Voluntary as well, Mr. Speaker.
The Rand formula will probably be the next point of attack, as it gives them certain rights. It was government that actually gave unions those rights; unions did not make them up but were given them by acts of provincial legislatures and Parliament. If my colleagues do not like the fact that the unions were there, then I guess they do not like the fact the government gave them those rights. I suppose that would lead one to say exactly what I said earlier, that we have an open, transparent and democratic system on the union side and we have a government that thinks they should not have those rights and that we should simply take them away. Therefore, this becomes an undemocratic piece. I guess the Conservatives do not believe in the legitimacy of government actually giving that right in the first place when it comes to the Rand formula.
Ultimately, this legislation is wrong-headed. As Carpenters' Local Union 27 said in Toronto, “This bill is about an attack on unions”. It is going to cost money to do this even though my friend and colleague has suggested perhaps it would not. He now knows that it will, and it will cost much more than he ever thought. The unions know that. The Conservative government knows that and its members ought to simply just sit down when it comes time to call it.
This is a wrong-headed piece of legislation.