Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to say that I do support the private member's bill C-262 because I think there has come a time for real action in the labour management disputes that we have seen in the handling of grain for export markets.
To think that since 1966 the government has had to legislate these workers back to work tells us that the current system is not working. As much as the previous speaker would tell us that they do not want to deny anybody the right to collective bargaining, the point is that we want to enforce and give some motivation for management and labour to arrive at a negotiated settlement within the collective bargaining process. This whole bill is designed to give that a whole push forward. It is to say that if one does not bargain within the collective bargaining system then one may not enjoy the rules imposed by the arbitration process.
What we are talking about here is a simple dispute settlement mechanism. Right now when the two sides cannot agree they appoint an arbitrator. He then sits down, looks at the one side, looks at the other side, sees what is being offered and makes some kind of reasonable determination somewhere between these two sides. It fosters a desire by one side or both to make exorbitant demands or to deny reasonable demands. The arbitrator then has to choose and make a settlement.
If they cannot come to some conclusion within the negotiation process that is free and open, if they agree not to agree, then this bill will require that each put forth their final proposal. Whatever that is they will put forth a final proposal, free, open, entirely their own.
The arbitrator will pick one or the other with the intention that he would pick the one that is most reasonable. It is an incentive to both sides to be very reasonable in their final offer. The arbitrator will pick the one that is most reasonable. Therefore the desire to be as close as possible to reasonableness only makes simple common sense.
That is why when I hear the speeches from the other side, from the government side, the side that runs this country, saying this bill is going to deny free and open collective bargaining I am wondering if those members have even read the bill or even thought about the bill, to see that this is some direction to the arbitration process once everything has broken down and that these decisions do not fall within the parameters of the arbitrator but that he has a choice of one or the other, whichever is most reasonable. That is the incentive that this bill is going to provide.
I will split my time with the member for Wetaskiwin. I am going to stop at this time and allow him to share his views as well.