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Two years ago, Conservative Senator Hugh Segal caused a media stir by speaking out against a private member’s bill from his own party. Bill C-377, he declared, “has an anti-labour bias running rampant; and it diminishes the imperative of free speech, freedom of assembly and free collective bargaining.” Unions cheered, the Prime Minister’s Office did not, and Segal resigned from the Senate soon afterwards.

Last week, on its last day before breaking for the summer, the Senate quietly passed Bill C-377. There was little drama, and no grand speeches about the constitution, and not much attention from the media. The quiet will not last.

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The proposed law, amending the federal Income Tax Act, requires all “labour organizations” to annually disclose to the federal government detailed information related to their financial holdings, expenditures, salaries, gifts, bonuses, loans, and contracts. All transactions of more than $5,000 must include the “name of the payer and payee”. The law also requires that unions specifically report what they spend on particular conduct such as political activities, lobbying, and legal activities. More than an accounting of dollars, unions must also report how much time they spend on various specified activities. All information collected is to be made public. Non-compliance results in fines of $1,000 per day.