Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Making the NWT Legislature Child-Friendly

Changes to facilities, installing change tables in washrooms, and quiet rooms for Members to care for children have been introduced in many public places. More than half of Canadian legislatures have installed change tables in washrooms, and several have designated quiet rooms, including Alberta, Manitoba, and the House of Commons.

Daycare facilities are not available to all legislatures. Thirty-eight spaces for children aged between 18 months and five years are provided to Members of the House of Commons in Ottawa. Ontario's Legislature holds a membership to a corporate daycare that ensures a place is available should a Member wish to drop off their child at their own expense. Quebec considered opening an early childhood centre on site, but did not do so as the city of Quebec is already well-served with childcare spaces. Alberta is considering a daycare facility on the legislature grounds.

Several legislatures allow infants or small children in the Chamber. British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, and the House of Commons have either no restriction or have amended rules to allow for infants to be in the House during sittings.

The NWT Legislative Assembly currently has no family rooms, change tables, or any physical features to accommodate small children on the premises. Members who wish to bring their children have no designated spaces to care for them.

The committee heard that it is time to review how well the NWT Legislative Assembly allows Members to balance work and family life. Suggestions include a review of the building and its facilities with a view to accommodating women, childcare needs, family responsibilities, and possible access issues, such as special parking or wide enough doors to allow strollers to pass.

Recommendation 6

The Special Committee to Increase the Representation of Women in the Legislative Assembly recommends that the Legislative Assembly investigate practical measures to make the legislature family-friendly, explore the possibility of creating a family room, installing infant change devices in bathrooms, and improving signage indicating location of family-friendly facilities.

Parental leave and absences due to pregnancy or childbirth are considered acceptable absences in most jurisdictions in Canada, though not always formalized as parental leave but accepted under other leave options, such as family or sick leave.

Recommendation 7

The Special Committee to Increase the Representation of Women in the Legislative Assembly recommends that the Legislative Assembly Board of Management make allowances for Members to be absent from the Assembly without financial penalty for up to four months due to pregnancy, childbirth, or the care of a Member's child following birth or adoption.

Many jurisdictions have aimed to improve on their Assembly's family-friendliness. Setting parliamentary calendars early in the year is one measure that most legislatures have taken to allow Members to better predict their schedule.

Sitting hours have been adjusted to a four-day week schedule in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and the Yukon. Quebec reduced its schedule to a three-day week.

Late night sittings were eliminated in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and the Yukon. In other jurisdictions, such as British Columbia, Ontario, and Alberta, the frequency of evening sittings has been reduced. Several attempts have been made in Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick to make sitting hours more family-friendly, but to date, hours have not been changed and evening sittings continue.

Proxy voting and pairing rules for voting enable Members of legislatures to be absent without impacting voting results. Proxy voting allows a Member to vote in her or his absence by delegating the vote to another representative. Most recently, the Parliament of the United Kingdom, in a briefing on "baby leave," recommended to allow their Members who have had a baby or adopted a child to be entitled, but not required, to discharge their responsibility to vote by proxy.

The House of Commons, Manitoba, and Ontario have pairing rules. This arrangement between two Members enables one to be absent without affecting the result of a vote. A Member of the opposition will agree to also not vote, therefore cancelling out the imbalance and avoiding the loss or win of a vote because of absence.

Next Steps

The Special Committee to Increase the Representation of Women thanks everyone involved in the discussion of this topic, with particular thanks to those who provided their input and recommendations. We appreciate the feedback received and encourage further discussion and hearing from more groups.

The committee will continue consultation, research further, and will come forward with concrete recommendations to increase the representation of women in the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories. The committee will table its final report before the end of the 18^th Legislative Assembly.