FEWO Committee Report

Dissenting Report from the Conservative Party of Canada

Championing the Economic Security of Women in Canada While Respecting Their Autonomy

Introduction

The economic security and advancement of women in Canada is of great importance to the Conservative members of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women. During the study, the committee had the opportunity to hear from more than one hundred witnesses who each offered a perspective worthy of careful consideration. The Conservative members are submitting this dissenting report in order to draw attention to a number of points that were not presented in the main committee report, and to challenge the government-knows-best attitude apparent in several sections of the report.

Although more can be done to advance the economic wellbeing of women in Canada, many noteworthy gains have been made since the start of the new millennium. The former Conservative government demonstrated its commitment to advancing the economic security and prosperity of all women by supporting them in whatever field of work they chose—be it the office, the family farm, the home, the lab, or the classroom.

Recognizing that some career choices present more barriers to women than others, the former Conservative government sought to advance women’s economic security and prosperity by supporting women in leadership positions, women entrepreneurs, women in the skilled trades, and women in sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Under the previous Conservative government, significant wage gains were made by women across Canada and the wage gap between men and women was reduced to its smallest margin since 1976, the first year for which we have access to statistics. [1] Particularly, the household incomes of elderly women and single mothers increased significantly.

Strong leadership on behalf of the Conservatives also created opportunities for women in the workplace. During their mandate, the number of women in senior management positions and on public boards increased to levels not previously observed.

These results are not surprising. The previous government, under Prime Minister Stephen Harper, worked tirelessly to remove barriers to women participating in the economy by addressing systemic barriers, providing access to capital and international markets for female entrepreneurs, facilitating greater access to mentorship for those seeking it, and by providing choice in childcare through the creation of the Universal Child Care Benefit. The previous government also provided $37 million in annual funding to extend Employment Insurance Compassionate Care Benefits from six weeks to six months, thus allowing caregivers, who are often women, to care for an ill family member while receiving financial support.

Protecting Economic Choice

Women deserve the freedom to choose whatever field of work they desire without feeling pressure to enter one field over another just because the government tells them to. [2]  This could mean choosing a career in the STEM field, working on a farm, being an entrepreneur, a professional, a corporate executive or working in the home. This could be part-time or full-time work, or somewhere in-between. Governments should refrain from pushing women to work full-time over part-time; the choice should be left with them.

Furthermore, women should receive equal pay for equal work. It is essential for the government to work with public and private sector employers to eliminate gender-based wage discrimination.

Quotas Are Not the Solution

Conservatives believe that women deserve recognition as strong leaders within their workplaces. While this leadership can be recognized through a variety of appropriate promotions or awards, in its chapter entitled “Increasing Women’s Economic Leadership” the Committee’s report highlighted specific testimony regarding the implementation of gender quotas in order to get more women at the corporate boardroom table.

Though quotas may be well-meaning, they often suggest that women are not at the table because of their education, experience, or abilities, but rather, that they have been assigned a special position, based solely on their biological gender. The unintended consequence of quotas is that they may leave women wondering, “Was I given my seat at the table because of my qualifications and hard work, or did I get here because the organization needed to fill a seat with a woman in order to meet an artificial measure?”[3]

Meanwhile, the men at the table don’t face this same question. They enjoy the security of knowing they received their seat because of their merit and contribution to their organization. As a result, quotas often perpetuate harmful attitudes toward the women at the table, thus setting back the progress women have made to date.

Instead of using quotas, there is a different approach to helping women succeed in their careers.

This approach relies on increased mentorship, networking and the championing of strong female leaders. [4][5][6]The vast majority of Canadians believe in equal opportunity for men and women and it’s clear that women are just as capable as men. By increasing the social network that women can call upon to provide advice, opportunities and experience, the final barriers to economic empowerment for women in the workplace can be overcome.

Creating Choice for Parents

Parents understand what works best for their children and their families. This is why the previous Conservative government created the Universal Child Care Benefit, to help hardworking parents to provide for their kids.

The nature of work has changed dramatically. Not many jobs fit a traditional 9am to 5pm work schedule. The ability to access child care is quite different in rural Canada compared to urban Canada. For these reasons, a universal, one-size-fits-all childcare system is not realistic.[7][8][9] When parents are given the appropriate tools, we know that they will make decisions that are in the absolute best interest of their kids. Parents can be trusted to find the type of care that is flexible to their specific needs, and that provides the highest quality care for their children.

Conservatives have always sought to empower parents by lowering household tax burdens. Through child care programs that are designed with a high degree of flexibility, and by cutting taxes for families, Conservatives’ support for parents has been efficient and effective. The Conservative members of the Committee recommended that the government add to this positive record by removing the taxation from all income earned through EI special maternity and parental benefits, and that the government reduce financial disparities felt by families that have a single source of income by examining family taxation policies. These policies operate with an understanding of the reality of the family budget, and can be capped in order to ensure that they primarily benefit middle-class families.

Furthermore, to increase our support for young families, if a Conservative Government is elected in 2019, parents who take parental leave will no longer pay income tax on their parental benefits. This will significantly improve the economic empowerment of women and young families.

To Empower Women, We Must Work Together

Men and boys need to be involved in achieving equal opportunities for women and girls.[10][11] Research consistently shows that the majority of men believe in equal opportunities for women, which is why we need to build allies not enemies. Painting all men as anti-women, or defining feminism in such narrow terms that men cannot find common cause with women, ultimately pits one gender against the other and undermines the progress Canada has made in advancing gender-equality.

By engaging in important conversations like the ones that the #MeToo movement has prompted, we can collaboratively educate male allies on the challenges women face, have an open discussion about the solutions, and thus, begin to change our culture as a nation. A grass-roots cultural change will do far more to permanently advance the equality of women than a series of heavy-handed, top-down government initiatives.

Conclusion

There are many ways to be a successful woman and it’s up to each woman to choose her path, which is why economic choice is the greatest measure of equality. Do women have the same freedom as men to pursue the career of their dreams? Do women have the same freedom to prioritize caring for a child or loved one as men do if that is what they choose? Do women have the same freedom as men do to start their own business? Does Canada’s cultural framework afford women the freedom to choose part-time work over full-time work without feeling of lesser value? Do women feel free to choose a job that pays less but is more fulfilling without being pushed by the government to pursue a career where women are under-represented?

Autonomy must be granted. Freedom must be protected. Choice must be respected.

Recommendations

In response to the report that was tabled by the committee, the Conservative members of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women put forward the following recommendations. These recommendations were left out of the final report by the Liberals, but they embody a number of important recommendations made by witnesses who testified before the committee.

Quotas

• 1.  That the Government of Canada recognize that quotas undermine the power of women, because of the implication that women cannot achieve these positions based on merit.

Make Life More Affordable for Canadian Women and Their Families

• 2.  That the Government of Canada support new parents by amending the Income Tax Act by introducing a tax credit in the amount equal to all tax paid on income earned through E.I parental and maternity benefits, thus making the E.I Parental Benefit tax-free.
• 3.  That the Government of Canada reduce financial disparities between dual-income and single-income families by examining a tax model that provides the option of evaluating household income, as opposed to individual incomes for families.

Flexible Childcare Options for Parents

• 4.  That the Government of Canada support parents in their search for suitable, high-quality, flexible child care that best fits their needs by working with the provinces to improve taxation processes that reflect the vast diversity of families and significant regional differences.

Entrepreneurship

• 5.  That the Government of Canada repeal its damaging changes to how the small business tax provisions apply to privately controlled corporations in order to reverse the damage the Federal Government has caused to female entrepreneurs and their ability to save for maternity leave and family leave.

Women with Disabilities

• 6.  That the Government of Canada ensure that persons with disabilities never lose more in benefits and taxation than they gain as a result of earning increased employment income.