I didn't go to the Supreme Court, but I respect the decision that was made. I'll speak as an elected staff relations representative. With some tweaking I could see a bunch of things that could have been done under the existing one. With regard to independence and the right to do certain things, I have no problem with that.
As for a national bargaining unit, I have no problems with that either. That's exactly what's on the table now, and that's exactly what's taking place. What I'm deeply concerned over is the vacuum right now where there's nothing. For whatever period of time it takes to strike up a bargaining agent, the RCMP members, as they've expressed it to me and in my observation, are vulnerable because they have no voice.
If it takes a year, or two years, no matter what the issue is on any given day, there's nobody who can speak. I would submit, as my position, to ensure that we didn't have the wherewithal to do something on behalf of those people—16,500 people whom I represent, that voluntarily are a part of this legal fund since 1988— then we'll cut out the dues. Now you've neutered the legal fund from doing things on behalf of the 16,500. For those people, who represents them on any issue?
The advisers the commissioner can put in place are only that. “Here's a 1-800 number you can call if you want to talk to somebody about something.” With regard to collective representation, there is none. I'm deeply concerned about that, and I joined the force pre-1974. We're going back pre-1974.