Speaking Notes for the Honourable Helena Guergis, P.C., M.P. Minister of State (Status of Women) at the Annual General Meeting of the Business Community Anti-Poverty Initiative

Saint John, New Brunswick
Janurary 19, 2009

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Honourable Premier, Minister Thompson, Minister Schryer, ladies and gentlemen, I very much appreciate this opportunity to speak at this gathering of the Business Community Anti-Poverty Initiative.

And it is my pleasure to be here in Saint John - your city on the Bay of Fundy and nature's stage for dramatic tidal drops of well over six metres.

Against this spectacular backdrop, the women of Saint John meet the challenges of their day-to-day lives.  For many, this may include stories of tremendous personal success and achievement.  For example, consider these Saint John women:

• Companion of the Order of Canada Sarah Anala, an Elder who has devoted herself to counselling offenders and their families in the Inuit, Mi'kmaq and Maliseet communities;
• 1998 recipient of the New Brunswick Human Rights Award Lena (Dixon) O'Ree, whose work for the Black community spans eight decades, continuing to this day through her roles as an oral historian and stateswoman; and
• 2008 Order of New Brunswick recipient Marianna Stack, whose passion for equality and justice is reflected in her tireless work for marginalized and criminalized women.

But for some, the story may include the challenge of living with poverty, violence and lack of opportunity.  For some women, the trials of their daily experience can be as difficult and treacherous to navigate as the currents of Saint John's Reversing Falls.  It's real life, calling for courage from these women as they face those challenges.

Now more than ever - particularly in these times of uncertainty - Canada's continued prosperity depends on women's economic security.  We must remain vigilant of the impact an economic slowdown has on people living on low incomes, including women.

The road to prosperity includes the efforts of both men and women.  And it depends on women's economic prosperity, and on the resultant well-being of their families and their communities.

Our government is committed to promoting equality for women.

Our goal is to have a direct impact on people's lives, and to achieve real, measurable results that work for every citizen, women and men alike.

Our Government understands the challenges low-income women face.  We have taken concrete actions and introduced measures to directly help Canadian families.

In Budget 2008, the Government of Canada announced that we will develop an Action Plan to advance equality for women by improving their economic and social conditions, and their participation in democratic life.

In support of the Federal Action Plan for Women, Status of Women Canada initiated a number of strategic partnerships to advance women's economic security and prosperity, to address violence against women, and to increase the participation of women and girls in leadership roles across society.

Our Government introduced a universal child care benefit worth $100 a month for every child under the age of six.  Canadian families have been receiving this support for close to three years now.

We introduced a Child Tax Credit worth up to $310 for each child under the age of 18.

We increased the Pension Income Credit and changed the Guaranteed Income Supplement, which puts money back into the hands of older women and men.

We also created the National Seniors' Council, with a mandate to provide advice on issues of national importance to Canada's seniors - the majority of whom are women, many of whom live on low incomes.

At this point, I would like to acknowledge the wonderful work of the Honourable Erminie Cohen, who hails from Saint John.  A retired Senator, Ms. Cohen is chair of the federal Expert Panel on Older Workers and is widely recognized for her anti-poverty work across the country.

We modernized federal labour standards and expanded business opportunities for women.  We made a commitment to expand employment insurance benefits to self-employed mothers on maternity leave.  We are promoting women's labour force participation, especially in non-traditional areas of work, and ensuring women have equal access to government benefits.  We are supporting women and girls in developing important life skills that serve as pre-conditions for success.

Through Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC), our Government has provided funding for a project here in New Brunswick that assists in training women for jobs in the trades and in other non-traditional work.

In November, our Government proudly signed on to support the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) campaign, Say NO to Violence against Women, an effort to expand awareness and political commitment worldwide to end violence.

Thanks to the support of Status of Women Canada, you're seeing results for low-income women right here in Saint John.  In May 2007, the Honourable Bev Oda, then minister responsible for Status of Women, announced funding of $200,000 to the Saint John chapter of the Urban Core Support Network.  Through this project, the organization is working to improve the economic security of some 100 low-income women, right here in Saint John.

We're making progress, indeed, but much work remains if we are to make success a theme of every woman's life story.  Our Government is ready, willing and able to build on our record thus far and to carry out the work ahead.

Along with you, I look forward to continued success for the women of Saint John - and for their families and their community.  Together, we are creating a story with a happy ending for women here.

Once again, thank you so much for permitting me to speak to you today and please accept my best wishes for a successful meeting.

Thank you.

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