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“American jurist Felix Frankfurter . . . believed that the role of law is to try to build a heaven on Earth. Colleagues, what kind of ‘heaven’ are we being asked to build with Bill C-377? Our new heaven will be a place where if you work for a labour organization, or do business with a labour organization, then you will forfeit basic rights enjoyed by all other Canadians,” Mr. Cowan argued.

Proponents of the bill argue that it would create much-needed transparency for unions so that members could ensure that dues were being spent according to their interests. The bill would bring Canada in line with other countries, such as the United States, France and Australia, that require similar disclosures.

Mr. Cowan said that passing the bill “would be the wrong thing to do,” echoing comments by Conservative Sen. Hugh Segal made in February.

It is not normal for the largely unelected Senate to kill a bill passed by the elected House of Commons.

‘If you work for a labour organization, or do business with a labour organization, then you will forfeit basic rights’

Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Manitoba have also voiced concerns about the bill, saying it could damage their ability to bargain collectively with their public-sector unions. Labour groups have also come out against the bill, which was passed by the Commons in December.

The bill would require all unions and employee organizations to give the Canada Revenue Agency details of all transactions of $5,000 or more, along with the salaries and benefits of senior union officials, and a detailed breakdown of spending on political and lobbying activities. The information would be publicly posted on the CRA’s website.

A Commons committee was told last year that the ongoing cost of administering the program would be about $2-million annually.

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