The floor is yours, Leah.
Evidence of meeting #118 for Status of Women in the 44th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was point.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #118 for Status of Women in the 44th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was point.
A recording is available from Parliament.
NDP
Leah Gazan NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
I'm stating facts. In 2019, Andrew Scheer, in response to the National Inquiry into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls, said it shouldn't be labelled as a genocide. It's in a CBC article.
I have spent my whole life fighting for these issues, and I wasn't even given a chance to put witnesses forward. I am being taken out of my community, which is in a constant state of grieving, and prevented from door knocking and checking in on my neighbours. We cannot allow this committee to be dragged down the Conservative pole of taking over.
This is the only place where we, as women, have been able to sit, be collegial and bring forward witnesses. It's the only place. This is the place where we pushed for the red dress alert. This is the place where we put forward a study that gave a clear correlation between violence against women and resource extraction—something that a Conservative member during the study called disgusting in the news.
This is why I'm here in this committee. Everybody around the table, outside of members who are not regular committee members, knows I have always worked across party lines to make sure that this committee functions. To use women who are victims of violence, without proper, trauma-informed care—including, for me, by the way, as a survivor of violence—is really troubling.
I am devastated by what has happened here today. I'm devastated. I'm so devastated, Chair, that it's hard for me to hold back tears, because this was the one place in this place where women could sit in safety, and it's no longer safe.
What does that mean? It means that all of the work we are doing to fight for women is now in jeopardy because we're playing games, and we can't play games on the backs of women and gender-diverse people. Their lives are on the line, and what we do matters.
That's why I feel the way I do today.
We could have done this properly, Chair, because it is an epidemic of violence. Cities across the country have declared this an epidemic. There's no question about that.
We need to do better. We need to represent our constituents. We need to fight for people who don't have a voice, including the large number of women in my riding who are suffering violence.
I hope we can do better. Lives are on the line. This isn't a game. We can't play games in this committee. This is a life-and-death committee. I don't want to play games, because I respect our committee too much, and I respect the people whom we're fighting for, because when we don't, lives are on the line.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Shelby Kramp-Neuman
I would just like to acknowledge that this meeting was struck to hear testimony from survivors and law enforcement officials. It was my understanding that it is extremely important that we provide the opportunity and the space for police forces and victims to enlighten and share with the community as a whole, given our current mandate, so that we can try to do what we can to stop this epidemic.
At this point, Michelle, you have the floor.
Conservative
Michelle Ferreri Conservative Peterborough—Kawartha, ON
Thanks, Madam Chair.
The status of women committee reconvened in the summer because Stats Canada released even more shocking statistics. We know this. We sit on the status of women committee.
The rate of domestic violence is at epic proportions. In Ontario alone, 95 municipalities have declared this a crisis. In his testimony today, the deputy chief from Peel said that a woman is strangled every single day just in his community.
We had a woman fly here from California to tell us, on the anniversary of her near-death experience with her abuser, that she doesn't feel safe to use her Canadian passport, because her attacker is personally rewarded for being an abuser under our federal Canadian laws. Her mom is standing here right now watching this.
The witnesses have left in tears. Megan Walker, who has worked with London police, said—
Conservative
Liberal
Conservative
Michelle Ferreri Conservative Peterborough—Kawartha, ON
Thank you. I'm getting there.
Cait's mom is standing here.
We talked about this. This is the status of women committee. Women are the whole heartbeat of society. This wasn't a game.
The Liberal MP across the way says we said nobody cares. That was victim testimony. The victim's testimony said Trudeau doesn't care. It wasn't us.
The NDP colleague from Winnipeg has epic proportions of domestic violence, homicides and murders in her riding. There were plenty of references to indigenous folks. Cait, who was presenting here today, represented the voices of dozens of victims. So did Megan Walker, who has dedicated her life to empowering women. So did the deputy police chief.
What happened? The Liberal MP put forward a motion on abortion in the middle of testimony, when they were asking for legitimate change.
Do you know what this committee is supposed to do? It's supposed to say, “Listen. What are we doing differently?”
Liberal
Conservative
Michelle Ferreri Conservative Peterborough—Kawartha, ON
We're talking about your motion. That's what we're talking about, Liberal MP across the way. Nobody here brought up abortion. You did.
We brought these women and the police chief here today because we have bills sitting in the House of Commons that are actually making things worse right now. Please.
If you don't know this story, this is happening right now. This woman's body could be found at any time. Hopefully, she is found alive, but we have the headline, “Man charged with kidnapping as search for Markham woman continues”. Right now, this is happening. If there's a member of this committee who doesn't think this is happening....
To my colleague from Winnipeg, 100%, but what is collegiality and what is compassion if you are not using this damn committee to change the legislation to save lives?
NDP
Leah Gazan NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
On a point of order, collegiality is giving people time to put forward witnesses, because we all care about the issue.
NDP
Leah Gazan NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Collegiality is about making sure we do things properly so that we can deal with things and make change. That's what collegiality is.
To my friend across the way, who I've worked with very closely in committee in a collegial way—we work very respectfully—as somebody on the committee has been a known advocate on the front lines of this issue, I would have at least expected the opportunity to put forward witnesses. I would have respected that, and I would have acted collegially because I care about this committee.
That's what collegiality means to me.
Conservative
NDP
Leah Gazan NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Just as a clarification, because it was pointed at me, indigenous women have their own voices. We can speak for ourselves. That's why it's important to have indigenous women here.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Shelby Kramp-Neuman
Thank you. That was your point of order.
Michelle, it's back to you.
Conservative
Michelle Ferreri Conservative Peterborough—Kawartha, ON
Thank you.
I think you are 100% right. That is why we need to extend these meetings. I'm going to put forward a motion.
On behalf of the entire committee—again, I will reiterate this to Cait's mom, who's standing here and had to witness her daughter leave in tears—I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
Conservative
Michelle Ferreri Conservative Peterborough—Kawartha, ON
I agree.
I would like to put forward a motion. This has to go further than the status of women committee, but I'm going to put forward this motion today. I move, given the testimony heard today, that the Standing Committee on the Status of Women hold four more meetings on the impacts of violent crime against women and report to the House.
That is what I would suggest. It is merely to hear more from victims. In the spirit of my colleague's notes, let's do this.
Obviously, this is heated. Obviously, this is a serious issue, but to put forward a motion in the middle of victim testimony about abortion....
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Shelby Kramp-Neuman
Okay. There is currently a motion on the floor—it's the original one—so we can't pass a second motion until the original motion is dealt with.
We'll have to resume, because there is still a speaking order on the original motion. We have to speak to that, and then we'll entertain your motion, MP Ferreri.
Tracy, you're next.
