The way in which Bill C-4 changes essential services is such that there is no definition anymore according to which the government can be held accountable as an employer when it designates its employees as essential.
What we had in the previous legislation was a reference to the safety and security of the public. The definition is actually somewhat broader than that, but those are the key terms. That's gone now, and what we have is wording that says that an essential service under clause 294 of Bill C-4 is anything the Government of Canada has determined is essential.
That has a very broad sweep in both directions. It means that the Government of Canada, as employer, can unilaterally declare an entire bargaining unit of any type of employee essential. I think that's what has been focused on.
It can also say that any type of service provided to Canadians is not essential. For example, the government could decide that the production of EI cheques, a topic which was referenced by the speaker, is not essential.