Mr. Speaker, an Ontario judge has ruled that General Motors Corp. did not act properly when it fired a supervisor for using offensive language and making sexual innuendos in the presence of five subordinate female employees. According to the judge, sexually explicit language was the norm in the GM security service.
Members of the Bloc Quebecois are concerned about the implications of such a decision on present and future cases when they go to trial. This decision implies that sexual harassment cannot be invoked when the culture of a given service or company allows this type of behaviour.
In 1987, the Supreme Court of Canada clearly established, in the Robichaud case, that employers are responsible for sexual harassment in the work place. The decision of this Ontario judge reduces the scope of the Supreme Court decision, and we find that regrettable.
This decision is a step backward in our fight for zero tolerance of sexual assault against women. We must oppose it.