Thank you, Mr. Chair.
My name is Pascal Chan. I'm the vice-president of strategic policy and supply chains at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, which is Canada's largest and most activated business network, representing 400 chambers of commerce and boards of trade and more than 200,000 businesses of all sizes from all sectors of the economy and from every part of the country.
I'm pleased to be joined today by my colleague Bryan Detchou, our senior director of natural resources, environment and sustainability, with whom I'll be splitting my time.
I'd like to start by thanking the committee members for undertaking this study and inviting us to appear as witnesses. The building Canada strong act comes at a time when our nation must focus on economic growth, productivity, and its competitiveness in the global economy.
The government has made it clear that it wants to double non-U.S. exports by 2035 and make Canada the fastest-growing economy in the G7. With two-thirds of Canada's GDP dependent on international trade, having reliable supply chains is paramount. The string of work stoppages in recent years affecting key parts of our transportation infrastructure could unfortunately make it impossible to achieve our objectives.
Bill C-39 aims to address this issue. While it contains measures that, it is to be hoped, will improve collective bargaining outcomes, such as geographic certification or the introduction of a special mediator, other changes are likely to work against its intended objectives. Most notably, changes to section 107 of the Canada Labour Code would limit the minister's ability to intervene in a labour disruption until after the damage has been done, despite having access to the new special mediator's report that will include an assessment of the parties' participation, as well as the likelihood that they will reach an agreement, along with a national interest assessment that would measure the expected severity of a shutdown.
The special mediator's report and national interest assessment should enable the minister to make an informed decision on the need to intervene in rare and exceptional circumstances. Adjusting the proposed text of the bill to remove the requirement for a strike or lockout to already be under way would offer flexibility, allowing the minister to make important decisions at their discretion in the interest of protecting Canadian businesses and workers.
I will now turn it over to my colleague Bryan.