A really stupid and dangerous idea....

The Province of Ontario is set to ban what it calls 'gender-based pricing'.

Ontario is set to outlaw discriminatory pricing that sees women pay more than men for everything from dry cleaning to deodorant.

Legislation that would make such "gender-based pricing" illegal has passed second reading — agreement in principle — meaning it could be law by the summer.

Private members bills rarely make it into law but, Liberal MPP Lorenzo Berardinetti (Scarborough Southwest), who spearheaded the plan, expressed delight yesterday that a legislative committee will fine-tune his bill.

"Hopefully it will go to public hearings," said the newly married Berardinetti, who was astonished to learn of the discrepancies in prices on clothing, products and services from his wife Michelle.

And, the Province is preparted to back this up with some teeth:

Modelled on a consumer protection law in California, Berardinetti's bill would use the Ontario Human Rights Code to impose fines of up $5,000 on scofflaw retailers, hairdressers and dry cleaners

I'm astounded that intelligence people could even think of passing such a law. Hairdressers charge more for women's hair because of time...and, of course men pay more in car insurance (rightly so) but what bothers me the most is that is yet another example of the government intefering with the marketplace.