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ns id eh al to n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, M ar ch 1 5, 20 18 | o> OPINION - EDITORIAL - Gender pay gap bill not perfect, but it's a good start Those working to close the pay gap between men and women in Ontario say it doesn't go far enough. Those who defend paying men and women different wages for doing the same work say it goes too far. And those who just don't like anything the Wynne gov­ ernment does condemn even the most positive initiative. Everyone's equally unhappy which probably means the government's new attempt to close the gender pay gap is about right. With its so-called "pay transparency" bill, the govern­ ment isn't reinventing the wheel. The new legislation, introduced last week no doubt to coincide with Interna­ tional Women's Day (March 8), reflects similar efforts implemented elsewhere. Germany, Australia and the United Kingdom all have similar measures, and are seeing results. According to StatsCan, Canadian women earn 87 cents to men's $1 an hour. In Ontario, the gender wage gap is recorded at between 12 and 29 per cent, depending on the workplace involved. Critics point out there are other reasons for the gap, including lifestyle and family choices. Fair enough. But that doesn't excuse such a significant difference. Clearly, this remains a systemic problem and earlier efforts, which have been significant, haven't moved the needle enough. Here's what the new rules say If passed, the bill would require all publicly advertised job postings to include a salary range. It would not allow employers to ask applicants about previous compensation. And it would prohibit employers from disciplining employees who discuss or disclose compensation. And then there's the most significant aspect: Large employers would be required to track and report com­ pensation gaps related to gender or other diversity char­ acteristics. And that information would have to be dis­ closed to the provincial government. The rule would first apply to Ontario public service jobs, then to compa­ nies that employ more than 500, and finally to those that employ more than 250 workers. In jurisdictions with similar measures, the gender pay gap has been closed by up to half when compared to Ontario. So what's not to like? Advocates say it doesn't go far enough. They point out that a significant percentage of working women in Ontario work for employers below 250, and they won't be helped by the new guidelines. Fair point. The government was no doubt trying to avoid levying new infrastructure expenses on small busi­ nesses. But the complaint is legitimate and the govern­ ment needs to address that. The solution is only good if it covers all, or nearly all, working women. VOTE T h e P ay T ra n s p a re n c y A c t is all about fa irn e s s and Equality." ■jLi- ■ -- . j i a m m ABOUT US The Oakville Beaver, published every Thursday, is a division of the Metroland Media Group Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. The Metroland family of newspapers is comprised of more than 80 community publications across Ontario. oe O°o metrolandmedia • Connected to your community" The Oakville Beaver is a member of the National NewsMedia Council. Complainants are urged to bring their concerns to the attention of the newspaper and, if not satisfied, write The National NewsMedia Council, Suite 200, 890 Yonge St., Toronto, ON M4W 2H2. Phone: 416-340-1981 Web: www.mediacouncil.ca n n c Apcna IniideHalton.com ^ editor@oakvillebeaver.com E facebook.com/OakvilleBeav Q @OakvilleBeaver S tre n g th e n in g ne t n e u tra lity in C anada Preserving an open internet is vital to our democracy, writes Oliver Our government is mak­ ing numerous investments in high-tech innovation, such as the superclusters initiative announced last month. In addition to making these strategic invest­ ments in Canada's digital future, it is important to ensure open access to con­ tent and ideas on the inter­ net. This principle is known as net neutrality. Given a recent setback on net neutrality rules in the United States, I feel it is important for Canadians to JOHN OLIVER understand why net neu­ trality is vital to our future. Just as freedom of the press ensures that journal­ istic opinions can be ex­ pressed without fear of censorship, net neutrality ensures that internet ser­ vice providers give equal access to online data, web­ sites and applications. Pre­ serving an open internet and the free flow of infor­ mation is vital for our free­ dom of expression, the health of our digital econo­ my, and our democracy as a whole. The federal Telecommu­ nications Act captures the spirit of net neutrality, but it does not explicitly define it. Since the Act is currently undergoing public review, this is a prime opportunity to strengthen the protec­ tions for net neutrality. In early February, I in­ troduced motion M-168 in the House of Commons to spark a robust conversation about net neutrality and en­ sure we make the appropri­ ate amendments to the Act. We should not take these protections for granted. Is net neutrality impor­ tant to Oakville? Yes, it is. Many residents, from students on my youth council, to young entrepre­ neurs, to CEOs of large companies, have expressed their concern. They agree that net neu­ trality is vital to our grow­ ing digital economy. Our community values diversi­ ty of thought and the free exchange of ideas. I agree, and this is why I want to modernize our telecommu­ nications legislation to protect our fundamental right to freedom of speech. I look forward to compre­ hensive discussion and de­ bate of M-168 so that we en­ sure a strong future for Ca­ nadian media and content creation. By enshrining net neutrality in the Telecom­ munications Act, the gov­ ernment will ensure that Canadians continue to ben­ efit from an open and inno­ vative internet. - John Oliver is the MP for Oakville. Contact him at john.oliver@parl.gc.ca. 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A c c r d d i t e F D S A WAccredited VP and Group Publisher Neil Oliver Regional General Manager Kelly Montague kmontague@metroland.com | 289-293-0614 Regional Managing Editor Catherine O'Hara cohara@metroland.com | 289-293-0615 Circulation Manager Kim Mossman kmossman@metroland.com | 905-631-6095 Director Advertising Daniel Baird dbaird@metroland.com 289-293-0624 http://www.mediacouncil.ca mailto:editor@oakvillebeaver.com mailto:john.oliver@parl.gc.ca mailto:kmossman@metroland.com mailto:kmontague@metroland.com mailto:cohara@metroland.com mailto:kmossman@metroland.com mailto:dbaird@metroland.com OPINION CONTACT US WHO WE ARE