Mr. Speaker, as I listened to the Reform Party member, I once again got the impression that Reformers advocate the wrong approach.
I agree with the hon. member when he says that the issue should have been solved a long time ago, but the Reform Party did not suggest anything back then. The problem is that unionized employees were granted a right to strike and they are certainly entitled to avail themselves of this right. Perhaps it is the hypocrisy of the legislation that explains why the workers got taken. They exercised a right that was legitimately granted to them, and then they were told they should not have done so.
Such is the government's hypocritical way of doing things. It gives a right, and then removes it through special legislation. Reformers are no different. They saw it coming. They knew that postal workers might avail themselves of their right to strike. Today, they support the government's bill, but they do not have a long term vision to settle the conflict.
The bill before us is a band-aid solution. The Reform Party is supporting that band-aid solution. Why not have the political courage to tell postal workers “Postal services are essential services. There will no longer be any strikes in those essential services”? Instead of resorting to legislation to settle labour disputes, we could then solve the whole issue.
As is their custom, Reformers came from nowhere, got involved in the issue and are now bragging that they saw the light before everyone else. In fact, they have a short term vision and they never propose anything to help find a permanent solution to the Canada Post issue.
My question to the hon. member is: what does he have to suggest? What constructive measure would he suggest, so that in three or four years, when the collective agreement that we are imposing today through legislation expires, we do not have to relive the same situation? This is my question to the member from the Reform Party.