FEWO March 1, 2022

2022-03-01

On March 1, 2022 the following discussion happened in the Standing Committee on the Status of Women over Basic Income (Guaranteed Livable Basic Income).

Gertie Mai Muise

[^S-176] 15:56

Okay, I see.

The barriers to support for indigenous women and girls, 2-spirit and LGBTQIA, and men and boys in our community are intersectoral. Every area of work, the determinants of health, all of those things that have an impact on people's vulnerability...each of those systems trying to respond and help has barriers in them. One of the ways we've found that works to help improve the jurisdictional wrangling and the intersectoral lack of coordination—all of those things—is to have community-based teams that navigate those systems to encourage coordination and really encourage linkages to culture-based resources, like traditional knowledge holders, traditional teachers, family and kid networks, and people who've come through systems and survived.

It's really critical to understand barriers, because the way the community understands barriers is very different from what western service systems and service structures see as barriers to helping our communities. That's why it's so critical for any investments to land inside communities with organizations that are indigenous-led, indigenous-governed and indigenous-informed. Now we are seeing a lot of awareness around what the real barriers are, especially during the pandemic. I think we've seen a new understanding among all the stakeholders in the field. There could be some education around it. I think it's always helpful for us to understand what keeps systemic racism at play, and how to interrupt that and create new pathways for safety and wellness.

We have a lot to say on that, and I think our longer brief went into some of those barriers. Actually, when I look at the brief, it has some legislative pieces we are recommending to support Bill C-223, an act to develop a national framework for a guaranteed livable basic income. That was one of the legislative pieces that we had and are currently advancing.

Leah Gazan (Winnipeg Centre)

[^S-177] 16:07

Thank you so much, Chair.

A really deep thank you to both of you on the panel for the critical work you do.

Both of you mentioned the need for a guaranteed livable basic income. I'm actually the one who put forward Bill C-223 in response to call for justice 4.5 to implement a guaranteed livable basic income as a way to help mitigate the crisis of violence against indigenous women and girls. Senator Kim Pate currently has Bill S-233, which is being debated in the Senate. It's exactly the same bill with exactly the same wording in both houses of Parliament. we're working jointly on this initiative.

Madam Sharpe and Madam Muise, can you briefly explain why you support the need for a guaranteed livable basic income?

Gertie Mai Muise

[^S-178] 16:08

I can start.

I think the importance of a basic livable income really is about understanding intimate partner violence and domestic violence [Technical difficulty—Editor]. The roots of that violence are well-documented by the truth and reconciliation commission. It has to do with colonialism and the layers of intergenerational experiences amongst our people. The basic livable income allows women and other gendered people with their families to be able to find a safe haven. As we're now finding, that's a critical piece to stopping further harms.

I'd like to pass it to my colleague Sean for a minute so that he can describe the housing, and how basic income and housing are connected.

Sean, would you mind talking a bit about what we're learning with our new initiatives?

Sean Longboat

[^S-179] 16:09

Absolutely. It's well-documented that indigenous people experience poverty disproportionately in communities. We support basic income, but we also want to ensure that as part of that legislation, services will not be impacted. We know that economic self-sufficiency and having economic resources and housing options provide a protective factor and creates an alternative to remaining in an abusive home. It also creates an environment where women have the resources that they need to improve their lives, to access education, to access training and to become more economically self-sufficient.

We are doing a lot of work in this area right now in a program called urban indigenous homeward bound. That program shows that when you provide indigenous women with things like housing, income supports and culture and healing supports, they're far more likely to succeed, and they are succeeding.

Leah Gazan (Winnipeg Centre)

[^S-180] 16:11

Thank you so much.

I only have a limited amount of time.

I agree with you. One of the things that is critical to Bill C-223 is the fact that it's in addition to current and future government programs and support, including accessible affordable housing with rents geared to income.

I'd like Madam Sharpe to respond briefly. I have a couple other critical questions I want to ask both of your organizations.