Maria Minna

[Business of Supply, March 6th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I find it really frustrating in this place when misinformation is persistently put forward. If we want to have a debate, let us at least deal with some facts. It was not the Liberal government that eliminated the funding and eliminated the program.

Shortly thereafter, as soon as we were able, we were back into housing and homelessness. In Ontario, $602 million was announced for housing, and in fact it was announced in my riding, to partner with the Government of Ontario. We were doing this right across the country. We were back into housing quite aggressively.

I also hear this constant cry about child care, but if that party truly wanted to keep child care in place, then why would it vote us down? Those members had power with us. For the first time in 30 years, that party had the power to actually influence government policy. It did not have to go to an election. Now the NDP wants to go to an election yet again. What for this time? What is it going to accomplish with another election? Will it bring child care to them or not? It will not do any of that.

With all due respect, I am tired of hearing misinformation in this House constantly.

[Business of Supply, March 6th, 2008]

Yes, there were many child care spaces, if you had bothered to check with your members across the country.

This is a comment rather than a question. When we speak, we ought to at least try to stick to the facts.

[Business of Supply, March 6th, 2008]

No. In fact, the parental leave program, which works very well, was introduced by the Liberals.

With respect to child care, we started to invest in child care in 2000, with $2 billion, followed by another $300 million or $400 million the next year. Three years later, we invested $5 billion. Mr. Harris in Ontario did not have child care. He called it “early years” because he refused to have child care. We had some difficulties in negotiating with the provinces. However, money was flowing to the provinces. Therefore, the national child care program was in place and it started in the year 2000.

[Business of Supply, March 6th, 2008]

Yes, it is very true. The charter challenge program was cancelled by Mr. Mulroney and we reinstated it.

She also conveniently forgets that there was a huge deficit in 1993 when we came in, but we immediately got back to investing in people.

[Business of Supply, March 6th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, when the hon. member speaks, it would behoove her to stick to the truth. With all due respect, that would be very nice. She talked about fiction, and there is quite a lot of fiction in her comments.

The Liberals did not cancel the national housing program. It was Mulroney, and she needs to understand that. When she said that we stole the voices of women, it was the Liberals who reinstated the charter challenge program, which had been eliminated by Mr. Mulroney. She may have forgotten that.

[Business of Supply, March 6th, 2008]

I do not, Mr. Speaker.

[Business of Supply, March 6th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative government was talking about lifting women out of poverty. The best way to do that is for women to work.

I know that in Quebec the child care program is a very extensive one and a model we are all looking at, and tried to bring across the country at one point. Could the hon. member tell us how this particular program has helped women with respect to getting jobs, and has the number of women going to work actually been increased as a result of that program?

[Business of Supply, March 6th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, the previous speaker from the Conservative Party talked about a mandate of economic prosperity for women, but meanwhile the Conservatives will not enact pay equity legislation.

I know Quebec has a very good one and I am wondering if she could tell us a little about the experience in Quebec with respect to pay equity legislation and whether it is successful or not.

[Business of Supply, March 6th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member talks about a very long list of programs that have opened, or are opening, across the country. I have no problem with these. Projects on the ground that help individual women survive and improve their conditions are absolutely admirable. There is no question that these were done before.

However, these programs will never meet the needs of all women who desperately need services. They will only serve some women. In one case I think the hon. member mentioned 600. In my riding alone, I met with a group of women last week from a number of communities. They are looking for work because none of them have jobs.

These projects will never serve every woman who needs help. Organizations that do advocacy look at domestic violence. They look at access to services for women. They identify the policy differences and then they lobby. The government has eliminated the lobby process.

Will the government fund the research and advocacy of organizations? These organizations identify the needs of women and identify solutions. They then communicate those solutions to standing committees and governments across the country to ensure the conditions for women change overall?

[Business of Supply, March 6th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I can say that for a long time my party has fought for women's rights. I myself have spent a good many years, both before my election and since then, in fighting for women's rights, for child care, for the child tax credit, for income support for children and for housing.

We Liberals had that in place. Obviously, after the election it disappeared. I am continuing that fight. I am continuing to try to convince the government of the day to actually reinstate some of those programs.