Industry committee  Yes.

Industry committee  I prefer the full superpriority. I would accept a cap.

Industry committee  It is an alternative.

Industry committee  Thank you. It actually folds into the last question as well. In order to ensure that the books are in the proper order and that risk mitigation and management are able to be overseen by corporate governance, in my respectful view, we need a roll-in period. That can start with companies that are starting up now starting with the new rules and with having a roll-in period of approximately three years.

Industry committee  Yes.

Industry committee  Governance knows that rules change. Anyone who's sat on a corporate governance committee or anyone who's ever negotiated contracts knows that you need to keep up with the laws. Canada has been so far behind the U.S., the U.K. and even Australia. The street knows that this needs to happen and is coming.

Industry committee  Good morning and thank you for the opportunity to address you today about the pressing issue of pension reform. My name is Laura Tamblyn Watts and I'm the CEO of CanAge, Canada's national seniors advocacy organization. We're a pan-Canadian, non-partisan, not-for-profit organization.

Justice committee  It has been a terrible tragedy. With respect to what Mr. Berkes said, there are, of course, some provisions that are never used in Canada against long-term care homes. I respectfully believe, however, that the current Criminal Code provisions do not go far enough to reach into those areas and don't speak to criminal endangerment.

Justice committee  In my respectful view, there is probably a way you could squint at it right now and try to get people not to work in certain areas. Here, of course, we're looking at paid caregivers, perhaps either in the private pay section or in an institution. There is nothing right now civilly—and I point this out because there is a gap that perhaps the Criminal Code could assist with—that would stop a person who is a paid caregiver in any part of this country, who may have been charged or found guilty of any form of—let's call—it elder abuse, from getting another job.

Justice committee  There are gaps in the law that do not necessarily meet the underlying basis that we have right now. Police—and I teach police across this country—consistently say that they do not have the tools they need to move from what they know is problematic and criminal behaviour and work with that in the code.

Justice committee  Thank you so much. It's precisely that. With great respect, I do know that there are, of course, fundamental building blocks: things like assault, theft and criminal responsiveness. However, there is an importance to naming elder abuse. There are gaps in patterns of behaviour around violence that do not necessarily get captured alone.

Justice committee  The coercive and controlling behaviour report, which I know this committee was recently reviewing, came out with key recommendations. They dovetail extremely well with elder abuse, as well. Because some of the engagement could include keeping people away from other people, making sure there is an interruption in the flow of their lives, in terms of coercive or near-coercive behaviours, it's CanAge's recommendation that report number 9, “The Shadow Pandemic: Stopping Coercive and Controlling Behaviour in Intimate Relationships”, would be appropriate if expanded to elder abuse and neglect.

Justice committee  It is true that about three-quarters of all abuse and neglect that does not consist of scams or frauds is perpetrated by those closest. That, of course, is analogous to domestic violence and intimate partner violence. There's blocking behaviour. There is behaviour that keeps people away from activities.

Justice committee  Thank you very much, Madam Chair and members of the committee. My name is Laura Tamblyn Watts, and I'm the president and CEO of CanAge, Canada's national seniors advocacy organization. We are a pan-Canadian, non-partisan, not-for-profit organization. We work to advance the rights and well-being of Canadians as we age and ensure that older Canadians can live vibrant and connected lives.

Human Resources committee  Thank you, everyone.