I live in Québec but work in Ontario. Although I may give a qualified support for the principle of Employment Equity as a temporary remedial measure, I have a grave concern on the methods of Collecting and Reporting Data. In fact, I could not believe my eyes when I read "Other-identification: Identification by a supervisor or manager" in The Discussion Paper on the Employment Equity Legislation (P. 26).
For me, this not only infringes on my personal privacy but also violates my individual dignity. I consider it just as bad as the defunct Population Registration Act of South Africa. If the time should come when somebody else can legally label me as an aboriginal, a racial majority or minority based on my appearance, it will be the day I will cease to work in Ontario.
I might pursue a legal challenge because I have always thought that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in the Constitution of Canada and various Human Rights Codes and Bills are interpreted so that nobody else but myself can identify who and what I am.
Please consider "Self-identification" as the only way to collect and report data. For your information, the following section is a part of my proposal to The Special Joint Committee On a Renewed Canada.
