Mr. Speaker, in June I had the opportunity to ask the Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and the Status of Women how the government intends to ensure that the special needs of women will be considered in the reform of the Canada pension plan. I am happy to be able to follow this issue up this evening because it is an extremely important one.
The pension needs of women are different from the pension needs of men. Several of my constituents have brought this to my attention on many occasions, but particularly during the time of the recent cross-country consultations led by my colleague, the member for Winnipeg North Centre.
I often have the opportunity when I am in my riding to meet with women, particularly elderly women who are living alone, to discuss with them the problems they have in meeting their needs and surviving in increasingly difficult circumstances in many cases.
When the CPP information paper was released, it was criticized for failing to include a gender analysis of the various options presented. The importance of pensions to women cannot be understated. The majority of the senior population is presently female, and this proportion is presently on the increase. Therefore the issue of women's economic independence and security in their later years will take on even more importance.
During the consultations on the CPP, women's groups strongly supported the CPP system saying that it has worked well for them and is a vital concern to them. My understanding is that the CPP offers a number of advantages for women not found in private sector pension plans. For that reason it seems to me that gender analysis reform to the CPP system is crucial.
When we reflect on the change in patterns of work and in the contribution that women today are making to the workforce and their ability to be flexible in that contribution, it is most important that we should concentrate on the needs of the pension system to
reflect both the needs for that new flexibility and for the needs that women will have as they increasingly become employed in the workforce.
That is why I would like to ask the parliamentary secretary to update the House on how this aspect of the reform process has progressed. During the CPP consultations, women's organizations advised the federal and provincial governments against reducing the number of dropout years, of deindexing pensions or raising the age of entitlement. They noted that these types of measures would impose a disproportionately onerous burden on women.
It was pointed out that any reform of survivor benefits should recognize that many women have low paying jobs. There were also some calls for a homemakers pension plan.
These points, it seems to me, all have merit. Can the parliamentary secretary comment on them?