Firstly, Bill C-300 has not simply come out of nowhere. It is an attempt to implement the round table recommendations.
As I suspect the next witness will tell you, what frightens industry is the prospect of moving straightaway from a voluntary approach to a binding approach. They are afraid that the government will step in and legislate.
You need to look carefully at the exact wording of the round table recommendations. The message is clear: it is not simply that there should be a mechanism to allow for funding to be withdrawn when certain principles are violated, but, rather, that in such instances, funding must be withdrawn.
How can that be implemented? We need a framework. It appears that industry would rather see a discretionary approach, a non-transparent process. However, my interpretation of the round table report is that a framework is required to implement this recommendation. The bill does not aim high: it speaks of a complaint process and the implementation of guidelines for federal government agencies. It is, nonetheless, in keeping with the round table recommendations, and industry is mistaken to say otherwise.
Allow me to make one final comment. As an observer, and as a citizen, I am deeply troubled to see industry participate in an extensive consultation process, to see it support the outcome, but then, at the first opportunity, to flip-flop and implement only what suits it, simply discarding the rest.
Why are groups such as Ms. Coumans outraged? Because they get involved in these round tables in good faith, they agree to compromises, and then industry simply walks away saying too bad! It is verging on scandalous.