Mr. Chairman, I am a bit surprised to hear my friend from Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, with whom I have had the pleasure of working.
There is a contradiction because what the Bloc is saying is that, for the process to be successful, the person who will play the very important role of mediator must be trusted by both parties. It is the first requirement of labour relations. It is not only a matter of appointing somebody; that person must be trusted by both parties.
This is so true that when the member for Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel was labour minister, his whole philosophy was aimed at changing the Canada Labour Relations Board, which will become the Canada Industrial Relations Board, where the parties will choose from a list of potential mediators. We all know that if neither party trusts this person, the process cannot end successfully.
I find the member a bit cheeky, and I say this as a friend, because he cannot rise in this House and say that negotiations were conducted in good faith. We saw disgraceful scenes that caused parliamentarians to blush when the chief government negotiator assaulted, just like another public person, his union counterpart in an unacceptable act of violence. I think this has to be pointed out.
Mr. Chairman, I will not let the Minister of Public Works get away with saying it was provoked. This is unacceptable in any circumstance. In negotiations, violence is not the way to a solution.
Negotiations are the expression of equality in which all parties attempt to look after their interests.
Can anyone in this House deny that bargaining was not in good faith? Bargaining was not in good faith because the playing field was not level. From the outset, this government gave assurances, should negotiations not prove successful, that it would force a return to work. That is the thing.
The Minister of Public Works says “The thing about this dispute is that there was no violence”. That is not what it was about; it was about not bargaining in good faith. But the government can redeem itself, show that it has a bias in favour of the workers and that it recognizes its past mistakes. In doing so, it must find expression through support for the Bloc's amendment.