Mr. Speaker, I am not sure if we are making parliamentary history today. It is the first time that we have debated a bill that has already passed through the House. Certainly, in my former life as a farmer I became accustomed to this sort of thing on occasion. Many times I closed the gate after the calves got out.
I am speaking to Bill C-3. Of course, this is precipitated by the fact that the Supreme Court in 1993 rendered a decision on labour relations in Canada that threw the atomic workers into a state of flux.
At Ontario Hydro, for instance, 42 per cent of the workers were under federal jurisdiction while the remaining 58 per cent were subject to the Ontario labour code. Workers in Quebec and New Brunswick were caught in a very similar bind. Needless to say, the situation led to more and more confusion and duplication, all of which was unnecessary and not conducive to good working relationships.
The importance of nuclear safety cannot be stressed enough. Indeed, it was a concern expressed by the Supreme Court and it is a concern to everyone who works at the nuclear facilities, to their families and all Canadians. A stable work environment will help to alleviate the uncertainty caused by this split jurisdiction.
The Reform Party does not oppose this bill. I would encourage the minister not to wait for future court rulings, but to move forward with the devolution of federal control in labour matters, devolving them to the provinces.
Part I of the labour code is currently under review and it would be an appropriate starting point for the minister, who I know is anxious to do away with duplication of service. The government is strapped with a $580 billion debt. I know the minister will do what is necessary to eliminate all duplication and overlap in order to downsize, and do his part to get the debt under control.
The minister will find that the workers, management and the people in my party would be most supportive of the direction taken by him.
I believe that labour and management have a common goal in maintaining a productive workplace and we as legislators should do all we can to advance that goal. We can facilitate this by relinquishing control over the bureaucratic regulations that stand in the way of sound labour relations. Bill C-3 is a step in the proper direction.
I encourage the minister to immediately convene negotiations with those provinces whose nuclear workers are caught in this legislative vacuum and allow these employees to be brought under provincial governance as soon as possible. I believe the government owes the nuclear workers of Canada that much.
When we were talking about the division of time I suggested that I would be very brief and I am going to be true to my word. I believe that one should be frugal with one's words as well as one's mind.