Thank you, Madam Chair.
I know that Ms. Smith read extensively from a letter from Mr. Cotler and Mr. Fontana, the former Minister of Justice and the former Minister of Labour and Housing. However, there is another part to this letter that is also very clear. It says:
Therefore, the Government is developing substantive proposals for legislative reform and will work closely with stakeholders through this process. The Minister of Justice and the Minister of Labour and Housing will appoint an impartial facilitator to lead discussions with major stakeholder representatives. These representatives will discuss the Government's proposals related to the above-mentioned four issues, and will consider alternatives that respect basic principles related to pay equity. Drawing on these discussions, the Government will consider a range of methodologies and processes in implementing pay equity reforms and will work towards introducing a bill on pay equity by late 2006 or early 2007.
Presumably there were some instructions left at the department. We had made a commitment that there would be in fact proactive pay equity reform legislation tabled in Parliament either by late 2006 or early 2007. This is 2007 and you've done nothing. The current government's response is that they wish not to go in that direction. I guess what I'm saying is that with respect to the current system, however well meaning or however many more people are assigned to enforce it, the fact of the matter is it doesn't work. It's been there for 35 years and there are litigations that have been going on for 25 years. It isn't going to work.
The letter concludes with:
The Government is committed to effective and efficient proactive pay equity reform.
That commitment was there and was made by the two previous ministers. The former Prime Minister made it public towards the latter part of 2005, clearly stating that he intended to introduce proactive pay equity legislation. Given the fact that there really are two diverging directions here in terms of this, I would like to suggest, Madam Chair, that we are not going to change pay equity for women in this country unless we in fact embark on a proactive legislative process.