Pay Equity Committee on May 2nd, 2016

[Prof. Beth Bilson]

I guess I would say so. I think we have to recognize that there is a lot of constitutional and legislative framework in Canada that suggests that discrimination is against the law.

I think the federal government has, as one of the tools at its disposal, the ability either to enter into contracts with companies or to give subsidies or grants to companies. I think that gives them some influence and an ability to insist that the people they deal with not perpetuate discriminatory compensation practices.

I think it logically follows from that recommendation that it would apply to companies that are receiving other kinds of financial benefits from dealing with the federal government.

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anita Vandenbeld]

You have 30 seconds.

Do any of the other witnesses want to respond to that question in 20 seconds or less?

[Janet Borowy]

I would simply point the committee to the report of the 1984 Royal Commission on Employment Equity by Justice Abella, in which she said that to imply that women somehow have a duty to be paid less until other financial priorities are accommodated was specious reasoning.

I think one of the factors underlying the application of a proactive pay equity scheme and regime to federally regulated contractors, frankly, is answered by Justice Abella.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anita Vandenbeld]

Okay. Thank you very much.

It is 8:30. I don't know the will of the committee. We have this room until 9:30, as we discussed previously. We could finish the full round of questioning in 18 minutes if that's the wish of the committee, or we could adjourn now.

Is there consensus to adjourn?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anita Vandenbeld]

It is quite late, and we've been now three hours straight without a break of panels.

There has been some tremendous information. Thank you very much to the panellists.

I do want to update the committee on the status of the witnesses we have been inviting. A number of witnesses have declined our invitation, and I just want to go through them very quickly for your information.

The Canadian Bar Association; the Canadian Chamber of Commerce; the Canadian Federation of Independent Business; Beatrix Dart, a professor at the University of Toronto; and the Women's Legal Education and Action Fund have declined.

We also received today another request to appear from the Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers. We have invited them to submit a written brief, given that it's so late in the day.

We do have a special meeting tomorrow at a different time, Tuesday, 5:30 to 7:30, with the three ministers, in Centre Block. We will also have another long meeting on Wednesday night.

Thank you very much, everybody. The meeting is adjourned.