Article content

The Wynne government’s new Transparency Bill is a $50-million act of “virtue signalling” by a government in its death throes, thrashing about in the hope of trolling for votes. This bill would require all advertised job postings to include a salary rate or range, bar employers from asking about past compensation and prohibit reprisal against employees who discuss or disclose compensation.

It also requires large employers to track and report compensation gaps based on gender and other diversity characteristics, and disclose the information to the province. All for the projected (and we know how seldom governments stick to their initial budgets) cost of $50 million.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Ontario's new Transparency Bill is based on a legal falsehood Back to video

As the already most indebted non-national government in the world, Ontario cannot afford this wasteful boondoggle.

The entire Act is premised upon a legal falsehood. Women who are paid less than men for the same work, even in part because of gender, are already fully protected by the Human Rights Code and the Ontario Employment Standards Act equal pay provisions. And there is no serious commentator who will suggest that either legislation is toothless. And existing legislation not only protects individual women. The Pay Equity Act also protects female-dominated job categories from receiving lower pay.