Thank you so much, Chair.
Thank you so much for coming to committee today.
My first question is for Madam Garrett-Baird.
At the beginning of your presentation you spoke about the government's investment in gender-based violence strategies. You also mentioned the most at-risk populations being indigenous women, girls, two-spirit, 2SLGBTQQIA+. I've raised this issue many times. It's of deep concern to me. I put forward an Order Paper question. I just resubmitted it.
In 2020, the present government put in $724.1 million for a violence prevention strategy. It's now 2023. Only 5% has been spent: $37.1 million. Not one new shelter or transition home has been built. We're at three years. We know that one of the ways to protect all women, girls and gender-diverse populations is first having a safe place. Are there plans to expedite spending the money?
This is costing lives, certainly in Winnipeg. It's been in the news: The two women who they're searching for in a landfill were staying in a shelter not housed for women. I believe that if they'd had this housing, they would still be with us today—right?—that and a guaranteed livable basic income.
I'm wondering what the plan is to speed up the spending of that money.