Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand in the House today and speak about a simple but powerful idea, that providing Canadians with the opportunity to realize their full potential is not just the right thing to do but it is the smart thing to do for our economy.
It is unacceptable that in 2018, women in Canada earn 69¢ cents on average for every dollar earned by men.
That is why I am proud that through budget 2018, our government is announcing it will introduce proactive pay equity legislation, which would apply to about 1.2 million employed Canadians in federally regulated sectors.
Taking action on pay equity will move the dial for women. We know much more is needed, such as the government's investments in early learning and child care, better training and learning financing, enhanced parental leave flexibility, pay transparency, and the continued appointment of skilled and talented women to leadership positions.
We are taking action on the gender wage gap, and I hope my colleagues in the House will continue to support this too.