivard]

Yes.

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

I hate to delay things that the subcommittee has already talked about. Is it not possible to get a draft of where we're at when we break for the two weeks, pending further briefs?