Irene in Parliament

December 13th, 2006 Statement in the House On Cuts to Status of Women

Mrs. Irene Mathyssen (London—Fanshawe, NDP):Mr. Speaker, women in Canada are concentrated in low wage and part time jobs. They make only 71¢ for every dollar men make.

Women make up only 20.8% of this House of Commons and, shamefully, one in five Canadian women live in poverty.

On Sunday, in every province and every territory across the country, women told the Conservative government that enough was enough. Women are not happy with the government’s slash and burn tactics on the mandate and funding for Status of Women. Women are not happy with the last 13 years of broken promises from the Liberals. The so-called Liberal pink book is a testament to what the Liberals never did.

Women in this country deserve equality, child care, affordable housing and they deserve equal pay. Both the Conservatives and the Liberals have refused to address these issues, leaving women still fighting for equality in 2006.

The entire NDP caucus stands behind the call to reverse policy decisions made by the Conservative government that effectively work against women’s rights.