Editor:
Re: Hiebert proud of his bill’s success, July 3.
How sad that the last piece of legislation to be passed by Russ Hiebert’s Conservative government is such an atrocity. It’s an obvious attack on the Canadian labour movement.
The bill (C-377) is also unnecessary. Mr. Hiebert states, “...millions of union members who will, for the first time, see where their hard-earned dues are going.” Mr. Hiebert is obviously not aware that unions are democratic institutions that give full disclosure to their membership on an annual basis as to how their dues are being spent. If the membership has difficulty on how the finances are being handled, they have the opportunity to vote new representatives into office.
I also find this private member’s bill to be quite hypocritical, coming from an MP that was flying his entire family back and forth to Ottawa business class for an extensive period. He was challenged on this disgraceful waste of taxpayer’s money a few years ago and had absolutely no shame.
Of course, this was prior to the more recent scrutiny of Russ’ Conservative friends from the Senate, such as Mike Duffy.
George Scott, White Rock
…
Russ Hiebert stated in his press release that it is “an important step for Canada.”
He thanks his colleagues in Parliament and Senate “to make this bill law.”
The bill was only passed by the Senate after the Speaker was overruled when he pointed out that Senate rules do not permit to end debate on private members bill and force a vote.
The “important step for Canada” is when the Supreme Court of Canada rules the bill unconstitutional and a new government, which upholds our democratic principles, has been elected.
The “working hard for you” MP is then history, as he said when announcing last October that he will not run again.
Russ, thanking Senators who overruled the Speaker, one of their own, the one tasked with upholding the rules, made a great exit – none too soon.
Wolfgang Schmitz, White Rock