Pay equity is about women's economic equality, and that's for all women. We think it's absolutely shameful that we don't have national pay equity legislation in this country. In fact, it should exist in every province.
We had a very well-researched, well-consulted report that came out in May of 2004, in response to which there was no action--you're quite right--from the previous government, and it should have been acted on. We should all be enjoying the benefits of pay equity legislation at the federal level by now.
When the current government says we're going to go back to 1978, when women were told exactly the same things--let's research it, let's talk about, let's educate people more--I say again that we don't need to educate more. Women understand very clearly about wage discrimination. They face it every time they take a paycheque home and every time they try to create some economic equality for their family.
It's shameful that we don't have it, but it's also part of the work that we've all been doing, trying to push to make sure that we get pay equity for women.