If you look at what our charter guarantees by way of equality and you look at the social facts in our society, there's a major gap. As long as that gap exists, I would argue that the government and public officials have positive duties to do something about it. The program is one way to do something about it.
I suggest that it's more than simply about interest groups advancing the narrow political agendas of particular constituents. Rather, these sorts of cases that seek to bridge the gap between the needs of equality-seeking Canadians and the promises that are contained in the charter are an important function for government. I think the program is a useful way for government to vindicate the rights that it is obliged to promote through the charter.