Status of Women Committee on May 7th, 2026

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

Do you know how much the price of baby formula has gone up in just the last two years?

[Rechie Valdez, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

The government is doing everything it can. It's not—

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

It's gone up 30% in just the last two years.

Do you know how much it's gone up in the last eight years?

[Rechie Valdez, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

The government is making sure that it's helping make life more affordable for Canadians, specifically for—

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

The answer is 84%.

These are real numbers. This is real space. Families are struggling to make ends meet, and your government being focused on something at some point doesn't help the parents who are currently struggling. In Mississauga, the town that you represent, just last year a group was stealing baby formula to trade for drugs. If that's not a sign that this is an out-of-control problem, I don't know what else is.

What specific things has your government done to bring down the cost of baby formula?

[Rechie Valdez, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

A month from now, Canadians will have access to the Canada groceries and essentials benefit. We recognize the rising cost that is happening. This is going to provide an average family of four—

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

That does nothing for the cost of baby formula. It's a band-aid. It will help families after the fact.

The reality is that I have been bringing up this issue about the rising cost of baby formula for years in Parliament. It's not like this is some surprise. You've answered questions that I've asked in question period on this. Has there been anything, one iota of an ounce of anything, that your government has done to bring down the specific cost of baby formula, yes or no?

[Rechie Valdez, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

Again, the Canada groceries and essentials benefit, which is going out to Canada, is going to help curb the cost. This is in addition to the fact that we're lowering costs at the pumps. We're also providing—

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

Okay. I'm curious. How will it curb the cost of baby formula if you're providing families with a cheque after the fact? How does that actually lower the cost of baby formula on the shelf?

[Rechie Valdez, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

With regard to supply chains, again, we're working with the Minister of Agriculture to make sure from a supply chain perspective that we're doing everything we can to promote competition in this country—

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

There is no competition. The reality is—

[Chi Nguyen, Liberal, Spadina—Harbourfront, ON]

I have a point of order. I just want to make sure the interpreters are able to do the interpretation.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dominique Vien]

Indeed. Please refrain from talking over each other. It makes it difficult for our interpreters to do their work.

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

All right. Clearly, the government has done nothing on baby formula. I'm going to skip to the next piece.

Violence against women is extremely concerning. What specific actions has your government taken in the last six months to address the growing concern of women being killed by their intimate partners?

[Rechie Valdez, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

Again, through our significant historic investments, through Women and Gender Equality we have addressed gender-based violence in working directly with provinces and territories through our government's commitment of $225 million. What this has done for the provinces and territories is that it has allowed them to put forward $1.3 billion.

In terms of direct impact, 46% of our actions were related to prevention. A million people across Canada were able to access services: counselling, housing, legal information, crisis supports and community-based programs—

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

Minister, there's been a 76% increase in sexual assaults under Liberal governments in the last decade. I don't think spending tons of money on this has necessarily worked, because all we see is more women dying, like we saw just yesterday in Gatineau. This is a serious concern. What is the government doing today to make this better?

[Rechie Valdez, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

Again, as I said earlier, not only is it important for us to make investments, which the sector has asked for, but we're making sure that we're addressing prevention, which I've already answered on as well.

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

All right. Then—

[Rechie Valdez, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

We're also addressing this through legislation, which is important, like making femicide a first-degree offence.

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

There are 231 calls for justice from the missing and murdered indigenous women's group. Really quickly, how many have been completed?

[Rechie Valdez, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

I'm working very closely with the minister on this effort with regard to the missing and murdered—

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

Do you know how many have been completed, yes or no?

[Rechie Valdez, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

We're doing everything we can. We recognize, given that it was Red Dress Day—

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

Two have been completed.

[Rechie Valdez, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

—earlier this week—