Madam Speaker, I would like to thank all of my colleagues who took part in the debate. I was rather surprised by the parliamentary secretary's statement, and I would like to remind him of a few things.
There is expertise and caselaw to be found in the various jurisdictions with regard to social condition. The parliamentary secretary implied that if we were to add social condition as a prohibited ground of discrimination under the Canadian Human Rights Act, it would force the government to grant a certain level of income. It would also prevent the government from having a targeted policy for a number of Canadians. I do not think this view stands up to scrutiny.
In 1977, I was still an child, or rather I was in my early teens. Jacques-Yvan Morin was a member of the National Assembly. He convinced the National Assembly. At that time, the debate was not centred on including social condition, but rather social origin as a prohibited ground of discrimination in the Quebec charter. Some were saying that social origin was too closely linked to the past whereas social condition concerned the present status of individuals.
There are no precedents and no court judgments relating to social condition or a similar ground. I said earlier that eight provinces had provisions comparable to social condition and to discrimination based on income or similar grounds. A court never said to a government, “You will have to provide a certain level of income because it relates to social condition”.
A few weeks ago, I was reading the Gosselin case, where, on the basis of section 45 of the Quebec charter, the Supreme Court reiterated that the government has the right to have targeted policies and that this cannot be measured by the failure to or willingness not to discriminate. It is not a matter of income, it is a matter of legislative environment.
I want those who are listening to us to know just how cowardly the government is, just how irresponsible it is and just how much laxness there is, considering that Quebec has had this since 1977.
In 2000, the then Minister of Justice, who is currently the Minister of Health, had asked the former judge of the Supreme Court, Mr. Laforest, to chair a task force. He submitted a report in 2000, with 165 recommendations, including the inclusion of social condition. We know very well what social condition means.
My bill is hardly all-inclusive. My colleague, the member for Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup—Témiscouata—Les Basques, has introduced five bills on employment insurance. Other members of the Bloc Quebecois have also proposed measures. I do not claim that this bill will be the end of all debate or that it is all-inclusive. It is a path, a road to follow, but it is quite important and it will provide specific tools.
As for the need to review all bills with a poverty lens, that is happening in France. France is a comparable country.
I believe my time is running out. Madam Speaker, I know that there does exist a real spirit of cooperation in the House. I have been very tenacious with this bill: I have introduced it three times now. There is agreement among all parliamentarians that poverty is a concern and that this is an issue that cuts across all lines, rural and urban, men and women, seniors and youth. Poverty affects all of society and all parliamentarians must act, without regard to partisan politics, and you know how hard it is for me to be partisan.
With these concerns in mind and in a context where we want to review the rules of the House to give members of Parliament more say, perhaps you could ask if the House would give its consent to declare the bill votable, and follow the appropriate process and be referred to the Standing Committee on Human Resources Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities.