Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that the Reform Party was unable to speak on the essence of the motion but spoke only on the form of it, as is its detestable habit.
I do not claim-and I want my Reform colleagues to be clear on this-that all RCMP workers supported this motion. What I say to my Reform friend, and I challenge him to prove me wrong on this, is that there is a group of some 3,000 people who want a different representation system.
One would have to be extremely obtuse and dull-witted to claim, as does the Reform member, that the people who want unionization and collective bargaining right do not represent anyone. Reform members should be a little more open and better informed. There is something structural there that has to do with their capacity for greater generosity. I have no illusion that all this will change.
But essentially, I think we have the right as parliamentarians to speak up in this House without being falsely accused and say there is a labour relations problem, that there may be a number of solutions to this problem and that one of them might be the right to unionize without the right to strike.
This must be very clear. None of the workers we are talking about here tonight has asked for the right to strike. These workers are well aware of the fact that, considering the nature of their functions, it would not be in the best interest of Canadians that they have the right to strike. What must be recognized is that peace in the work place will be achieved with a negotiated and debated document, approved by everyone and called a collective agreement.
What is clear also is that the workers have the right to associate in a system other than the one that prevails. I am annoyed that this debate has given the Reform members the opportunity to make such detestable accusations.