For Immediate Release
5 January, 2024
Lela Evans (MHA for Torngat Mountains) is disappointed, but not surprised, at the lack of transparency from multiple government departments on pay equity. Evans is calling on government to be open and transparent about what they are and are not doing in regards to the Act and to stop hiding their constant failure to address pay equity.
Between October 31 and December 15, Saltwire asked government on eight separate occasions to clarify if a pay equity evaluation was ever completed. Sadly, the question was either “ignored, not answered, or answered with vague responses.” Evans says this has been a pattern from this government when asked about pay equity. This is what government does to hide its inaction, not just on pay equity but on other major challenges facing our province, such as housing.
“From the beginning, this Furey government has been weak about where they stand with pay equity,” said Evans. “First we were told that things like $10 a day childcare helps close the gender wage gap more than pay equity legislation. Then, after being embarrassed by the hard work done by the media and women’s groups to expose their lack of action, they quickly introduced legislation that was empty, and hollow, patting themselves on the back for this long awaited piece of legislation.
“And what do we see now? A lack of evidence that the pay equity evaluation was ever completed, and a lack of communication from Ministers responsible.”
Evans says that it is unacceptable to still have so many questions around pay equity unanswered when many other jurisdictions in the country have implemented meaningful legislation to help close the gender wage gap. The topic itself has been brought up many times in the House of Assembly, even dating back to 1985.
“Does this Furey government care about women and pay equity? They speak empty words to accompany a good news story or photo op, but when it comes to actually doing the work and being transparent, they pass the buck to a fellow Minister,” said Evans.
“Women and gender-diverse individuals deserve much better than this. Government shouldn’t be introducing empty legislation just to check a box and claim victory. The gender pay gap is real. We are currently facing a cost of living crisis and women and gender-diverse people in this province working to get by deserve this evaluation, and for this legislation to be implemented in the private sector. At the very least, they deserve transparency.”
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For further information, contact Stephanie Curran, Media Relations Manager, NDP Caucus at 330-0328 (o), or stephaniecurran@gov.nl.ca