The Minister for Women and Gender Equality’s appearances before SOCI GBA Plus

The Deputy Minister was also present and received the binder for this parliamentary committee appearance.

Opening remarks

Thank you for the opportunity to participate in the Committee’s timely discussion on the role of Gender-based Analysis Plus in the policy process.

As you know, Gender-based Analysis Plus – or GBA Plus for short – is the primary tool used by the government to help inform government initiatives, so they are inclusive and responsive to the needs of diverse people.

When we do GBA Plus, we consider who is impacted by an issue we are trying to address, how they are impacted, how our initiatives can be tailored to meet diverse needs and to eliminate barriers and inequalities. It helps ensure that equality, diversity, and equal opportunity are front and centre across all government business.

GBA Plus is intersectional in its design, which means that a range of factors such as ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, income, and gender are considered. Much in the same way that identity factors interact with each other, they also intersect with social norms and attitudes, as well as systems of discrimination to create unique experiences of power, privilege, and of marginalization.

When we consider the COVID-19 pandemic, we can understand why GBA Plus is an important tool to inform the development of programs and policies. Women, girls, youth, Indigenous, racialized and 2SLGBTQI+ people have been impacted.

For example, women, and other equity-deserving individuals have experienced mental health challenges during the pandemic. 57% of women, 71% of gender-diverse people and 64% of youth reported worsening mental health.

Moreover, women, particularly young women, Indigenous, immigrants, women with disabilities, and visible minorities, were disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 related job losses. In March 2020, job losses among women were almost double those of men. As the economy began to reopen in May 2020, employment increased twice as fast among men than among women.

However, it is also important to note that there were differences within groups. For example, in the case of a single mother working in an essential sector and balancing the care of her children in the absence of schools. The fact that this person is a single mother, main breadwinner and the sole caregiver for her children magnify the impacts of the pandemic.

The pandemic has reinforced the need for applying an intersectional lens, using GBA Plus, in the programs, services and policies we develop and implement. This analysis needs to be informed by diverse voices so that government decisions reflect the needs and aspirations of people we serve. This method of looking at situations allows all governments to develop policies and programs to help ensure that no one is left behind.

That is why GBA Plus is so important.

GBA Plus is the result of a sustained commitment to its practice and it has been an essential part of our work since 1995.

To remain responsive to the issues of the day, GBA Plus has evolved through a process of continuous improvement. WAGE continues to work with partners at the Treasury Board Secretariat and the Privy Council Office to enhance the government-wide implementation of GBA Plus and ensure robust application across government business.

Since 2015, we’ve made important progress to support federal departments and increase GBA plus capacity across the government by creating venues for collaboration, by developing tools and resources, and by providing guidance. For example, WAGE developed several micro-learning videos and job aids to help public servants better understand how to do GBA Plus. In June 2021, WAGE released a new suite of tools to support public servants in applying rigorous intersectional GBA Plus. This included a Step-by-Step Guide, with a Quick Reference tool, and a Compendium with key statistics and questions to consider when doing GBA Plus. WAGE also works with the Canada School of Public Service to deliver training to help federal public servants in applying GBA Plus.

As of October 2022, nearly 225,000 public servants, parliamentarians and parliamentary staff had taken the introductory GBA Plus course.

While these achievements are good, there continues to be room for improvement. WAGE monitors and identifies gaps in GBA Plus application, with the critical support of the Treasury Board Secretariat and the Privy Council Office, so that training and resources can be targeted. It is important to note that accountability for thorough and robust GBA Plus analysis rests with the department or organization advancing any particular proposal or initiative.

Since 2016, and in response to a 2015 audit by the Auditor General of Canada, we have been monitoring GBA Plus through an annual survey of federal departments and agencies. 

Our findings from the annual survey were confirmed in the Auditor General’s May 2022 Report with respect to a continued need for improvements across government in:

The full potential of GBA Plus, which is to help ensure government decisions consider the experience and situation of diverse groups of Canadians, is yet to be realized.

All people in Canada expect to see themselves in the policies and programs that affect their everyday lives. Women and Gender Equality Canada remains committed to working with partners in government and in other sectors so that we have the tools and methods required to:

Moving forward, WAGE will continue to work with central agencies to strengthen its role as a Centre of Expertise for GBA Plus – increasing awareness and understanding and enhancing capacity and expertise across the federal government and encouraging engagement with key groups of Canadians to draw on their knowledge.

I’m proud to live in a country that has sustained its commitment to GBA Plus for more than 25 years and that has been a leader for others in this regard. I encourage you to discuss further with my departmental officials international practices that have been modelled after Canada’s GBA Plus. We know we have work to do. But Canada is also one of few countries that has systematically audited how gender and equality is being embedded across all government business so that we can continue to improve its application.

I applaud the Committee for undertaking this important work, which will help ensure that potential of GBA Plus is realized and that it generates new perspectives and insights about public policy issues and affected populations.

Working together we will meaningfully advance justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion for all people. This study will provide important insights that will contribute to the continuous improvement of how government undertakes policy analysis to generate transformative policy solutions that cannot be gleaned from other equity-focused frameworks or lenses.

Thank you. I am now ready for your questions.

Addressing the Office of the Auditor General’s Report

Issue/question:

What is the government doing to address the Auditor General’s Performance Audit of Gender-Based Analysis Plus?

Suggested response:

Key information:

Investment

No funding information.

Results

N/A

Project examples

N/A

Background:

Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus)

Issue/question:

What is the government doing to improve the implementation of GBA Plus?

Suggested response:

Key information:

Investment

No funding information.

Results

N/A

Project examples

N/A

Background:

Strengthening GBA Plus

Gender Budgeting

GBA Plus as part of the implementation of the Impact Assessment Act

Overview of Progress on Previous OAG Audits and Parliamentary Committee Recommendations on GBA Plus

Issue/question:

What is the government doing to address recommendations to improve GBA Plus?

Key messages:

Background:

Recommendations in previous reports:

Progress on previous report recommendations:

Outstanding recommendations:

Gender-based Analysis Plus: Roles, Responsibilities and Tools

Issue/question:

Who is responsible for applying GBA Plus in decision-making within the federal government and what resources are in place to support its application?

Suggested response:

Key information:

Investment

No funding information

Results

N/A

Project examples

N/A

Background:

Roles in GBA Plus

Resources available to federal departments and agencies training:

Resources

GBA Plus and COVID-19

Examples of the application of GBA Plus to initiatives

GBA Plus and Airport Security:

GBA Plus and Health Research:

GBA Plus and Climate Change:

Application of Gender-based Analysis Plus

Issue/question:

How is the Government of Canada supporting the capacity of public

servants to apply GBA Plus to decision-making?

Suggested response:

Key information:

Investment

No funding information

Results

N/A

Project examples

N/A

Background:

Efforts to advance government-wide capacity for robust GBA Plus

The Evolution of Gender-based Analysis Plus Within the Government of Canada

1995: Government Commitment to GBA

2007: GBA Mandatory in Submissions to TBS

2011: Rebranding to GBA Plus

2015: Auditor General Audit of GBA Plus

2016: GBA Plus Action Plan

2018: Budget 2018

2019: Mainstreaming GBA Plus

2021-2022: Strengthening GBA Plus

Committee Overview

The Senate Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology (SOCI)

The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology has the mandate to examine legislation and to study issues related to cultural affairs and the arts, social and labour matters, health and welfare, pensions, and housing. It is also responsible for considering fitness and amateur sport, employment and immigration, consumer affairs and youth affairs.

Over the past decade, the committee has undertaken a variety of special studies and produced several significant reports. In the area of health care, the committee has produced a variety of reports starting with its multi-phase study of Canada’s health care system in 2002, which had a particular focus on its long-term sustainability, and on the federal role in its reforms and renewal. Like the Romanow Royal Commission report released one month later, the committee’s final report made a significant contribution to the policy debate. As a result of its six-volume health care study, the committee was recognized as being a key site for the public discussion of health policy.

The committee has produced substantive reports following extensive studies dealing with mental health, prescription pharmaceuticals, forced adoptions following the Second World War, dementia in society and the incidence of obesity in Canada. Other significant reports on social issues included the application of the Disability Tax Credit and the Registered Disability Savings Plan, the federal role of a Social Finance Fund and the integration of robotics, artificial intelligence and 3D printing in the health care system. It also conducted a study into the government’s response into the COVID-19 pandemic.

The committee has reviewed bills which cover a wide variety of subjects reflecting the breadth of the committee’s mandate, with topics such as: health, food and drugs, citizenship and immigration, product and human safety, pensions and employment insurance, raising awareness of issues through designated days or weeks, amendments to the criminal code and other diverse topics. In recent years, the committee has examined the new Accessible Canada Act which enhances the full and equal participation of all persons, especially persons with disabilities; the Cannabis Act which provides for legal access to cannabis; and changes to the Corrections and Conditional Release Act which was the government’s response to two court decisions relating to administrative segregation. Senate public bills dealing with changes to the Blood Regulations and changing the National Anthem Act were also referred to the committee for review.

In addition to the consideration of various bills, in the 43rd Parliament, the committee studied:

In addition to the consideration of various bills, during the 44th Parliament, the committee agreed to study:

Senate Committee meetings follow a somewhat less structured format than House of Commons Committees. For instance, there is no pre-approved order and time allotment for rounds of questions. The Chair may set out an intended plan at the beginning of the meeting if she feels it will be necessary but otherwise, they manage time based on allowing all members the opportunity to ask questions. The Chair is more likely to take time to ask questions than the Chair of a House committee and members tend to pick up the thread of the previous Senator’s question more often than in House Committees.

SOCI Members 

Independent Senators Group (ISG):

Ratna Omidvar, Chair ISG - (Ontario)

In April 2016, Prime Minister Trudeau appointed Ms. Omidvar to the Senate of Canada as an independent Senator representing Ontario. As a member of the Senate’s Independent Senators Group she holds a leadership position as the Scroll Manager. Ratna Omidvar is an internationally recognized voice on migration, diversity and inclusion. She came to Canada from Iran in 1981 and her own experiences of displacement, integration and citizen engagement have been the foundation of her work.

Senator Omidvar is the founding Executive Director and currently a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Global Diversity Exchange (GDX), Ted Rogers School of Management, Ryerson University. GDX is a think-and-do tank on diversity, migration and inclusion that connects local experience and ideas with global networks. It is dedicated to building a community of international leaders who see prosperity in migration.

Senator Omidvar is the current Co-Chair of the Global Future Council on Migration hosted by the World Economic Forum and serves as a Councillor on the World Refugee Council. She is also a director at the Environics Institute, and Samara Canada and is the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council’s Chair Emerita and was formerly the Chair of Lifeline Syria.

Senator Omidvar is co-author of Flight and Freedom: Stories of Escape to Canada (2015), an Open Book Toronto best book of 2015 and one of the Toronto Star's top five good reads from Word on the Street. She is also a contributor to The Harper Factor (2016) and co-editor of Five Good Ideas: Practical Strategies for Non-Profit Success (2011). Senator Omidvar received an Honorary Degree, Doctor of Laws, York University in 2012.

Senator Omidvar has also been recognized by the Globe and Mail, by being named as its Nation Builder of the Decade for Citizenship in 2010. She was named to the inaugural Global Diversity List sponsored by The Economist magazine in 2015, as one of the Top 10 Diversity Champions worldwide. In 2016, she also received Lifetime Achievement Awards from CivicAction and the Canadian Urban Institute, honouring her strong commitment to civic leadership and city building.

Interests:

  • Immigration and Integration, and Refugees
  • The Charitable Sector
  • Poverty Reduction
  • Senate Modernization
Stan Kutcher ISG - (Nova Scotia)

Appointed to the Senate in December of 2018 by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Senator Kutcher is a leading psychiatrist and professor who has helped young people successfully manage major mental illnesses. Dr. Kutcher studied history and political science before earning a medical degree from McMaster University. He continued his education in Toronto and in Edinburgh, Scotland before returning to Canada and joining the University of Toronto.

It was there that he made his first of many major contributions to Canadian health care, taking Sunnybrook Hospital’s adolescent psychiatry division and transforming it into an innovative clinical and research facility. He also pioneered research into the causes of and treatments for youth with major mental illnesses such as bipolar illness, schizophrenia and depression.

Dr. Kutcher then became Head of the Psychiatry Department at Dalhousie University followed by appointments as Associate Dean for International Heath and the Sun Life Financial Chair in Adolescent Mental Health.

In addition to his professional practice, Dr. Kutcher has served on the board of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia and the board of the Spryfield Boys and Girls Club. He also led the development of a national youth mental health framework for Canada as a member of the Child and Youth Advisory Committee of the Mental Health Commission of Canada.

Dr. Kutcher has also received numerous awards and honours for his work, including the Order of Nova Scotia, the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry’s Naomi Rae-Grant and Paul D. Steinhauer Advocacy awards, the McMaster University Distinguished Alumni Award and the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada’s John Ruedy Award for Innovation in Medical Education.

Interests:

  • Mental Health
  • Bipolar Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder
Rosemary Moodie ISG - (Ontario)

Appointed to the Senate in December 2018 by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Senator Moodie is a Jamaican-born paediatrician and neonatologist. After graduating from the University of the West Indies, she completed postgraduate training in Paediatric and Neonatal/Perinatal Medicine at Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.

She is senior neonatologist, clinical teacher and associate professor in the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Toronto. She is Fellow of Royal College of Physicians of Canada and Fellow of American Academy of Pediatrics. Her research has focused on the social determinants of breastfeeding practice and she has written extensively on regional health services and physician human resource planning.

Senator Moodie is a well-recognized national and international medical leader. She has supported organizations and stakeholders in policy development and advocacy to improve health equity and expand quality health care access to the most vulnerable, underserved and marginalized population. Her work included Corporate Chief of Paediatrics and Medical Director of the Regional Maternal Child Program Rouge Valley Health System; Maternal, Child, Youth, and Gynaecology Lead for Central East Local Health Integration Network; and regional and provincial committees, such as the Child Health Network and Provincial Council of Children’s Health. Her expertise also includes health care planning locally and internationally.

Further, Senator Moodie is an Accreditation Canada hospital surveyor with extensive experience improving the quality of health care delivery across Canada and worldwide.

Senator Moodie has been a strong advocate for woman and girls. Her contributions to reducing social inequities and health disparities among children and communities have been significant. She is on the Board of Directors for the inaugural board of Providence Healthcare, St. Joseph’s Health Centre, and St. Michael’s Hospital (Unity Health Toronto) and the ScotiaBank Jamaica Foundation.

Interests:

  • Reducing social inequities and health disparities among children
  • Affordable housing
  • Children and Youth
  • Race-based data collection
Chantal Petitclerc ISG - (Quebec - Grandville)

Senator Chantal Petitclerc was appointed to the Senate on March 18, 2016, by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The Honourable Chantal Petitclerc is not only an internationally renowned athlete, but also a compassionate person. When she was 13 years old, she lost the use of her legs in an accident. While Petitclerc was developing her skills as a wheelchair athlete, she pursued her studies, first in social sciences at the CEGEP de Sainte-Foy and then in history at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. She overcame adversity and many obstacles to become a proven leader in the sports world. Her gold medals in the Paralympic Games, Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games, the various awards and accolades she has received, and her appointment as Team Canada’s Chef de Mission for the Rio Paralympic Games are all markers of her success.

Her many achievements and her personal journey have also made her an in-demand public speaker, recognized across Canada. She has been the spokesperson for Défi sportif AlterGo for 17 years, and is an ambassador for the international organization Right to Play. A tireless advocate for the contributions people with disabilities have made to our society, she plays a definitive role in building a more inclusive society. Her example inspires people to overcome their obstacles and achieve their full potential.

Through her experiences, Senator Petitclerc has also learned a lot about the particular characteristics of various communities, as well as how decisions are made at the national level. As someone who has functional limitations herself, she has a good understanding of the needs of various minority communities and would like to ensure their voices are heard. The Senator is a Companion of the Order of Canada and a Knight of the Order of Quebec. She received the Lou Marsh Trophy for Canadian Athlete of the Year and was inducted into the Canadian Paralympic Hall of Fame. She has also received four honorary doctorates. In addition, Senator Petitclerc sits on various committees and boards of directors, where she provides her dynamic and unique perspective.

Interests:

  • Persons with disabilities
  • Accessibility
  • Agriculture and forestry
  • Federal Framework on Post-traumatic Stress
  • Disorder
Donna Dasko ISG – (Ontario)

Donna Dasko was appointed to the Senate by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on June 6, 2018.

She is a respected national pollster, media commentator, and private sector business leader with considerable public policy experience. She holds a Ph.D. and MA from the University of Toronto and a BA (Hons) from the University of Manitoba.

Dr. Dasko was formerly Senior Vice-President of Environics Research Group Ltd, and built the firm from a small consultancy into one of Canada’s leading research firms. During her career, she led major research studies for federal and provincial departments and agencies, private sector clients, and NGOs, in areas including the economy, budget priorities, tobacco control, health promotion, national unity, and many others. She was a leader in developing media-sponsored polling including the Globe-Environics Poll and election and special feature polling for the CBC.

As a community volunteer, she served in many roles including President of St. Stephen’s Community House, Director of the United Way of Greater Toronto, Governor of the Canadian Unity Council (devoted to Canadian unity and federalism), Chair of the National CEO Roundtable for the Alzheimer Society, and Advisor to GreenPac (which promotes environmental leadership).

Dr. Dasko’s passion for the promotion of women in politics has guided much of her advocacy. She is a Co-Founder and former National Chair of Equal Voice, a non-partisan organization aimed at electing more women in Canada. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF), which promotes equality rights for women. In 2015, she co-founded the Campaign for an Equal Senate for Canada, an initiative to promote a gender-equal Senate. She works with National Democratic Institute on issues related to women in politics internationally.

She is a Senior Fellow at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy and taught in its Master’s program before her Senate appointment. She is a member of Statistics Canada’s Advisory Committee on Social Conditions.

Dr. Dasko was born and raised in Winnipeg. She has two children, a daughter and son.

Interests:

  • Gender equality and national unity
  • Tobacco control and health promotion

Progressive Senate Group (PSG):

Patricia Bovey, Deputy Chair PSG - (Manitoba)

Senator Patricia Bovey was appointed to the Senate by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on November 10th, 2016. Prior to being appointed to the Senate, Senator Bovey was a Winnipeg-based gallery director and curator, art historian, writer, professor and, for many years, a management consultant in the arts and not-for-profit sector.

Former Chair of the Board of Governors of the University of Manitoba, she has served on the Boards of the National Gallery of Canada (2005 – 2009) and the Canada Council for the Arts (1990-1993); the 1986 Withrow/Richard Federal Task Force on National and Regional Museums; the National Board for the Canadian Center for Cultural Management at the University of Waterloo (2002-2010); is a past Chair of the Board of Governors of Emily Carr University and of the Canadian Art Museum Directors Organization. She was a member of the Public Art Committee of the City of Winnipeg (2003-2007), and of the Mayor’s Task Force on Public Art to develop Winnipeg’s Public Art Policy (2002-2003). Former member of the Board of the University of Manitoba Press, she presently serves on the Eckhardt-Gramatté Foundation. She served as Board Chair of the Centre for Contemporary Canadian Art, and was a member of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation; the Manitoba Rhodes Scholarship and Loran Scholarship Selection committees; the board of Manitoba Artists in Healthcare and the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra.

Senator Bovey was a recipient of the 2015 Winnipeg Arts Council Investors Making a Difference Award, Senator Bovey’s honours include her appointment as Fellow of the UK’s Royal Society for the Arts, and as Fellow of the Canadian Museums Association; the Canada 125 Medal; the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal; Winnipeg’s 2002 Woman of Distinction for the Arts; the Canadian Museums Association Distinguished Service Award; the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts Medal; and the 2013 Association of Manitoba Museum’s inaugural Award of Merit.

Bovey’s consulting since 2005 has focused on governance, policy development and strategic and business planning for galleries, museums and multi-disciplinary arts organizations.

Interests:

  • Poverty reduction
  • Access to social and educational programs
  • Environmental preservation
  • Implementation of a universal basic income
Jane Cordy PSG - (Nova Scotia)

Senator Cordy was appointed to the Senate by the Right Honourable Jean Chrétien on June 9th, 2000. She was born in Sydney, Nova Scotia and is a graduate of the Nova Scotia Teachers College and Mount St. Vincent University. She taught elementary school for 30 years in Nova Scotia, teaching in Sydney, New Glasgow and the Halifax Regional Municipality.

Senator Cordy has served as vice-chair of the Halifax-Dartmouth Port Development Commission and was also the chair of the Board of Referees for employment insurance. She also served on the Board of Phoenix House for Youth and also served as a Board Member of Mount Saint Vincent University.

Senator Cordy is a past president of the Nova Scotia Women’s Liberal Commission. She also served on Prime Minister Chrétien’s task force on seniors.

Senator Cordy is a past chair of the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association and served as an international vice president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly representing North America on the executive. She is also a vice president of the Civil Dimensions of Security Committee in the Assembly. Senator Cordy continues to be involved with the NATO Parliamentary Association as well as the Canada-U.S. Parliamentary Association.

Senator Cordy has a particular interest in issues related to mental health, multiple sclerosis, seniors and aging, NATO and Gender Security, education and children. She was a member of the senate committee which published a report “Out of the Shadows at Last” a study of the issues relating to mental health, mental illness and addictions. She was also a member of the special senate committee on the implications of an aging society in Canada.

Senator Cordy lives in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia with her husband Bob. They have two adult children, Alison and Michelle, and four grandchildren.

Interests:

  • Mental Health
  • Sexual harassment and misconduct in the Canadian military
  • Seniors
  • Autism

Canadian Senators Group (CSG):

Dennis Glen Patterson CSG - (Nunavut)

Dennis Patterson (Nunavut) is a former Premier of the Northwest Territories who has dedicated his career to bettering the lives of people throughout Canada’s North. He was appointed to the Senate in 2009 by the Right Honourable Stephen Harper.

In his distinguished 16-year career as a member of the Legislative Assembly in the Northwest Territories Mr. Patterson served in many capacities including Minister of Education, Minister of Health and Social Services and Minister of Justice, culminating in his service as Premier between 1987 and 1991.

During his time in public office Mr. Patterson played a key role in the settlement of the Inuvialuit final agreement and the Nunavut final land claim agreement. Mr. Patterson also served as a leader of the more than twenty-year campaign which led to the establishment of Nunavut as Canada’s newest territory in 1999. Prior to entering politics, Mr. Patterson practiced law and was appointed founding Executive Director of the Legal Services Centre, Maliiganik Tukisiiniakvik Society, in Iqaluit.

After serving as Premier, Mr. Patterson established a private consulting firm, was admitted to the Law Society of Nunavut in 2001 and since 2003 has been a Trustee and, until September, 2015, was the Chair of Governance, Compensation and Nomination Committee of the Northern Property Real Estate Investment Trust.

Interests:

  • Nutrition North
  • Natural resources
  • Carbon tax
  • Defence policy
  • Electoral reform
Josée Verner CSG - (Quebec - Montarville)

Josée Verner was first elected as a Member of Parliament in 2006 and re-elected in 2008. In February 2006, Ms. Verner was appointed Minister of International Cooperation and Minister for La Francophonie and Official Languages. In August 2007, she was named Minister of Canadian Heritage, Status of Women and Official Languages. In addition, in May 2008, she was re­appointed Minister for La Francophonie.

In October 2008, she was named minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, President of the Privy Council for the Queen of Canada, Minister for La Francophonie as well as Minister responsible for the region of Quebec.

In June 2011, she was appointed to the Senate of Canada by the Right Honourable Stephen Harper.

Ms. Verner has spent close to twenty years in communications and the public service.

Interests:

  • Official languages
  • Status of women
  • Environment and Natural Resources

Conservative Party of Canada (C):

Rose-May Poirier C - (New Brunswick - Saint-Louis-de-Kent)

Prior to entering provincial politics, Rose-May Poirier was a successful businessperson, working as an insurance representative for Assomption Vie and as an executive VIP manager for Tupperware Canada. During her career, she received numerous distinctions as a sales leader, manager and recruiter, including leading one of the top sales teams in Canada and as one of the best salespeople in North America.

Her political career began at the municipality level where she served two terms on the Saint-Louis de Kent town council. In 1999, Rose-May Poirier made the jump to provincial politics, representing the people of Rogersville-Kouchibouguac for three terms. As a MLA of the Progressive - Conservative Party, Senator Rose-May Poirier was the 1st women to chair the P.C. caucus. Upon her re-election on June 9, 2003, she was appointed Minister of the Office of Human Resources and 2 years later, in February 2006, she was named Minister of Local Government and Minister responsible for Aboriginal Affairs.

Appointed to the Senate in 2010 by the Right Honourable Stephen Harper, Senator Poirier was previously the Senate Conservative Caucus Chair and the Vice Chair of the National Conservative Caucus from 2011 to 2015. She took back the role as the Senate Conservative Caucus Chair in December 2019.

Senator Poirier currently sits on the Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology and as Deputy Chair of the Standing Committee on Official Languages.

In her community, Senator Poirier has given a lot of her time to various causes: Child Find, Children’s Wish Foundation, Heart and Stroke Foundation, George L. Dumont Tree of Hope campaign and the Friends of the Moncton Hospital as well as economic development for the Kent region.

Interests:

  • Official languages
  • Human resources
  • Support for ChildrenCharitable Sector

Non-affiliated:

Marilou McPhedran Non-affiliated - (Manitoba)

Born and raised in rural Manitoba, Canada, called to the Bar of Ontario (1978-2007), named a Member of the Order of Canada (1985) in recognition of her co-leadership in the successful campaign for stronger gender equality protections in the Canadian constitution and appointed to the Senate of Canada by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2016, Marilou McPhedran is a legally trained advocate and educator who specialized in teaching and developing systemic and sustainable change mechanisms to promote equality and diversity, having co-founded several internationally recognized non-profit Canadian organizations, such as LEAF - the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund, which has conducted constitutional equality test cases and interventions for 30-plus years, METRAC - the Metropolitan Action Committee on Violence Against Women and Children, and the Gerstein Crisis Centre for homeless discharged psychiatric patients.

She founded the International Women’s Rights Project in 1998 and the Institute for International Women’s Rights at Global College in 2009 - based on her intergenerational models “evidence-based advocacy” and “lived rights”. When Chief Executive Officer of a Federal Centre of Excellence based at York University, Canada, she directed staff and programs that included a cyber research network on women’s health and rights.

She has developed human rights courses online and in the classroom and has chaired three independent inquiries into the sexual abuse of patients (1991-2015), co-investigated and co­authored applied research, including: the first international study to assess impact of the UN Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women in ten countries (1998-2000); What about accountability to the patient? (2001), the National Study on Rural, Remote and Northern Women’s Health in Canada (2001-2003); the textbook, Preventing Sexual Abuse: a Legal Guide for Health Care Professionals (2004); a strategy paper for Canada’s ambassador to the UN, Engendering the ‘Responsibility to Protect’ Doctrine (2005); Women’s Constitutional Activism in South Africa and Canada (2009 International Review of Constitutionalism); 28-Helluva Lot to Lose in 27 Days: The Ad Hoc Committee and Women’s Constitutional Activism in the Era of Patriation (2015).

Her authorship includes: the 2006 National Journal of Constitutional Law article, Impact of S.15 equality rights on Canadian society: beacon or laser?; the 2007 Supreme Court Law Review article A Truer Story: Constitutional Trialogue; and the 2014 Michigan State Law Review article, Complements of CEDAW - U.S. foreign policy coherence on women’s human rights and human security.

A pioneer in research and advocacy to promote human rights through systemic reform in law, medicine, education, governance, she chaired the 2006 international Forum on Women’s Activism in Constitutional Reform, held the Ariel F. Sallows Chair in Human Rights at the University of Saskatchewan College of Law, was appointed Chief Commissioner of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission in 2007, and was Principal (Dean) of The University of Winnipeg Global College in Manitoba from June 2008 to July 2012, then served as the Human Rights Fellow in the UNFPA Geneva Liaison Office and taught as a Visiting Professor at the UN-mandated University for Peace in Costa Rica in 2012-13.

From 2008 to 2019, she was a tenured full professor at the University of Winnipeg. She was the founding director of the Institute for International Women’s Rights at Global College from 2009 to 2016 and the creator / director of the annual ‘Human Rights UniverCity’ summer institute based at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights from 2011 to 2018.

Interests:

  • Gender equality
  • Status of women
  • Women’s rights and human security
  • Legal reform
Patrick Brazeau Non-affiliated - (Quebec-Rentigny)

Born in Maniwaki, Quebec, Patrick Brazeau is a member of the Algonquin community of Kitigan Zibi. Patrick was National Chief of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples (CAP) from February 2006-January 2009.

As CAP’s National Chief, Patrick was a vocal proponent of the repeal of section 67 of the Canadian Human Rights Act. Repealing section 67 granted the same protective measures for human rights to citizens living under the Indian Act granted to all other since 1978.

He was named to the Senate in December 2008 by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and currently sits as an Independent Algonquin Senator. He is the third youngest Senator ever appointed and is currently the youngest sitting Senator.

Patrick believes that all must work together to find ways to support those with mental health difficulties. He speaks openly about his own personal experiences hoping to inspire others to seek help when they need it. He is a founding member of the board of directors of the Montreal-based Aquarium Foundation, a not-for-profit, charitable organization dedicated to promoting the well-being of today’s children, adolescents and young adults.

He supported the efforts to hold an inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Patrick is a vigorous advocate of accountability, responsibility and transparency regarding Indigenous affairs. He is vocal proponent for the replacement of the Indian Act with more progressive legislation that aims to reconstitute true historical First Nations, including jurisdiction over their own affairs. Patrick is always seeking ways to reform the system of Indian Reserves and believes Reparation before Reconciliation is needed by the federal government for Indigenous generational survivors and their families.

Patrick served in the Canadian Armed Forces (Naval Reserve/HMCS Carleton). He holds a diploma in Social Sciences from Heritage College and has also studied Civil Law at the University of Ottawa.

Interests:

  • Mental health
  • Indigenous Affairs
  • Youth

Page details

Date modified: