Industry committee  Those are really good targets.

Industry committee  I think it depends on who you're looking at. If you're looking at the Financial Post 500, you'll see it's around 20-point-something per cent. It will vary across the various sectors. I think your target range needs to be in the 30% to 40%...and within the next five to 10 years.

Industry committee  I think that if we really want it to be successful, there should be a signal sent out to the federally regulated industries to say that's what you're looking for. Otherwise, with a bill, at least as I see it in the legislation itself, that doesn't require an explanation. It's a very soft nudge.

Industry committee  As I said, I'm not an advocacy group. I'm a centre for research in politics, so I don't lobby. I'll make that clear; I'm not a lobbyist. I give, however, my best advice when I'm asked to come before a parliamentary committee. When I'm asked by any member of Parliament or a minister, I will give them my best advice.

Industry committee  If you want to bury your head in the sand, you can, but the Canadian Board Diversity Council and Catalyst are well-known organizations. Knightsbridge does a lot of work around women. The headhunter firms know very well, and should know, if they are given specific directions on what to do.

Industry committee  Yes. We certainly recommend that if you really want to move toward getting more women on boards, you look to the organizations such as the Canadian Board Diversity Council, Catalyst, and other organizations that are creating and have created lists of pre-qualified women ready to serve on boards, as well as to seek recruiters and give them specific instructions that they need to find qualified women candidates who need to be presented.

Industry committee  I also think it's important. If you look at other countries, Canada has fallen behind in its equality leadership. We used to be fairly high. Also, women on boards has fallen behind. The countries that have been successful have identified increasing women on boards as a key issue, and not simply lumping it into diversity.

Industry committee  There are lots of tools out there. They just have to use them.

Industry committee  I think those are really important questions. There are organizations, whether it's immigrant organizations or indigenous organizations, that can help. I know that Roberta Jamieson, for example, has certainly presented names to the Canadian Board Diversity Council in terms of coming up with people who may very well be qualified to sit on these kinds of boards.

Industry committee  I think it would send a much stronger signal if gender was specifically stated in the legislation. It was put out in the announcement of the bill and what the bill was intended to do. I think it sends a very strong signal. If your goal is to increase representation of women on boards, then the message in the legislation should be very clear.

Industry committee  I think there are various options and ways that you can outline targets. Sometimes they're called “soft targets” or “aspirational targets”, as we've been talking about. Those are ones that are put out as, “This is the ideal for where we would like you to be by such-and-such a year.”

Industry committee  I think that you as legislators need to decide whether it's palatable. Certainly, quotas have been very effective in many countries in increasing women's representation in Parliament and on boards. Some will say that the northern examples were not good, but I think there the problem was that they didn't give them enough time to achieve those quotas.

Industry committee  Obviously, there are a number of choices when you're looking at legislation. In many of them, like in Australia, they use a combination of reporting and then the legislation to back it up. When you require “comply or explain”—which is not clear in this legislation—you are required to give an explanation if you do not have the diversity on your board.

Industry committee  I don't know that there's a right time. For example, if you look at the Canadian Board Diversity Council, it has been doing an annual report looking at what's happening across each different industry. It takes leadership, as well. If you look at the financial sector and at the big banks right now, there's a real push.

Industry committee  I think you're asking it the wrong way around. How do we encourage, push, nudge, shove corporations into changing the way they recruit for their boards? The onus should not be on women. There are many women who would love to serve on boards.