In recognition of Women’s Equality Week, it was my pleasure to attend a Break the Silence on Violence Against Women presentation this week at the RBC Convention Centre in Winnipeg with guest speakers Premier Brian Pallister and Winnipeg Blue Bombers player Matthias Goossen. The standard you walk by is the standard you accept, and violence against women is not just a women’s issue. It’s a human issue. Our government encourages everyone to be more than a bystander as we work to break the silence and stand with survivors. Half of all women in Canada have experienced at least one incident of physical or sexual violence since the age of 16, and only five per cent of sexual assaults are reported to police.
Attitudes on this issue need to change. Everyone deserves respect, and we all need to speak up against violence and sexual violence against women. For women experiencing violence or sexual violence, confidential help is available through the provincial Family Violence Prevention Program at 1-877-977-0007.
In other matters, our government has committed more than $20 million in funding in 2017-18 through existing approvals and the recent single-window intake to support community development initiatives. To ensure value for money, we have reviewed our grant programs and the decision was made to eliminate administration duplication and to streamline access to grants to ensure hard-earned tax dollars are used to their full potential. This decision primarily affects administration costs rather than funding. Grant funding to the Manitoba Community Services Council will continue, though it’s going through a budget review. Our new process has allowed for better planning and better outcomes that help sustain community revitalization.
A separate review has been undertaken by the Pension Commission of Manitoba, whose members represent organized labour, plan sponsors, the pension consulting industry and pensioners. A statutory review of the Pension Benefits Act is conducted by the commission every five years, with findings and recommendations reported to the provincial Minister of Finance. The commission has made recommendations focusing on new plan designs, solvency deficiency funding rules, locking-in provisions and other issues.
To update and strengthen the pension system, the provincial Finance Department is hosting online public consultations on the recommendations. The closing date for submissions is Feb. 21. For more information on the review and consultations, please visit www.gov/labour/pension. Electronic submissions can be sent to pensions@gov.mb.ca and written submissions can be mailed to Office of the Superintendent - Pension Commission, 1004-401 York Ave., Winnipeg, R3C 0P8.
