Mr. Speaker, I listened with great interest to the comments of my colleague from Hochelaga-Maisonneuve. He tried to put the case that somehow the RCMP is at a terrible disadvantage because we do not allow its members to join a union.
One very important fact has escaped my colleague. By no means does the majority of members of that force want the option of joining a union. That has been made very clear in the House several times. Perhaps those were days when my friend should have been paying attention and was not.
Had he paid attention I am sure he would have picked up on that fact. It has been brought to the House several times by me and by my colleague from Calgary. It is a well known fact. I have had several representations from members of the RCMP in my constituency and elsewhere who say that the divisional representative situation is working just fine for them.
I also find it interesting that my colleague would like to pick and choose. He would like to say that the flour mill workers, for instance, should be taken out of federal jurisdiction and another group of people should be moved into federal jurisdiction. The more legislation we create in this place, the more need there is for legislation.
If we come up with a plan whereby members of the RCMP could join a union, what good will the union do? Will it give them the right to strike, or will they immediately be declared an essential service? If so, what has been gained? We would have passed two pieces of legislation, one really nullifying the other.
I do not want to belabour the point so I will not take up the full 10 minutes to make my point.