Mr. Chair, there is indeed a one time grant for shelters for women on reserve. Why is it only a one time grant and how much money has been allocated to date?
House of Commons photoLost her last election, in 2011, with 37% of the vote.
Business of Supply May 16th, 2007
Mr. Chair, there is indeed a one time grant for shelters for women on reserve. Why is it only a one time grant and how much money has been allocated to date?
Business of Supply May 16th, 2007
Mr. Chair, another Conservative member of the status of women committee indicated that single senior women were “hung out to dry” in the budget. Does the minister agree and, if so, why did she not speak up on their behalf?
Business of Supply May 16th, 2007
Mr. Chair, has an analysis has been done on the potential accessibility or the lack thereof of the change in program delivery of the status of women?
Business of Supply May 16th, 2007
Mr. Chair, at a recent Status of Women committee meeting, Ellen Gabriel, president of the Quebec Native Women's Association said:
The value of aboriginal women in our society today has diminished to where, as Amnesty International has stated, we have become a commodity in society in general.
Aboriginal women have told members on this side that they have felt used by the Minister of Indian Affairs and that the implementation of Bill C-44 as is and as presented will create more problems for them.
Why has the minister not spoken up on behalf of the status of aboriginal women to her colleagues?
Business of Supply May 16th, 2007
Mr. Chair, the Assembly of First Nations is in the midst of completing a business plan for the national first nations language strategy. Will the minister pledge to the House that once this language strategy is complete, there will be resources within the fiscal framework to ensure that first nations will immediately receive the resources necessary to implement the strategy?
Business of Supply May 16th, 2007
Mr. Chair, at a press conference in February, the minister spoke glowingly about friendship centres. The National Association of Friendship Centres was optimistic that long term funding and enhancement would be forthcoming. Then the budget was tabled. There were no enhancements. Where did the budget process fail? Why did the government not invest in friendship centres? Is it not one of its priorities?
Aboriginal Affairs May 15th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, who is the golf player?
Aboriginal people and women feel used by the minister. Over and over again we have heard about the lack of consultation on Bill C-44, but the government has yet to apologize to the victims of residential schools.
It is a double standard. The government is willing to consult and wait five years to apologize, yet it will enact new legislation without a shred of consultation.
That father knows best approach simply does not work. Why did the government not consult with first nations before enacting this legislation?
Aboriginal Affairs May 15th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, the Assembly of First Nations has serious concerns with the limited scope of Bill C-44.
The Ontario chiefs feel the repeal of section 67 of the Canadian Human Rights Act is like throwing a grenade into collective rights. The Canadian Bar Association said the repeal has the potential to undermine the protection of collective rights.
We have to get it right. Why does the minister feel he knows best when it comes to aboriginal peoples, when they themselves do not agree with the government's position?
Foreign Affairs May 9th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Foreign Affairs, with righteous indignation, misled the House in response to a question raised by my colleague from Thornhill.
Conservative MPs tried to block a Liberal motion to condemn the hateful words of the Iranian president and send his comments to the International Criminal Court. While the motion passed, it was only the Conservatives who voted against it.
Will the Minister of Foreign Affairs apologize for misleading the House and will he publicly condemn his colleagues for their shameful actions?
Canadian Human Rights Museum May 8th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, Manitobans recently have been celebrating the commitment to the opening of the Canadian Human Rights Museum in Winnipeg. This museum will be a place for Canadians to share their stories and to feature human rights challenges of the past and the present.
It will feature exhibits that focus on the inequities suffered by Canada's first nations peoples, the horror of the Holocaust, women's struggles for equality, francophone rights, the Japanese internment, and the genocides of the 20th and 21st centuries, to name a few.
The dream of the late Israel Asper, the museum came about because of seven years of hard work by Manitobans from all levels of government, all political parties and all walks of life.
Development and capital funds were committed by the previous Liberal government and culminated in the announcement of operating funds in the past weeks.
Members know that human rights are not a selective exercise. In promoting the museum, we must remember that human rights are inclusive and should not be undermined at home or abroad. This museum will be an icon to the protection of human rights and--