Evidence of meeting #1 for Status of Women in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Marilyn Gladu
You're comfortable with our adding that to the existing one we just voted on?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Marilyn Gladu
Is everybody comfortable with that in the committee? Okay. Very good.
All in favour?
(Amendment agreed to)
(Motion as amended agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
Monsieur Serré, finally we go to you.
Liberal
Marc Serré Liberal Nickel Belt, ON
Thank you, Madam Chair.
This is my first time speaking on the committee. Congratulations. A few years ago, I was on the Standing Committee on the Status of Women when you were the chair. I know the great work you've done in the past, and we'll continue to do good work together. Thank you and welcome.
I hope there will be consensus on my motion to carry on the work we began via Zoom. We need to support women in these tough times as we deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.
I will read my motion. I sent a copy to the clerk.
The motion reads as follows:
That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), and notwithstanding the committee’s completion of a previous study on the impacts to COVID-19 on women in Canada, the Standing Committee on the Status of Women re-establish a study on the impact of COVID-19 on women; that the study focus on those fleeing domestic violence, on women’s participation in the economy and on women in the care economy and the measure the Government has taken in response; that the committee report its findings to the House; and that the committee request a Government response to its report
Conservative
Conservative
Alice Wong Conservative Richmond Centre, BC
I remember that before we broke for prorogation we did a study on the impact of COVID on senior women. That part has already been done. I think we need to look at that part first to see the impact and what has been done. I don't want to do a study that duplicates what has already been done. This is just for the attention of the whole committee, especially for those who have just joined us. We did do a study and we did have a report. The follow-up hasn't really been done.
I just wanted to bring this to the attention of the new committee members right now.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Marilyn Gladu
I think it's an excellent point, Ms. Wong.
My understanding is that you did not, in the previous one, actually get the report issued or the letter issued to the minister at the time. It may be possible to amend Monsieur Serré's motion to add to it the inclusion of testimony received before.
Ms. Larouche.
Bloc
Andréanne Larouche Bloc Shefford, QC
I already mentioned that I had motions to send to the clerk for the committee's consideration. One of them is similar to the one we just heard. I propose that we move all of our motions today and that we refer them to the subcommittee to determine how they can be combined and prioritized.
Like Mr. Serré, I was on the Standing Committee on the Status of Women this summer. We had agreed that we would send a letter to the minister and that we would conduct a study and table a more comprehensive report once Parliament resumed in the fall. Ms. Wong explained that another report was done, but we'll have to review it given that a number of us have similar motions. We'll need to take the time to go through them and figure out what can be combined.
The Clerk
I'll just interject here. I can confirm that we did not send the letter to the minister; nor did we present a report. Perhaps you would like to take a look at Madame Larouche's motion, which has just been distributed. I believe it will cover what Mr. Serré mentioned as well.
Bloc
Andréanne Larouche Bloc Shefford, QC
Are you asking whether the motion was sent via the personal accounts?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Marilyn Gladu
Yes. I just wanted to know because I was a little confused. I thought Ms. Larouche was talking about the same motion that Mr. Serré had raised, which is what we were discussing. However, in the motions that were sent, there are additional motions, so my question is whether it is the will of the committee to—
Bloc
Andréanne Larouche Bloc Shefford, QC
Madam Chair, I can read my motion, which reiterates the idea that we submit our motions to the clerk so they can be referred to the subcommittee. The subcommittee members could then prioritize them.
The motion reads as follows:
That the Committee resume and complete its study on the impacts of the COVID 19 pandemic on women, which it undertook during the 1st Session of the 43rd Parliament, and that the evidence and documentation the committee received at that time be considered by the committee during the current session; that the committee report—
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Marilyn Gladu
Excuse me, Ms. Larouche, but could you read it more slowly? The interpreter is having some difficulty.
Bloc
Andréanne Larouche Bloc Shefford, QC
I move as follows:
That the Committee resume and complete its study on the impacts of the COVID 19 pandemic on women, which it undertook during the 1st Session of the 43rd Parliament, and that the evidence and documentation the committee received at that time be considered by the committee during the current session; that the committee report its recommendations to the House; and that, pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee request that the government table a comprehensive response to the report.
Liberal
Marc Serré Liberal Nickel Belt, ON
Thank you, Madam Chair.
What Ms. Larouche is proposing is similar to what Ms. Wong and I mentioned.
If everyone is in agreement, the subcommittee could examine it. Having all of our motions referred to the subcommittee is a good idea, provided that all the parties are able to submit their motions at a time that works for you, Madam Chair. The subcommittee can study and prioritize them, before they go back to the committee. It's a bit challenging to do it via Zoom.
I'm not sure whether there is agreement from the other members to have the subcommittee deal with all of that.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Marilyn Gladu
I think this is a very good suggestion, so I'll ask, if the committee is good with this, that everybody send their motions, both on the subject we were studying and the subjects that you may want to study, to the clerk by this Friday. Then we would set a subcommittee meeting for Tuesday, October 20, at 11 o'clock, to look at the motions and sort through them, consolidate where necessary and bring forward a list of priorities to the committee on the 22nd for us to consider and set our work in order.
Ms. Mathyssen.
NDP
Lindsay Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
Thank you, Madam Chair.
We did a lot of this work already, and it never actually came to fruition.
As I understood it, before COVID hit we had a set plan that laid out a number of studies that we had agreed to and that we came together as an entire committee to discuss. While I entirely agree with moving forward on a continuation of the study of the impacts of COVID on women, and a completion of that lengthened study—that would be great, and to discuss it in subcommittee would be fine—we could also potentially ask the clerk, or possibly outline what the committee had already decided.
I am certainly happy to resubmit all of those same motions, but also say what the plan was, so that we understand that after we complete the study on COVID, we move forward in that same vein.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Marilyn Gladu
It's a very good suggestion for the clerk to add what was on the schedule before for the Status of Women to study—and if there was an agreed priority—to the list of motions that people are bringing, plus the one that we're discussing. We can share that with all the committee members, some of whom are new. That way, when we come together, the subcommittee can do the initial hashing it out to see if we agree that the path we were on is the right one, or whether there are some new ideas or new circumstances that we want to inject in. Then it can come with a recommendation for the committee to consider.
Go ahead Ms. Hutchings.
