Status of Women committee  If we're talking about federal public sector workers who have the opportunity for an unreduced pension, so if they have not had to take leave without pay for assorted reasons or if they haven't entered into their career in the public service later in age, I would like to believe that our pension benefits will provide people with an adequate level of funding to enjoy their old age.

Status of Women committee  First of all, we talked about the gap on, I believe, page 5 of the English brief. It's on page 5 in the French version as well. The gap is that 62.7% of the average annual amount is paid to women as compared to their male counterparts. On the bottom you'll see the graph that shows that wage gap pictorially.

Status of Women committee  Given the coming shortage of skilled workers and skilled people to come in and staff jobs in the federal public service, I know the government likes to talk about being the employer of choice. Different parts of the core administration of the federal public service like to refer to themselves as the employer of choice.

Status of Women committee  That's an interesting question. The pension that is transferred to surviving spouses in the death of a worker would be 50% of their pension.

Status of Women committee  Right. I think the concept of having a defined benefit pension plan that private sector employers could participate in and would be transferable would be a great thing for Canada. Most of us want to know that when we retire from work it doesn't fall solely on our individual shoulders but that there has been a collective investment in the future of workers so that all workers can retire with dignity and with some knowledge that they're going to have financial stability in their old age, and there are large, large pension plans.

Status of Women committee  Thank you, Chair. I'd like to begin by stating that the Public Service Alliance of Canada stands strongly behind the Canadian Labour Congress's campaign for retirement security for everyone. This campaign calls for increased CPP benefits and public pensions for poor seniors and for a system of pension insurance.

Status of Women committee  Sure. I promised I would provide the source for the statistical information related to women part-time workers. It comes from Statistics Canada, “Women in Canada: work chapter updates”, from 2006. I have a copy of it, but we can provide you with one as necessary. Earlier on, one of the committee members asked if there were two things we wished for.

Status of Women committee  I can't answer that question on the whole public sector.

Status of Women committee  Are you suggesting we would want 80% of the administrative workers to be men and 20% to be women? Are you suggesting we don't want to see 50:50? We'd love to see 50% of women able to work in the public service in all categories of work.

Status of Women committee  I'm sorry for moving this microphone; I don't like moving it when it's on. I know that the translator's ears are her tools of her trade--or his trade. Are we making progress? I think if we were, we wouldn't be here. Quite honestly, I don't think we would be here making a presentation--

Status of Women committee  Statistically? There definitely are more women in the workplace. There's no question about that. You talked about your partner, your wife, choosing to work. I have to work. I'm a single woman and I have to work. Nobody is going to feed me. I love what I do, so I'm very fortunate, but I have to work.

Status of Women committee  I think it's critical that we let young women know they can do absolutely anything they want to do. One good way we could do that is by electing more women members of Parliament. I think that when we see Parliament with 40% women parliamentarians, we'll see a very different Canada.

Status of Women committee  Many of the barriers women face in non-traditional employment and in employment in general are related to the fact that they are equity group members. That's why we have an Employment Equity Act. Sadly, it doesn't have the teeth we'd like to see it have.

Status of Women committee  Well, I think we could make employers more accountable. We could provide for more employment equity officers who audit the work of federally-regulated employers across the country. It's my understanding that very few employers are actually audited for their employment equity statistics.

Status of Women committee  Absolutely. I know there was a report just released. I'll have to get the details of it for the members of the committee. It was a report that contrasted statistically the numbers had the government invested the money in a national child care program, the increased number of jobs vis-à-vis people working, as opposed to the result from construction, road work, bridge work, and so on.