Here what the main political parties had to say on this nasty legislation.
And if you want to know how they vote, click here.
Conservatives
Hon. Vic Toews (President of the Treasury Board) February 23, 2009.
Mr. Speaker, we are changing the system so that women will no longer have to wait for 15 years for compensation. Under the old way of doing things, unions refused to deal with pay equity issues during negotiations. We believe that everyone is responsible for pay equity in the workforce, so unions and employers, both parties, must ensure that equity is achieved in a collective agreement. That is only fair to women. That is fair to society.
Comment: Vic Toews forget to say that the only reason pay equity cases take so long has to do with the government or the employers appealing the decisions at each stage, delaying the inevitable each time.
Andrew Saxton (Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board, CPC): January 30, 2009
Mr. Speaker, it is the Treasury Board's intention to treat public service workers equally and fairly during these difficult times, with responsible collective bargaining.
Liberals
Maria Minna (Beaches-East York). February 9, 2009.
Another area which is not just missed, but it is actually punitive, and that is not even the right word, is pay equity. Pay equity is a human rights issue for women. It is not a privilege. It is not something that is done because one is trying to be nice. It is a basic human right for women.
Women in this country are now earning 70¢ to the dollar. In the mid-nineties they were earning 72¢ to the dollar. They are actually going backward and not making headway. That is taking into consideration a university education as well. The fact of the matter is that women are earning less. This House has asked the government repeatedly to strengthen pay equity. The reports from the standing committee of the House have constantly requested the same thing. A task force report was tabled as far back as 2004 to bring forward proactive pay equity legislation, but under the current legislation the government is in fact taking away the right for women to even put in a complaint. Now, if a woman is being discriminated against on a pay issue, she cannot even put in a complaint under the current bill. That will be eliminated because it is supposed to be part of the collective bargaining agreement.
I have all the respect for unions and will always support collective bargaining, but women's rights are not to be bartered with at the table. I also learned today that not only women can no longer put in complaints, but also that if a union member helps a woman put forward a complaint to the human rights commission, that member will be charged $50,000 for actually assisting her to put in a complaint under an act under which she has every right to put in a complaint. It is absolutely bizarre that the government has, from day one, from the time it was elected back in 2006 and in budget after budget, constantly brought in measures that are to the detriment of women, that put women down and erase them from the face of any legislation. I do not know what the government's problem is. Seventy-six per cent of women are in the labour force, but this seems to be something that does not sink in.
Comment. However nice were her arguments, she voted in favour of C-10.
NDP
Thomas Mulcair. Standing Committee on Finance - Monday, February 23, 2009
Now it's my turn to congratulate and thank the people who have come to give testimony today and who have shed light on a number of topics. We don't have a lot of time, so I am going to focus on just one of these topics. The Conservatives, with the shameful complicity of the Liberals, are preparing to take rights away from Canadian women. They will not be able to turn to the courts to ensure that their human rights are respected, in particular the right to equal pay for work of equal value.
In this regard, I would like to thank Ms. Asselin for clarifying one point. I had to withdraw my remarks in the House after I called the president of the Treasury Board a liar. He had stated that what he was proposing was the same as was being done in Quebec. I realized that because of the rules of Parliament, I had to retract my remarks, but it was not because I was wrong. Thank you for that clarification.
Don Davies. March 3, 2009
New Democrats believe passionately in pay equity. This budget trashes pay equity. New Democrats believe in respecting our public civil servants and the sanctity of negotiated contracts. This budget rolls back negotiated collective agreements, including rolling back pay to RCMP officers.
Peter Jullian. March 4, 2009
What is in Bill C-10? ... This is an ideological attack on many principles that the Conservatives have wanted to attack for some time. Now, because they have a functional majority, since the Liberal Party has given up any sort of opposition role, they are making those attacks. They are attacking collective agreements and not only collective agreements in the public sector but public sector agreements that affect hard-working RCMP officers, stopping them from fairly-negotiated wage increases. All public sector workers and public servants who have been working very hard with less and less over the past few years are stymied. Bill C-10 is effectively an attack on collective agreements.
Bloc Québécois
Gilles Duceppe. February 28, 2009.
The government’s budget will therefore further exacerbate social inequalities. Finally, the Conservatives are continuing their attack on the rights of women by making pay equity negotiable. That is ideology over rights. No member of this House who does not share the outdated, bankrupt Conservative ideology can possibly vote for this budget, or allow it to pass, without betraying his or her convictions. Voting for this budget, or allowing it to pass, means voting against social justice. The Bloc Québécois, loyal to its convictions, will vote against this budget without a moment’s hesitation.
