Debates of Sept. 18th, 2018

Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation Act

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

I declare the motion defeated.

The next question is on the main motion.

Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

No.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

All those in favour of the motion will please say yea.

[Some hon. members]

Yea.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

All those opposed will please say nay.

[Some hon. members]

Nay.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

In my opinion the yeas have it.

And five or more members having risen:

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Vote #883

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

I declare the motion carried. Accordingly, the bill stands referred to the Standing Committee on International Trade.

(Bill read the second time and referred to a committee)

It being 6:05 p.m., the House will now proceed to the consideration of private members' business as listed on today's Order Paper.

The House proceeded to the consideration of Bill C-375, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (presentence report), as reported (with amendment) from the committee.

Criminal Code

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

There being no motions at report stage, the House will now proceed without debate to the putting of the question on the motion to concur in the bill at report stage.

[Majid Jowhari, Liberal, Richmond Hill, ON]

moved that the bill, as amended, be concurred in.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The question is on the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

No.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

All those in favour of the motion will please say yea.

[Some hon. members]

Yea.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

All those opposed will please say nay.

[Some hon. members]

Nay.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

In my opinion the nays have it.

And five or more members having risen:

Pursuant to Standing Order 98, the recorded division stands deferred until Wednesday, September 19, 2018, immediately before the time provided for private members' business.

A motion to adjourn the House under Standing Order 38 deemed to have been moved.

Status of Women

[Sheila Malcolmson, NDP, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am recognizing that this week is the 40th anniversary of Haven Society, a domestic violence shelter in the riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith, which I serve. For 40 years, it has been keeping women and their children safe. It has been reaching out to police and other public safety officials. I believe it is partly because of the great efforts of Haven Society reaching out to the courts and working with lawyers and police officers in every aspect that Nanaimo has one of the lowest rates of unfounded sexual assault findings by the RCMP in the country. We are very proud of Haven's work and I thank it, its staff and volunteers who do such fantastic front-line service, especially the businesses and donors that support them.

As I stand in this Parliament today, I would like to send anniversary greetings to Haven Society, a fantastic domestic violence shelter that has been in my riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith for 40 years. It keeps women and children safe, and has been at the front line of domestic violence prevention and keeping women sheltered.

It reaches out to the RCMP and the criminal justice system. It works collaboratively with police to identify offenders and help them understand the cycles of violence and the particular aspects of domestic violence that might make women less willing to come forward or respond in a different way under questioning. That sensitivity and that collaboration have resulted in Nanaimo having one of the lowest rates across the country of police findings of “unfounded” in cases of domestic violence.

I thank Haven Society, its front-line workers, its volunteers, and people and businesses in the community that donate and support Haven Society. We are grateful for its work.

In light of the government's commitment to women's equality and the announcements it has made in its budget about its intentions, why has it not yet legislated changes to women's equality that would lead to changes on the ground?

We have heard repeatedly, particularly at the status of women committee, about the cycle of economic impoverishment that starts with pay equity legislation not being in place federally. If women earn less than their partners, they are more likely to drop out of the workforce, and then they cannot afford child care. They may then have several years of interrupted earnings. When they return to the workforce, they are often in precarious part-time work with no access to benefits or unemployment insurance, which means that women in Canada retire in poverty in particularly serious ways.

When is the government going to legislate pay equity? Why has it not yet legislated it? It has had three years, and it was 42 years ago that the first Trudeau government promised it.

[Terry Duguid, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary for Status of Women]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to address the hon. member for Nanaimo—Ladysmith regarding women's equality in budget 2018 and beyond. I thank her for her good work on the FEWO committee.

Since we were elected in 2015, our government has been committed to gender equality and has taken action. As one of its first actions, the Prime Minister appointed the first-ever gender balanced cabinet and a full Minister of Status of Women.

Our government knows that when we invest in women, we strengthen the economy for everyone. It is not only the right thing to do; it is the smart thing to do. By taking steps to advance gender equality, we could add $150 billion to our economy in less than 10 years.

This is why our government reversed the Harper government decisions and restored advocacy as an eligible activity for funding through the women's program. We provided more support to ensure that gender was at the heart of decision-making across the federal government. We also went across Canada and asked Canadians about solutions to gender-based violence in which the hon. member actively participated, and I know is very committed to. This led to the first ever gender-based violence strategy at the federal level in Canada, now with an investment of nearly $200 million.

Building on budget 2017 and its gender statement, budget 2018 reflects our government's continued efforts to advance gender equality by ensuring gender equality is top of mind in the consideration of each and every budget decision.

Budget 2018 includes investments in evidence-based policy capacity and a gender results framework in conversations with young Canadians on gender equality, a national round table on gender-based analysis, a strategy to engage men and boys in advancing gender equality and the sustainability of the women's movement.

Gender equality is a whole-of-government priority. That was why budget 2018 provided support to encourage greater gender equality in the home and in the workplace, with a $1.2 billion investment over five years to introduce a new employment insurance sharing benefit. Introducing this dedicated leave for the second parent will encourage more balanced distribution of caregiving responsibilities and contribute toward a society that recognizes that women and men can and should play equal roles in both paid and unpaid work.

Additional parental leave will give parents more time with their children and give families more flexibility to balance work and family responsibilities.

Budget 2018 also introduced new investments to support women entrepreneurs, additional support for women in the skilled trades and to introduce pay transparency measures in the federally regulated sector. On the hon. member's direct question, we will be introducing proactive pay equity legislation this fall.

Budget 2018 was really a milestone in our history.

Our government is committed to gender equality not only just in words, but also in the solid actions that we have taken to improve the lives of women and men from coast to coast to coast.

[Sheila Malcolmson, NDP, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Mr. Speaker, with respect to my colleague on the Liberal side, the gender balanced cabinet, the Status of Women minister, round tables and strategies are all good things, but they are not changing women's lives right now. It is such a huge pent-up demand. With so much good will and words from the government, we really thought that three years into their mandate the Liberals would have made real changes in the lives of everyday women already, but it has not.

This is a strong recommendation coming out of the status of women committee. Employment insurance has not been reformed by the government in a way that helps women. The use it or lose it parental leave that my colleague just mentioned will be a missed opportunity if the government does not expand access to parental leave benefits as too many parents in Canada do not qualify. Six out of 10 workers do not qualify for employment insurance benefits. That means they cannot get the access to leave.

There is still no employment insurance reform that will address anything other than part-time—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. parliamentary secretary.

[Terry Duguid, Liberal, Winnipeg South, MB]

Mr. Speaker, we are changing women's lives with the major investments that we have been making. This spring we were proud to announce $10 million for over 30 projects from coast to coast to coast to increase the economic security and prosperity of women and an additional $5 million for 15 projects across the country to strengthen the economic security and prosperity of indigenous women.

In budget 2018, we also announced that we would introduce legislation to solidify and formalize the role of Status of Women Canada as a full department. We want to ensure that regressive actions like those of the previous Harper government never happen again, because we simply cannot move forward when half of us are held back.