Status of Women Committee on Dec. 7th, 2023

[Marci Ien, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

I will send that over to the deputy, because I want to be specific, Dominique.

[Dominique Vien, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

The officials will stay with us after you leave.

I was once a minister. You’ve probably had conversations with the President of Treasury Board. What kind of conversation did you have about these upcoming cuts?

[Marci Ien, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

I haven't had discussions on those cuts as yet.

[Dominique Vien, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

So you didn’t receive any directives about the necessary cutbacks to meet the $15 billion in desired cuts.

[Marci Ien, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

No, Dominique, the question was whether I had had a discussion with the Treasury Board president about cuts. I have not.

As soon as there is more information on that, we can get that to you.

I just want to be very clear.

[Dominique Vien, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Did your department receive an order to cut back from Treasury Board?

[Marci Ien, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

Yes.

[Dominique Vien, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Very well. What was that amount?

With all due respect, Minister, I’m somewhat surprised that you don’t have that figure in mind.

[Frances McRae]

Let me explain—

[Marci Ien, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

I do have it on hand.

[Dominique Vien, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Briefly.

[Frances McRae]

I’ll explain the conversations he had with Treasury Board.

Essentially, the process is still underway. Yes, we’re going to participate in it, as we’ve been asked to do. However, the numbers—

[Dominique Vien, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

And how much will that participation amount to?

[Frances McRae]

The figures for the requested share will appear in the Estimates.

What you probably saw, in Supplementary Estimates (B) 2023–2024, reflects cuts of roughly $579,000 in travel and professional services budgets. That’s what was in the documents tabled in Parliament, so far.

[Dominique Vien, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

I have one last question. There was one thing that my colleagues on this side of the room and I didn’t quite understand.

Is the budget for the Menstrual Equity Fund $25 million, or rather $18 million for the entire program?

[Marci Ien, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

We're talking about $18 million now.

[Dominique Vien, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Thank you very much, Chair.

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

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Going to the pilot program for menstrual equity, because we're here today for supplementary estimates, you're asking for $18 million more, but in the supplementary estimates that we have here, it's over $25 million when it's broken down. I understand that the equity contributions are simply $18 million. For clarification, is that where you're coming up with that number?

[Marci Ien, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

Yes.

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

One of the questions I have—and we studied this in committee—is around the fact that federally regulated employees are eligible for this. That seems a little odd and wrong. We have low-income people accessing food banks at the highest rates in history, and you're mandating that federally regulated employees be subsidized to receive menstrual equity products.

[Marci Ien, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

Michelle, thanks for the question, but those are two different things. It's just that they happened at the same time.

There were three things rolling out. In all federally regulated buildings, under the Ministry of Labour, there had to be menstrual products. At the same time as this pilot, the Minister of Labour and I believe it was Minister Hajdu for ISC—

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

How much is that costing, Minister?

[Marci Ien, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

That is a Minister of Labour decision, so I can get that to you.

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

Yes, if you could table that for the committee, it would be wonderful.

[Marci Ien, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

Yes, that's fine.

Then our menstrual equity pilot, in that fund, is separate.