I appreciate that at least there's a conversation happening here with regard to it.
The reason I don't think it belongs in the regulation, to be quite frank, is that Parliament should be making a statement on this. We shouldn't be leaving it to the regulators. I appreciate the logic that Mr. Longfield has applied here, and that is a reasonable approach for many things. However, I think here is where we need to take a stand, and Parliament needs to be the voice. If we are not doing it, then I'm afraid the regulatory body, or a minister that administers a regulatory aspect, doesn't get the parliamentary oversight that is necessary. If, say, a government changes and the regulations don't have to come to committee or Parliament, they could easily be altered at that time. It leaves a gaping hole for that possibility.
I had hoped we were beyond that, but I suppose the evidence is there in our society. Women still make around 70% of what men do in a job that's doing the same thing. Women are under-represented in many aspects of the employment field. Politically, we have a problem with this.
We have a Prime Minister who is a self-declared feminist and who now has policy. This is ironic, in the sense that the minister, once again, is looking at a review that's seven or eight years out the window. If it's a priority for the government, this is a statement that Parliament can make about balance.
I would hope that this could get passed, because then at least we're making a statement that is quite clear. That gives the minister a little more power when we have comply or explain come forward later. I think the value here is for Parliament to make a statement. Again, the penalty to this is nothing more than the minister reviewing what's annually submitted to him or her.
Lastly, the regulatory aspect for this could be included, but again, that's a voice without Parliament.