It's never too late, Mr. Harper

(Jan 20, 2006) -- 'I urge Mr. Harper to come forward, stand up for working families, and stand up for Canada by adding his name to the Workers' Bill of Rights. It is never too late to do the right thing, Mr. Harper.'

The good news is that Prime Minister Paul Martin has become the fourth Canadian political leader to sign The Workers' Bill of Rights.

The bad news is that Conservative Leader Stephen Harper now remains the only leader of a major party in the Jan. 23 election campaign whose signature is missing.

The Workers’ Bill of Rights is an important declaration that was introduced to the current election campaign – during its early days – by the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) in co-operation with the UFCW Canada.

I welcome Mr. Martin’s decision. It sets an important example and I am also pleased to say that it follows the example set by three other party leaders.

NDP leader Jack Layton was the first to sign The Workers’ Bill of Rights. He did so prior to Christmas. Since then Gilles Duceppe, the leader of the Bloc Quebecois, and Jim Harris, the national leader of the Green Party, have followed Mr. Layton’s example.

I welcome the support of these leaders and applaud them for stepping forward and speaking up in such an important way for the rights of working men and women in Canada.

Standing up for Canadians

The Workers’ Bill of Rights is an important document reaffirming, at a critical time in our politics and national life, that labour rights are human rights and they must not only be protected but actively promoted by all governments in Canada.

The fact that Stephen Harper's signature now remains so conspicuously absent on the Workers' Bill of Rights concerns me greatly.

In failing to sign this pledge, Mr. Harper is failing to stand up for the working men and women he is asking to support him and his party in the election. He is also failing all Canadians who understand the inextricable link between labour rights and democracy.

The Workers' Bill of Rights is a basic statement of some very fundamental labour and human rights - the right to organize unions and the right to bargain collectively without interference by governments.

These rights flow directly from international treaties to which Canada is a signatory and is sworn to uphold – treaties that the government of Canada, in the name of all Canadians, has signed.

A country should keep its word

These are very significant obligations undertaken by Canada at the level of the United Nations and the International Labour Organization.

When you give your word as a country, it doesn't get any more serious than that.

We cannot help but ask, with the election campaign now coming to an end, what Mr. Harper's views are on these rights and the positions that Canada as a country is supposed to uphold.

What will be his views and actions once voting day has passed?

If working families cannot count on Mr. Harper and the Conservative Party to affirm such basic labour rights, can working families really count on him to be on their side? And what does it mean for our country?

I urge Mr. Harper to come forward, stand up for working families, and stand up for Canada by adding his name to the Workers' Bill of Rights.

It is never too late to do the right thing, Mr. Harper.