Mr. L. T. Pennell (Brant-Haldimand):

Mr. Speaker, I should like to address a question to the Associate Minister of National Defence.

[Mr. Drouin.)

My question is, having regard to the fact that 99 civil servants were discharged at the Hagersville army camp as of August 31, 1962, does the minister anticipate that there will be further lay-offs at the camp during the remainder of the year?

Miss Sybil Bennell (Halton):

In rising to speak on this bill, Mr. Speaker, I do not feel there is a great deal that can be added to the debate. A great deal has been said, and some very plausible arguments have been advanced. I do want to congratulate the hon. member for Hamilton West upon the introduction of this measure and the logical way in which she sponsored it. I want to make it clear, too, that I am not speaking on this bill because I think it affects women only. I feel this bill goes very much further and affects both men and women, in fact the whole industrial life of this nation.

We must accept the fact that the women all across this country have now become a consolidated, integral part of our labour force. In fact the whole modern trend, the whole build-up in the last quarter century has been toward the idea that women have become an inseparable and integral part of industry. As I go around my county and see modern industry operating, I find it is built around the idea of the employment of women. For that reason it should hardly be necessary to make speeches about this measure. It should not be just taken under consideration. The time has come when we should have equality as between men and women all the way through our industrial life. In the last quarter century we have been spendiqg our time talking about equality of rights, equality of opportunities, and we have set ourselves up as a country that proposes and backs that type of thing. Such a measure as this, then, is long overdue.

One set of figures has been brought out which I think is very significant. It was stated in this house that approximately within the last year our total labour force has been increased by some 13,000 men and some 50,000 women. Now, Mr. Speaker, that could bring about a very serious situation in our industrial life. With the unemployment we have in this country today, if we do not have equality of pay we might very soon find employers throughout this country taking oh cheaper labour by employing women who would take less pay because this bill had not been passed. Men who had families, and who needed the work, would be discriminated

Industrial Status of Women against. They would not have the same opportunity to work. From a negative standpoint alone, and I do not like to put it on that basis, we should have equality of pay for equality of work.

I should like to make a short reference to the hon. member for York-Scarborough (Mr. Enfield). I feel it can be said quite certainly that representations have been made by the unions on this very point.

On the basis of the points I have just made, Mr. Speaker, I do not feel it is necessary to postpone consideration of this measure, particularly when we have something of a crisis in this country. I feel the Minister of Labour would be well advised to ensure the passage of this bill. Then as certain points come up and have to be reconsidered or changed, we can deal with them. At the moment I feel that the time is long past due for the enactment of such a measure, and I intend to support this bill.

Miss Sybil Bennell (Halton):

I wish to direct a question to the Minister of Finance. In view of the hardships to many of my constituents and the critical state of negotiations in the settlement of the Ford strike, will the minister tell the house whether the government intends to reduce the 15 per cent excise tax on cars in order to assist in the settlement of the strike?