The bill's sponsor spoke about that earlier. If it doesn't affect the right to strike or freedom of association and negotiation, it respects the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Section 2(d) of the Charter must not be overridden by the new powers granted to the minister or by the bill. The Canada Labour Code includes very specific provisions concerning workers' right to strike or the employer's right to the lockout. Canada has signed international treaties recognizing the right of unions to exert economic pressure. Furthermore, as I reminded you, the supervisory body for the international convention signed by Canada has not recognized ports, public transport and others as essential services.
There is an organization that deals with essential services, and it's neither Transport Canada nor Employment and Social Development Canada. It's the Canada Industrial Relations Board. The Board determines serious and imminent threats to the Canadian population. That's the expertise of this administrative tribunal.
This is the second time I've testified before a parliamentary committee in connection with a bill. The first time was in 1995, on the amendments to the Canada Labour Code following the Sims Report. That gives you a sense of my age. This project was piloted by the Honourable Alfonso Gagliano, who was a friend of the longshoremen of the Port of Montreal and whom we liked very much. We're searching for testimony to find out what the legislator intended in 1995. Specifying in the current bill that it does not affect the right to strike or freedom of association could indeed reassure us and at the same time spare us from having to ask questions in 10 or 15 years' time about the legislator's intention.