Mr. Speaker, as negotiations are ongoing, it would be inappropriate for me to comment specifically on the state of those discussions. The Treasury Board’s ultimate goal in the collective bargaining process is to reach a negotiated settlement that is both reasonable and fair to our employees as well as to the Canadian taxpayers.
Nonetheless, on November 30, 2004, after several meetings, the conciliation officer appointed by the Public Service Staff Relations Board, PSSRB, informed the parties of his decision to terminate the conciliation process based on his assessment that the number and the scope of issues still remaining provided a limited perspective that the conciliation process would lead to a settlement.
We are currently reviewing the situation to determine the most appropriate course of action to continue the negotiations process.
We trust that we will be able to conclude an agreement that is satisfactory to both sides.