Thank you.
I want to talk about small business, because that is who is coming to me in numbers.
My question is, do you think small business will be disproportionately affected by this legislation?
I had a constituent who wrote saying he really wants me to vote against Bill C-257; that the biggest obstacle faced in operating small business has been labour and unions slanted in their favour; they already possess a legislative power to shut down or cripple any business.
This is just one person. I know you represent 170,000 people, but I can't imagine how many people you really represent in a shutdown in federal jurisdiction.
I think that's what's missing in the arguments from the Bloc. We continue to talk about a liquor board store that is in a province. That's not shutting down a nation, because we can cross that border and get some in Ontario, I think. I really don't find that a valid reason, or that we can use this as an argument to say it would shut down an economy.
I really want your response concerning the fear, the climate. I think good companies can keep good employees, that there are good ways of having good relationships with employees. I can cite many businesses in my riding that have unions and haven't had strikes for years and years. At one time they were a crown corporation, they were a public service, and I think they've done very well.
I want to know whether this perhaps creates more of a hostile environment as well, rather than a friendly environment.