Madam Speaker, could you ask the hon. member for Nickel Belt, the young pup from Nickel Belt, to go yap outside the House?
Section 53 of the Quebec Labour Code provides for parties to begin and pursue their negotiations diligently and in good faith. Again this goes to show that the Quebec Labour Code is more progressive than the Canada Labour Code, which does not include any such provision. I want to point out to the House and to the people who are watching us that, contrary to what Liberal members may have said, the Bloc is not made up of unionists only. For 17 years, I was involved in labour relations on the
management side in Quebec, but there is one thing I have always respected and that is the workers' right to strike.
I support management, I am proud of it, but I have always recognized the workers' right to strike and the employers' right to lock them out. Having made this clear, let us turn now to the Hope report. On the issue of good faith, I want to quote from page 58 of the Hope report, paragraph 1, where it says: "In brief, the unions are faced with proposals put forward by the railway companies which they cannot accept, so they must choose confrontation as their only alternative to these unacceptable demands". Unacceptable demands made by management.
Also on page 58 in the Hope report, paragraph a), it says: "The dispute resolves around the companies' demands which can be described as controversial and provocative."
Further down on page 58, the report reads: "Their demands-that is the companies' demands-are so controversial and provocative because of the partisan role taken by the government"-this is Commissioner Hope speaking-"the partisan role taken by the government"-which is, until further notice, the Liberal government-"which supports the position of the railway companies, and because of the tenacity with which the companies have stuck to these demands". This quote can be found on page 58 of the Hope report.