Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by congratulating my colleague from Simcoe North for his words, and to comment on how refreshing it is to hear something like this. For the last several hours I have had the impression that we were being treated to speeches from each and every member of the reform wing of the Liberal Party, because we were hearing nothing but the opposite views.
I will ask a question of my hon. colleague, but I wish to start by focussing on a comment he made. I wanted to do so a while ago, but the time allowed for comments was up. When his colleague for Mississauga South was making the connection between pedophilia and homosexuality, I felt this was what would have been called "gay bashing" in any other circumstances.
Why link the two? Is it with the most explicit intention of having the public believe that pedophiles are only found in the homosexual population? The reality is totally the opposite. Looking at the international sex trade, in Asia, or in areas on which there have been reports just recently, Santo Domingo, the Philippines, I would say that, more often than not, those who are involved in pedophilia in those countries, and who come from abroad, are heterosexuals.
People are entitled to be opposed to this bill-in my opinion this is a fundamental right-but I would like to hear them state their case clearly and particularly to explain their reasons for doing so. When reference is made to this bill's conferring particular rights concerning job equity, I think people are mixing up two pieces of legislation with totally different objectives.
In the case of Bill C-33, the intent is to protect the rights of the individual, all Canadian individuals, regardless of colour, race, or any of the eleven grounds for discrimination. As for the employment equity legislation, it is groups that are being promoted. This is completely different, with completely different objectives, and I would like our hon. colleague for Simcoe North to comment on this.