NDP demands Liberal government commit to concrete actions to close the gender pay gap in Ontario

Ontario NDP Women’s Issues critic, Peggy Sattler, called on the Liberal government to take concrete actions to close the gender pay gap in Ontario. 

“Women in Ontario have waited too long for the Premier to make the changes that are necessary to close the gap,” said Sattler, MPP for London West. “The Premier has ignored the actions that can be taken right now, like child care funding and enforcing labour laws.”

In 2008, the Equal Pay Coalition released detailed recommendations on how to eliminate the gender wage gap by 2025. Eight years later, women in Ontario continue to make 30% less than men for the same work. 

“Ontarians have yet to see specific, concrete actions to close the gap from the Premier or her government,” said Sattler. “How can Ontarians have confidence in the Premier’s commitment to eliminate the gender wage gap when her 2016 budget did not include any of the key strategies recognized as essential to achieve equal pay, such as investments in child care, and the Liberal government has consistently failed to enforce its own pay equity and employment standards laws?”

Sattler said that despite the gender lens mandate that was given to the minister responsible for women’s issues, it is clear that no effort was made to apply a gender and equity lens to the 2016 budget.

“Once the final report of the gender wage gap steering committee is received in May, will the Premier make the report public and will she move immediately to implement the recommendations? Or will Ontarians have to wait another eight years or longer to see any concrete action?” asked Sattler.