Thank you, Mr. Chair.
If the Liberal committee members' intention is to undermine the human rights of women, then you will vote “no” to my amendment, but, if you agree with your labour partners, who you repeatedly say you are here to stand with, and if you take the advice of the activists who have gotten this issue on this agenda, then you will vote “yes”. You will not qualify the human rights of women against the rights of employers.
Of course the diverse needs of employers will be accommodated, and they are, and you had expert testimony that said that it will. There's nothing that the member is saying that in any way addresses the extensive testimony you had from CUPE, the Canadian Labour Congress, the Teamsters and the pay equity coalition. They said in their testimony that as part of the purpose section of the act, the requirement for pay equity must clearly and directly be spelled out in the body of the act to ensure the obligations and responsibilities are known to the parties.
The responsibility in this legislation is to pay women equal pay for work of equal value and to pay everybody equal pay for work of equal value. It is not to qualify that.
This is unprecedented. You have very strong testimony against this. Nothing the member has offered rebuts the expert testimony this committee received. It would be a serious betrayal of your labour and your feminist partners if you vote no.