Human Resources committee  I would say a few things in response to what Mr. Bedard has said, and perhaps this is broader than just the comments he has made. One of the things the committee seems to be concerned about is this issue of essential services. I noticed earlier that there was some discussion about the fact that the language of the Canada Labour Code doesn't actually reference the term “essential services”, but refers to “maintenance of activities”.

Human Resources committee  I actually wanted to respond to two of the questions. The first one relates to Convention 87 and Convention 98. Part of the process of the Canada Labour Code and part of the purpose of the Canada Labour Code is to ensure that those broad freedoms, including the freedom of association, the right to organize, and the right to bargain collectively, are enshrined, balanced, and fair.