Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I appreciate it.
NDP-15 is again based on the advice from every labour partner and from the pay equity coalition. This is more narrow. This is just half of the argument I made in NDP-14.
The purpose clause, again, contains a qualifying phrase:
while taking into account the diverse needs of employers
The amendment, if you agree with this, would delete that qualification. There was testimony from every labour partner that said that there's no reference to the diverse needs of employers in the Canadian Human Rights Act, and that qualification of that, undermining it, is unforeseen.
The purpose clause, as drafted, does not recognize Canada's commitment to human rights and its international obligations. The current language derogates from human rights so that the fundamental human right of equal pay for work of equal value is screened through the needs of employers, and that language significantly limits fundamental human rights, as all obligations and rights will have to go through the needs of employers.
Finally, if the intention of the language was to recognize and acknowledge that there are diverse types of employers with different realities and structures in federal jurisdiction, that is accommodated, specifically, deeper into the legislation in the operational sections of the act.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.