2005 Biennial Convention Liberal Party of Canada NATIONAL WOMEN'S LIBERAL COMMISSION OUR POLITICS - OUR FUTURE THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2005 WESTIN HOTEL, OTTAWA I am delighted to extend my warmest greetings to you on the occasion of the Liberal Party of Canada’s 2005 Biennial Policy Convention in Ottawa from March 3 to 6, 2005. As Leader of the Liberal Party, I am tremendously proud to see so many Liberal Women in attendance, and am grateful for the enthusiasm and ability you will bring to this event. Indeed, I am proud to say that we have accomplished much of what we have set out to do, and our progress has been more than impressive. In fact, we have asserted our country’s role on the international stage, increased transparency and accountability, signed a historic Health Accord with the provinces and presented a clear picture of the Canada we envision for the future. One can measure our Party’s success by the devotion of individuals, such as yourselves, and we are very thankful to have such a wonderful group of dedicated women working for the betterment of our country. You can all take great pride in having upheld our Party’s principles, while contributing to the advancement of the political initiatives on behalf of all women in Canada. I look forward to joining you and discussing our objectives while renewing several ties of friendship with many members and organizers present. Please accept my warmest regards and best wishes for a most productive and exciting Convention. Le très honorable Paul Martin Chef du Parti libéral du Canada O T T A W A The Right Honourable Paul Martin, P.C., M.P. Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada O T T A W A 2005 A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT Dear Friends of the NWLC, On behalf of the executive of the National Women’s Liberal Commission (NWLC), I would like to wish you a warm welcome to Ottawa for the Biennial Convention meeting of the women’s wing of the Liberal Party of Canada. Traditionally, NWLC presidents choose a policy area to pursue over the course of their mandates. In 2003, when I was first elected in Toronto, I decided that my theme would not be a policy area, but my own abiding interest, indeed my passion, political involvement. I wanted to ensure that more women than ever before would join the Liberal Party at all levels of political activity. As I have travelled across the country over the past year and have met our members in small and large communities I have sensed a heightened vibrancy and engagement in our provincial land territorial Commissions. I have talked to our members, asking them to bring their friends to meetings, to liberal gatherings, to coffee parties, to election campaigns, to riding association activities, to club get-togethers. This level of civic engagement is beneficial to individual women and to society as a whole; and I encourage women everywhere, of all ages, from diverse backgrounds, to join us. Your attendance here in Ottawa at the Convention is testament to the commitment of the women of the Liberal Party to our own party as well as to our efforts for a better country. It has been my honour and privilege to meet hundreds of dedicated women liberals over the past 16 months. I could not have worked with a better executive throughout the activities which the previous brief mandate brought us: a Policy Convention and an election campaign. In our second term, commencing on March 6, 2005, the NWLC executive will work diligently to bring our goal of complete gender equality ever closer. Alvah Hanrahan 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE NWLC NATIONAL EXECUTIVE 3 WOMEN AND THE LIBERAL PARTY - ACHIEVEMENTS 4 NWLC MISSION STATEMENT 8 NWLC BIENNIAL AGENDA 9 RULES GOVERNING THE NWLC BIENNIAL MEETING 10 NWLC PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO BYLAWS 12 GENDER ASSESSMENT REPORT 21 WOMEN CANDIDATES IN RECENT ELECTIONS 22 REPORTS • NATIONAL PRESIDENT 23 • VICE-PRESIDENT, ATLANTIC 25 • VICE-PRESIDENT, ONTARIO 27 • VICE-PRESIDENT, SASKATCHEWAN/MANITOBA 28 • VICE-PRESIDENT, ALBERTA/WESTERN ARCTIC/NUNAVUT 29 • VICE-PRESIDENT, BRITISH-COLUMBIA, YUKON 30 • PRESIDENT, NEWFOUNDLAND/LABRADOR 31 • PRESIDENT, PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND 33 • PRESIDENT, NEW BRUNSWICK 34 • PRESIDENT, QUEBEC & VICE-PRESIDENT, QUEBEC 35 • PRESIDENT, ONTARIO 37 • PRESIDENT, SASKATCHEWAN 38 • PRESIDENT, ALBERTA 41 • PRESIDENT, JUDY LAMARSH FUND 42 2 NATIONAL EXECUTIVE President Alvah Hanrahan Vice-Presidents Atlantic Caroline Young Quebec Marina Lessard Ontario Marian Maloney SK/MB Karen Pedersen AB/WA/NU Nancy Love BC/YK Caroline Murphy Provincial/Territorial Presidents Newfoundland/Labrador Caroline Young Prince Edward Island Laura Nicholson Nova Scotia Carol Lord New Brunswick Claudette Trewin Quebec Caroline Savic Ontario Michelle Simson Manitoba Angelina Olivier-Job Saskatchewan Suzanne Wilton Alberta Bryndis Whitson British-Columbia Debbie Kitson Yukon Patricia Cunning YLC representative Rajvir Basra APC representative Ginger Gosnell NWLC Manager Monique Trottier 3 THE LIBERAL RECORD ON WOMEN 1993-2004 KEY HIGHLIGHTS Safe Communities: • 1994 - Phase I of the National Crime Prevention Strategy that established the National Crime Prevention Council. • 1998 - Phase II of the National Strategy, including $32 million a year in federal funding for crime prevention programs. • Legislation throughout the 1990s to protect the safety of women and children included: • Bill C-72 removing intoxication as a defence • Bill C-42 strengthening peace bonds • Bill C-45 tightening parole rules for inmates serving life sentences • Bill C-46 strengthening the “dangerous offender” provisions and restricting access to the personal information of victims of sexual abuse • Bill C-27 strengthening Criminal Code provisions dealing with child prostitution, child sex tourism, criminal harassment (stalking), and female genital mutilation • Bill C-13 increasing the protection of witnesses whose lives are in danger • Bill C-41 strengthening provisions regarding crimes motivated by hate that are based on sex, ethnicity, etc. • Bill C-104 amending legislation to allow the testing of DNA evidence (Bill C-104). • In 1995 we created the National Firearms Registry to help keep firearms out of the wrong hands and ensure that police officers have the information they need. • In 1998 the Canadian Firearms Registry Online (CFRO) database was implemented and is used by police agencies about 2,000 times a day. • In1996 significant improvements were made to the Young Offenders Act that in 2002 became the Youth Criminal Justice Act. It focuses on prevention and better distinguishes between minor and more serious offences. • Building on the1994 National Screening Information System on Child Sex Offenders, changes were made in 2002 to the Criminal Code to protect children from sexual exploitation. • In 2000 we officially opened Canada’s National DNA Data Bank. • Budget 2003 committed $53 million (over two years) to improve the family justice system. • Budget 2003 increased funding by $89 million (over two years) for legal aid. • In February 2004 the reinstatement of Bill C-20 created new offences to target criminals who use the Internet to lure and exploit children or to transmit, make available, export or intentionally access child pornography. • In early 2004 the reintroduction of the Cannabis Reform Bill recognized that possession of small amount of marijuana should not carry a criminal conviction. 4 Education and Learning: • In 1994, we restored funding to the National Literacy Secretariat. • In 1995 the Employment Equity Act was passed eliminating employment barriers to women, Aboriginal people, visible minorities, and persons with disabilities. • In 1995, The Canada Student Financial Assistance Act was proclaimed, increasing loan limits and interest subsidies; allowing deferred grants for students with high debt-loads and providing grants for students with disabilities, low-income part time students, and women doctoral candidates. • In 1996 the Community Access Program (CAP) was introduced to connect communities across Canada to the Internet. • In 1996 the government invested $315 million over three years in the Employment Opportunities for Youth Program. • From 1995 to 1997, over $800 million was invested through the Strategic Initiatives Program in innovative approaches to training and employment, in co-operation with the provinces and territories. • In 1997 the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) was created to promote research; an additional $500 million was added in 2003. • In 1998, the Canada Millennium Scholarship Endowment Fund was created to reward academic excellence and help Canadians attend post-secondary institutions. • Budget 1998 included several initiatives designed to expand access to lifelong learning. The Canadian Opportunities Strategy included: • Grants of up to $3,000 a year for low-income students with dependants; • Tax-free withdrawals from registered retirement savings plan for lifelong learning; • Education tax credits and child care expense deductions for part-time students. • In 2000 additional funding of $900 million over five years went to the Canada Research Chairs and the Network of Centres of Excellence. • In 2000 we doubled the education amount that post-secondary students can claim. • Budget 2000 also increased the income tax exemption from scholarships, fellowships, and bursaries from $500 to $3,000. • Budget 2001 extended the education tax credit to those receiving EI assistance for post- secondary education. • Budget 2001 included a tax deduction for tuition assistance needed to obtain basic education. • Budget 2001 supported apprentices during periods of classroom training. • Budget 2001 enabled small and medium-size business to defer tax instalments for a period of six months without interest or penalty. • In 2002, the Canada Study Grant for Students with Permanent Disabilities increased from $5,000 to $8,000 per year. Persons with disabilities will now be allowed a supplementary grant of up to $2,000. • Budget 2003 announced support for 2,000 masters and 2,000 doctoral students each year through the Canada Graduate Scholarships program. 5 • Budget 2004 proposes a new disability supports deduction to reduce barriers to education and employment - at an annual cost of $15 million.