Status of Women Committee on Sept. 16th, 2024

[The Chair, Conservative, Shelby Kramp-Neuman]

Andréanne is next.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Madam Chair, the reason I asked for the floor earlier was precisely to add to what Ms. Gazan said about coercive control. I will come back to that.

We've been back and forth, both on the budget and on the last-minute change. We went from a subcommittee meeting to a public committee meeting. Madam Chair, I think you should consult with the vice-chairs more often. For example, with regard to what happened this summer, we should have been consulted on the budget.

As for the last-minute change, I gave my consent by email for the subcommittee to hold a meeting. I wasn't consulted on the change. Madam Chair, I would remind you that I'm available for issues that are this important to the committee, be it for a summer meeting requiring a budget or for a change like this one. Some people had already agreed by email that we would have a subcommittee meeting first. When it comes to changes like these, I give you my full support, Madam Chair, and I hope to be consulted. I think that's important.

I would like to say a word about coercive control, because I will come back to it. The idea for the study came from a Quebec National Assembly member from Québec solidaire, who worked on the report called “Rebâtir la confiance”, or “Rebuilding Confidence” in English. I've had discussions with representatives of the Parti Québécois. The former minister of status of women is my riding neighbour. This summer, I met with Liberal MPs who are also aware of the recommendations in the “Rebâtir la confiance” report.

I retained two things from my experiences this summer. First, Quebec understood that partisanship had to be separated from the issue of violence against women. I have had discussions with all the political parties. Second, there seems to be unanimity in Quebec that there's an urgent need to address the issue of femicide. Quebec is asking us to take a serious look at the issue of coercive control. This goes beyond partisanship.

For these reasons, when we debate upcoming studies, we'll see what happens. We can talk about it again. Starting on Wednesday, we have an important study to finish. If it had nothing to do with the subject at hand, it might be different. We saw that this summer, and that's why I came here, worked with you, Madam Chair, and prepared my questions for the witnesses. I did not want to be partisan, despite what happened in terms of procedure. I was ready to put my questions to the witnesses, because I recognize that this is an important issue. My study is directly related to the issue of femicide. Actually, it's not just my study, it's the committee's study, and it was requested by the Quebec National Assembly. I suggest we finish the meeting as constructively as possible.

Madam Chair, I would like to remind you that I'm available to speak to you and that I want to work with you. You know how to reach me if you want to talk to me. I respectfully ask you to do so in order to advance this cause, so that the victims no longer lose out because the committee's work isn't moving forward.

[The Chair, Conservative, Shelby Kramp-Neuman]

We do have three and a half meetings remaining on coercive control. We have witnesses planned for Wednesday.

I do also acknowledge that I have a few more people who have their hands up. We're no longer speaking to the points of order, so I've just been adding peoples' names.

Can I finish my remarks, or do you want to jump into the following comments?

I'm going to finish what I'd like to get in—

[Emmanuella Lambropoulos, Liberal, Saint-Laurent, QC]

I'm sorry, Madam Chair. I've had my hand up for quite a while now, and since everybody else got their turn to speak to the point of order, I would like to as well.

[The Chair, Conservative, Shelby Kramp-Neuman]

Is that on the point of order? Okay, we were...

Go ahead.

[Emmanuella Lambropoulos, Liberal, Saint-Laurent, QC]

Okay. Thank you.

I would like to add my voice, first of all, to let you know that I think the way this committee has been run ever since the beginning of the summer has been troubling for sure.

This was a collegial committee. This was a committee where everybody got along and got work done, and we had so many studies completed during the time we were on this committee. It's really unfortunate to see things are being done almost as a dictatorship at this point.

The fact is that a meeting was called in the middle of the summer, and we were all brought back. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to be there. It was a $5,000 meeting. Canadian tax dollars are paying for that meeting, which was called in the middle of the summer. Witnesses were flown in from the United States. Unfortunately, we didn't get much out of that meeting. It's very unfortunate.

The fact is that this was supposed to be a subcommittee meeting, which is something we've done in the past. People scheduled their time in order to be there for the subcommittee. We had pre-committee meetings ourselves to make sure that we would be able to put forward studies we wanted to see happen, and the order of things and all of that, and it was completely sidelined at the last minute so that we could have a meeting and discuss this in person all together.

[The Chair, Conservative, Shelby Kramp-Neuman]

If I may, I—

[Emmanuella Lambropoulos, Liberal, Saint-Laurent, QC]

It's very sad to see that—

[The Chair, Conservative, Shelby Kramp-Neuman]

I'm sorry to interrupt you, but I think I've been more than generous with the—

[Emmanuella Lambropoulos, Liberal, Saint-Laurent, QC]

It's just disappointing, and I'm hoping we can move forward.

[The Chair, Conservative, Shelby Kramp-Neuman]

—reception of the point of order.

[Emmanuella Lambropoulos, Liberal, Saint-Laurent, QC]

I'm hoping we can move in a more positive way going forward.

[The Chair, Conservative, Shelby Kramp-Neuman]

Awesome. Thank you very much.

Wrapping up, what I wanted to say was about the witnesses we have scheduled for Wednesday for the coercive control study. As of right now, we still have three and a half meetings left for that.

At this point, I'm opening up the floor to discussions on motions. We have a running list right now. Anna was on the list, but she acknowledged that she no longer wants to be. We have Michelle and Lisa.

Emmanuella, I have taken you off the list now.

Is there anything...?

[Marc Serré, Liberal, Nickel Belt, ON]

Madam Chair—

[The Chair, Conservative, Shelby Kramp-Neuman]

Marc, would you like to be added to the list?

[Marc Serré, Liberal, Nickel Belt, ON]

No. I wonder, given what the committee members have just said, whether it wouldn’t be appropriate to vote to continue the meeting in camera.

I'm asking the clerk. Can we...?

We just clearly heard here from the majority of the members that we should be going in camera.

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

On a point of order, Madam Chair, I appreciate the sentiment shared by the member opposite. You've just finished laying out our speaking order. We have Michelle and then Lisa. If that is a desire from the Liberal Party, Lisa can move that motion when she has the floor.

[The Chair, Conservative, Shelby Kramp-Neuman]

You can't move motions in a point of order.

[Marc Serré, Liberal, Nickel Belt, ON]

It's not a point of order.

[The Chair, Conservative, Shelby Kramp-Neuman]

Michelle, you have the floor.

[Michelle Ferreri, Conservative, Peterborough—Kawartha, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Welcome back, everybody. I hope you all have had an opportunity to get out into your communities to listen to the folks on the ground. I have to remind everyone here that this is our job. It is our job to bring the people's voices here.

I've listened to a lot of what's happened here this morning, and something that really jumps out at me is these words that are being said. I can't imagine how frustrating it is to watch at home, because although the words that are being floated around today are that we're getting a lot of work done, that we need to be collegial, that we need to be non-partisan, I'm sorry—if we're getting a lot of work done, why are more women dying? Why are sexual assaults up by 75%? Why is intimate partner violence an epidemic in 94 municipalities in Ontario? If we're doing such a great job, why is this happening? I don't want to come here and fight, but it's uncomfortable. It's uncomfortable to sit with people we work with every day.

It is certainly my job, and it is all of our jobs, to do the job we were elected to do. The reality is that these stats are not okay. Human trafficking is up by 84%. With sexual assaults, people can't even go downtown in their hometowns, their small communities; nobody feels safe.

We are the status of women committee. If we're going to do this, fine; let's have a healthy discussion. However, don't say that it's non-partisan, because policy is what led us here in the first place. It is the policy that is letting people out on bail, these repeat violent offenders. That's the reality after nine years. That's what's happening. I don't think that there's room for collegiality when people are dying, and let's have an honest conversation.

I'm going to move the following motion, Madam Chair:

Given the unprecedented wave of violence against women and femicides, the committee undertake a study on violence against women for no less than five meetings. All parties are to submit witnesses, but the priority must be give to Megan Walker and Cait Alexander

—who left in tears from this committee because their voices were silenced—

whose testimonies were cut short, and the committee seek additional resources to let these witnesses testify for as long as they need to tell their stories.

I am more than willing to listen to every member on this committee.

You can't go to a shelter right now without having women say that they can't find a space, that they don't have housing, that they are fleeing violence or that they are staying in violence.

I went to a round table in Newfoundland and Labrador. A woman was murdered by her partner, and it was policy put in place by this Liberal-NDP government that led to her murder.

We can do work here, and as the witnesses said to us, they don't want any more studies. The witnesses need to come forward so that they can testify and give us the solutions to change the policy. If we are truly the status of women committee, let's do this.

I'm happy to amend this motion to help everybody to allow these witnesses to come forward and to make this a study so that we are ensuring that women are safe and that these stats go down, not up.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Shelby Kramp-Neuman]

Thank you, Michelle.

We have Lisa and Andréanne on the speaking list at this point.

[Lisa Hepfner, Liberal, Hamilton Mountain, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I would like to move that we move this committee in camera.

[The Chair, Conservative, Shelby Kramp-Neuman]

This is a non-debatable motion, and we need to go to a vote.

(Motion agreed to: yeas 7; nays 3 [See Minutes of Proceedings])

We will pause for about 10 minutes while we go in camera.

[Proceedings continue in camera]