Speech (committee meeting)

{
    "time": "2013-04-30 09:45:00",
    "attribution": {
        "en": "Hon. Ed Broadbent",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "content": {
        "en": "<p data-HoCid=\"3324146\" data-originallang=\"en\">I'd like to reply specifically to Mr. Brison's question, and to the earlier one on the whole notion of equality of opportunity. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"3324147\" data-originallang=\"en\">There isn't a sane adult in Canada, whatever the ideological perspective, I think, who would be against equality of opportunity. For me, the serious debate, though, is between those who see a link between equality of opportunity and substantive equality and those who don't. The evidence is I think very clear, whether it looks at the work of Wilkinson and Pickett, and I'm sure the committee is familiar with that work, <em>The Spirit Level</em>, or Joe Stiglitz, a Nobel prize winner who has written on inequality. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"3324148\" data-originallang=\"en\">The clear point I would make, but I won't elaborate because of the time, is that it becomes almost meaningless to talk about equality of opportunity\u2014and the data supports this\u2014unless you narrow the gaps. If kids growing up don't have adequate housing, if they don't have early education opportunities, as upper-income people do for their kids in many countries, the beginning in life with serious inequality undermines the notion of equality of opportunity. I'll just make that point and pass over to Scott's question.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"3324149\" data-originallang=\"en\"> I think increasing the allocation of funds for pre-school learning, pre-school opportunities for children, is of fundamental importance. And to make a non-partisan comment, I think the Government of Ontario and its initiatives recently in trying to deal with that issue are very progressive. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"3324150\" data-originallang=\"en\">So beginning with pre-school children, with a lot of emphasis...again, I think the evidence around the world is that it's a very important initiative to take.</p>",
        "fr": "<p data-HoCid=\"3324146\" data-originallang=\"en\">J'aimerais r\u00e9pondre pr\u00e9cis\u00e9ment \u00e0 la question de M. Brison, ainsi qu'\u00e0 une question pos\u00e9e tout \u00e0 l'heure sur la notion d'\u00e9galit\u00e9 des chances en g\u00e9n\u00e9ral. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"3324147\" data-originallang=\"en\">Je crois qu'aucun adulte sain d'esprit au Canada, peu importe le point de vue id\u00e9ologique, ne serait contre l'\u00e9galit\u00e9 des chances. \u00c0 mon avis, le vrai d\u00e9bat est cependant entre les gens qui voient un lien entre l'\u00e9galit\u00e9 des chances et l'\u00e9galit\u00e9 r\u00e9elle et ceux qui n'en voient pas. Les donn\u00e9es probantes sont tr\u00e8s claires, je crois, qu'on envisage les travaux de Wilkinson et Pickett \u2014 et je suis s\u00fbr que le comit\u00e9 conna\u00eet bien leur ouvrage intitul\u00e9 <em>L'\u00e9galit\u00e9 c'est la sant\u00e9</em> \u2014 ou ceux de Joe Stiglitz, laur\u00e9at du prix Nobel ayant \u00e9crit sur l'in\u00e9galit\u00e9. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"3324148\" data-originallang=\"en\">Ce que je voudrais dire clairement, mais je ne vais pas approfondir vu le manque de temps, c'est qu'il devient presque inutile de parler d'\u00e9galit\u00e9 des chances \u2014 et les donn\u00e9es le confirment \u2014 \u00e0 moins de r\u00e9tr\u00e9cir les \u00e9carts. Si les enfants n'ont pas acc\u00e8s \u00e0 un logement ad\u00e9quat, s'ils n'ont pas acc\u00e8s \u00e0 des possibilit\u00e9s d'\u00e9ducation de la petite enfance que les gens ayant un revenu \u00e9lev\u00e9 offrent \u00e0 leurs enfants dans bien des pays, le d\u00e9but de la vie dans un contexte d'in\u00e9galit\u00e9 grave mine la notion d'\u00e9galit\u00e9 des chances. Je voulais simplement le mentionner et passer ensuite \u00e0 la question de Scott. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"3324149\" data-originallang=\"en\">Je pense que l'accroissement des fonds allou\u00e9s \u00e0 l'enseignement pr\u00e9scolaire, aux programmes pr\u00e9scolaires offerts aux enfants, est d'une importance capitale. Et, pour faire un commentaire non partisan, je pense que les initiatives r\u00e9centes du gouvernement de l'Ontario \u00e0 ce chapitre sont tr\u00e8s progressistes. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"3324150\" data-originallang=\"en\">Donc le fait de commencer par les enfants d'\u00e2ge pr\u00e9scolaire, en mettant beaucoup l'accent... encore une fois, je pense que les donn\u00e9es provenant d'un peu partout dans le monde montrent que c'est une initiative qu'il est tr\u00e8s important de prendre. </p>"
    },
    "url": "/committees/finance/41-1/117/ed-broadbent-2/",
    "politician_url": null,
    "politician_membership_url": null,
    "procedural": false,
    "source_id": "7988279",
    "document_url": "/committees/finance/41-1/117/",
    "related": {
        "document_speeches_url": "/speeches/?document=%2Fcommittees%2Ffinance%2F41-1%2F117%2F"
    }
}