[Inaudible—Editor]
Evidence of meeting #82 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 study.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #82 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 study.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:05 p.m.
An hon. member
[Inaudible—Editor]
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Karen Vecchio
We're in a dilatory motion, so we have to vote whether to adjourn.
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Karen Vecchio
Okay. Thank you.
Let's just continue with the discussion and then we'll get on to the.... When we need you to do that, I'll give you the thumbs-up.
We have Leah, Sonia and Anna.
Leah, you had a comment.
4:05 p.m.
NDP
Leah Gazan NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
I apologize for not adjourning, but I do have to address the red dress alert.
It is not easy. It is in the budget, but as we see from other budgets, it's not always spent. We need to decide as a community how this will roll out at different levels of jurisdiction. This cannot stay on the budget. This is a crisis. The Prime Minister acknowledged it as an ongoing genocide.
This is a real solution that can save lives. It can happen shortly, but we need a study. I do not oppose your study. We've had lots of studies on violence, but this is an opportunity for us to address that, to deal with this hands-on and then move on.
In my riding of Winnipeg Centre, this is costing lives. We lose kids every single day—young kids, especially those in child welfare. I really support what you're doing, but I also support active solutions. I know you're talking about constituents, but it's also about people knowing that this committee not only does studies but comes up with actions that are implemented to save lives. It would also help with what you're talking about on transit, where a lot of young girls are sex-trafficked. There have been reports of it. They could call a red dress alert.
We have support on this committee and from the government to implement it. We have support across party lines. We just need to implement it, like we do in our committee.
I'm sorry, Marc. I didn't adjourn, but if you want, I can call for adjournment. I just had to respond to that.
4:05 p.m.
Bloc
Andréanne Larouche Bloc Shefford, QC
Madam Chair, what is happening to these women is obviously a tragedy. I think committee members agree that it's not a matter of choosing on a first-come, first-served basis, and that sometimes there are urgent situations. We saw this in the case of Sport Canada; it was in the news. We adjusted our schedule and bumped meetings to deal with the health of women and girls in sport.
I mentioned coercive control simply because I wanted to show that we still have other studies to carry out. I was not at all opposing this study. In fact, I was merely trying to strike a compromise. For example, instead of holding eight meetings, could we hold six? That would let us understand the urgency of coercive control. We could have six meetings and then move on to the other studies.
I am only trying to take into account how pressing this other type of violence is, and the various studies we need to do on other issues of concern to women. Having said that, I know that this study is more relevant, according to current events, at present.
The compromise I suggest to the committee is simply to reduce the number of meetings.
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Karen Vecchio
I was sitting there talking to my vice-chairs for a second.
I have a few more people on the list here. I'm going to wrap it up, because it's very simple to me. I don't see a single person on this committee who is saying that we should not be doing this.
Right now, we are the status of women committee, where we work really hard and we get things done because we are women, plus Marc and, today, Iqwinder. I think what we really need to do is decide what direction we are going in.
We can adjourn the debate. All it means is that we adjourn the debate.
4:10 p.m.
Bloc
Andréanne Larouche Bloc Shefford, QC
Madam Chair, I'd like to propose an amendment and a discussion about it, because we could take it into account for...
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Karen Vecchio
To be honest, the reduction of the numbers is one thing that Emmanuella also brought up. I think that there are things.... I don't know if everybody is ready to accept this as is, because I think there are a few more things. I'm hearing everybody talk about what they want this to look like. I've heard coercive control. I understand all of these different things, but I....
At the end of the day, we can adjourn the debate and bring it back up, or we can vote on this but make sure it's amended to be in line with what we want, which, for a lot of us, because I think we really think through these things, that might not be the case. I understand the order of precedence. I know that there is a lot. That is the one thing we've always worked on collaboratively: What's next? In that case, this would be a “what's next?” decided by the majority of the committee. It is up to the committee as to how we want to proceed. I'm leaving it out there. We need to have that discussion. We know where this is going. Who wants to end it?
Andréanne, you have your amendment, which is asking for a few less....
I'm looking at some people to ensure we're recognizing that, if we do the debate on the amendment right now, that's what we're getting into. The only thing is whether this is exactly what we want.
Ms. Larouche, are you moving that the committee hold six meetings?
4:10 p.m.
Bloc
Andréanne Larouche Bloc Shefford, QC
Yes, Madam Chair, that's what I propose.
If we vote on the original proposal now, I'll move an amendment. If the committee decides to give itself time before voting, I agree. I proposed this because we were about to vote on the eight meetings, and I absolutely wanted the committee to have another choice. I'll give the committee time to think about it.
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Karen Vecchio
Okay.
Right now, what we'd be doing.... If we want to do this, we can make it simple. The reduction would be the same motion with six meetings. The amendment to the motion would be for six meetings rather than eight.
Go ahead, Leah.
4:10 p.m.
NDP
Leah Gazan NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
I know I have a bias. Women are literally dying in my community on a regular.... We have an opportunity to save lives. My head is focused on that red dress alert that I know we can get in place and that will not be a study but will actually save lives.
I need some time to think about this, because now we're looking at another study. We've had eight studies go through in this committee. We're rock stars on this committee. We are the best committee, but we have an opportunity to produce a tangible outcome. It's a really hard decision for me to make today. I'm wondering if we can adjourn debate so that I can thoughtfully think through my own bias about my study, because I feel that I can't be thoughtful right now. All of it is serious. Any violence is serious, and I don't want to minimize anything.
I'll leave it on the table. Thanks.
4:15 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Karen Vecchio
I appreciate that. Is that an adjournment request?
I'm in a pickle, because I'm trying to figure out exactly where we're going on this one. Are you choosing to adjourn the debate?
4:15 p.m.
NDP
Leah Gazan NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Yes, I'm putting it on the floor to adjourn the debate.
Thank you.
4:15 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Karen Vecchio
Okay. We'll have a recorded vote.
(Motion agreed to: yeas 6; nays 4)
Debate is adjourned for right now, but there are a couple of things we need to move on to before we go in camera.
Go ahead, Marc. Do you have a question?
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
Marc Serré Liberal Nickel Belt, ON
Quickly, I want to hear your comments, Madam Chair, on having the subcommittee look at the 12, 13 or 14 motions we already have on the table.
Is there a way for the subcommittee to help establish priorities?
