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WOMEN'S
VOTES COUNT
Value Your Vote!
Federal
Election Day is
January 23
Voting takes place from
7:00 am - 7:00 pm
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20 Questions for
Federal Candidates
Please
feel free to print off the questions to take with you and to pass
around to others who may also want to ask questions of Candidates.
20 Questions in PDF format
[You will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to open the PDF format]
1) In Canada, women make up the majority of our population
(51-52%). Unfortunately, we remain under-represented in
government.
a) What % of women in your Party hold significant positions?
b) How does your Party plan to ensure that your party
make up is more reflective of the population?
2) The federal government is legally responsible for ensuring provinces
and territories uphold International Human Rights Treaties which Canada
has signed. However, there is currently no system in place to
monitor or enforce provincial and territorial compliance. Will
your Party advocate to implement a mechanism at the national level by
which women can ensure provinces and territories are held accountable
to International Human Rights Treaties?
3) How would you as a Member of Parliament vote in the House on the question of access to abortion services?
4) Has your Party enacted or supported legislation that recognizes the
rights of women and children to be safe in their own homes?
Knowing that current legislation has not been effective enough, what
else does your Party propose to increase safety for all women and
children?
5) What commitment and action does your Party plan to decrease the high levels of violence committed against women and children?
6) Considering RCMP directives are a federal matter, what steps would
your Party take specifically to ensure RCMP members will take reports
of violence against women more seriously?
7) What plans, if any, does your Party have for implementing action
plans, effective policies and programs, and financing to equip women's
centres with the means to put an end to all forms of violence against
women and children?
8) The vast majority of people living below the poverty level are women
and children. Minimum jobs with no benefits and no pensions do
not address women's poverty. What specific strategies has your Party
adopted aimed at the elimination of poverty?
9) Almost half of single elderly women live below the poverty
line. What measures would your Party be willing to take to
increase old age security payments to provide older women with a decent
standard of living?
10) Canada now has over 5 million poor people: 70% are women and
children. Is your Party prepared to adopt national standards which
guarantee the right to welfare (or equivalent) for everyone in need?
11) Children are currently forced to see parents that have sexually
abused them. What is your Party willing to do to ensure that
children of sexual abuse are not forced to visit the offending parent?
12) As of 2000 in Canada, the average wage for a full time ful year
female worker was $34,892 verses $49,224 for male workers.
Further, half of all women with paid employment earned less than
$20,000. What measures is your party prepared to take to increase
women’s equality in the work force and close the longstanding wage gap
between male and female income earners?
13) What is your Party planning to do to support licensed, quality
daycare programs, and a child care system that meets children’s
developmental needs and supports the vast majority of Canadian mothers
and families who are at work and school?
14) What will your Party do to extend Canada's human rights legislation
so that the fundamental Human Rights of Aboriginal women living on
reserve are protected?
15) What specific measures has your Party taken to ensure lesbians, gay
men and two spirited individuals have equal opportunity in areas of
legislation and public policy reform?
16) Homelessness is at crisis proportions in Canada. In BC, 83.1% of
poor families with children are living in unaffordable housing, and
Canada remains the only G8 nation without a national housing
program. What is your Party doing to ensure that Canada has a
comprehensive national housing strategy backed by predictable,
long-term funding?
17) Worldwide, the gap between rich and poor is widening. Does
your Party support the cancellation of the debts of the world's poorest
countries and an increase in our contribution to international aid?
18) Will your Party commit to overhauling the Employment Insurance
system so that it recognizes that the majority of Canadian part-time
workers are women, that women are primary caregivers, and that women
make up a significant number of seasonal workers?
19) Would your Party support and work towards implementing federal
legislation to prevent provincial governments from clawing back federal
benefits and/or child maintenance from provincial income assistance
recipients?
20) Women represent the most vulnerable and
marginalized voices in Canada. Is your Party prepared to restore core
funding to equality-seeking women's organizations and to increase the budget
for Women’s Programs to $100 million?
20 Questions in PDF format
[You will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to open the PDF format]
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