When will the Premier Invest in and Support NS Women? - QP

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Mass Casualty Commission released its final report. Included within the 3,000 pages are many carefully crafted and considered and potentially transformative recommendations. This one stands out today:

"Community-based services, and in particular services provided by the gender-based violence advocacy and support sector, need to be viewed in tandem with police agencies as equal partners in preventing violence . . .

Adequate and stable core funding is essential for efficient and effective operation of all organizations forming part of the public safety net in Canada."

Mr. Speaker, we need this government to take a transformative approach to safety, and to take women's safety seriously. Will the Premier act to dramatically increase funding for women's organizations and to make them equal partners in public safety?

THE PREMIER « » : Of course, with the release of the report yesterday - it's a very fulsome report - it certainly brought a lot of emotions forward for all Nova Scotians, and Canadians as well. We have always put the family members, the victims, and the survivors at the centre of everything we have done. We'll continue to do that. There are a lot of incredible recommendations in that report, and we're going to work with the federal government. We're going to do what we can to make sure we make our communities safer. Certainly, the focus on gender-based violence is front and centre for us as well.

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : This week, we have had the opportunity to ask both the Premier and the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development about the massive shortage of daycare spots in the province. Both were dismissive of our concerns, and somehow suggested that the situation is improving. But Mr. Speaker, when only 14 infant and toddler spaces have been delivered out of a promised 4,000, it is categorically not improving.

We are hearing story after story of parents - largely mothers - who cannot return to the workplace because they do not have a child care spot, which was promised by this province, and this province's government . . .

THE SPEAKER « » : Order, please. The leader has changed the topic.

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : No, my topic is: Is this government taking women seriously? Women need child care. Women need gender-based. . .

THE SPEAKER « » : You had made reference to a previous question put to the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development, and you made reference to it in this. Your preamble has not been about how you started talking about the Mass Casualty Commission. (Interruptions)

The honourable Leader of the New Democratic Party - I'll give you a chance to ask your question and how it's going to relate to the Mass Casualty Commission.

The honourable Leader of the New Democratic Party.

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : As with the request for funding for gender-based violence, we also have requested of this government to fund child care. These are both things that women need to stay safe, and to be able to be productive in our society.

Therefore, I want to point out the situation of an Enfield mother who can't find even a wait-list to put her child on to return to work. She asked: What do you do if you don't find someone? I have to return to work, so what are my options? I'll ask the Premier « » : What are her options?

THE PREMIER « » : I want to assure that Nova Scotian, and all Nova Scotians, that we're not dismissive of any single concern of Nova Scotians. I take my obligation to Nova Scotians very seriously. I would never be dismissive of an issue that a Nova Scotian brings to me - certainly not an important issue around child care.

What I would correct for the member is with the agreement with the federal government as we move forward to make sure that people have access to child care, which is incredibly important, as the member has pointed out, we've opened close to 1,100 new spots - before-school, after-school, and all kinds of spots. Is there more work to be done? There's a lot more work to be done. We'll continue to do that work as best we can.

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Continuing with the topic of investment in women, we have now had a week to digest this budget and the priorities it represents.

Apparently, the priorities are not investments in access to universal birth control; not expansion of midwifery services; not increased core, stable, predictable funding for women's organizations; not making good on child care commitments - either with spaces or affordability; and not a school food program.

In this budget, and throughout the past week, this government has made their priorities well known, and those priorities do not appear to be the health care nor other investments that women need in this province.

Why does it seem like women are not a priority for this government?

THE PREMIER « » : I just want to say that certainly in the budget there is a significant investment in health care, in all Nova Scotians, and certainly in women's care, for sure. The member may know that just prior to the release of the budget, sometimes there's a lot of discussion in this Chamber as to whether or not we should make investments prior to the budget. But just prior to the budget, we announced $8 million in funding to help women's centres and transition houses across the province. We will be there to support women's centres and transition houses, women, and all Nova Scotians across this province.