Mr. Speaker, first I would like to thank the people of my riding of Nanaimo--Cowichan for their confidence in electing me to be their member of Parliament.
I rise today to congratulate our leader, the member for Toronto--Danforth, and the members of the NDP women's caucus for insisting that the House establish the Standing Committee on the Status of Women. It is appropriate that this committee will get started during women's history month.
As the recent federal report on pay equity in the public service proved, we still have a long way to go. It is time to recognize that despite the great strides that women have made with respect to their qualifications and experience, women still earn less than men.
Women make up over half the population of this country and finally we will have a committee to address the issues on our behalf. I look forward to being a part of it.