Mr. Speaker, we learned today that Bob White, the head of the Canadian Labour Congress, will be leaving his job on Thursday during the meeting of the CLC being held in Toronto.
As the head of a union federation representing 2.4 million Canadian and Quebec workers, Bob White has fought, for 48 years, to obtain fair and equitable working conditions for all.
A man of integrity, he has always had a sense of the new realities of the labour market. He has also understood, beyond our constitutional differences, the reality and demands of modern Quebec. A great democrat, he has recognized Quebec's right to self-determination and respected its democratic process.
A few days before his departure as president of the CLC, the Bloc Quebecois would like to pay tribute to this man, who promoted such fundamental values as social justice, fairness, equality and solidarity. These are values we share with him.