This may be the  strongest anti-union bill ever proposed by a Canadian government. It will cost as much as the gun registry to oversee, and serves no purpose other than bullying unions.

Unions already share financial information with members. CMG presents a financial report to members at our biennial convention. We are already more transparent than many business or non-profit organizations.

Plus no one else is being forced to follow these grueling rules, not the associations representing doctors, lawyers, dentists or any other profession. Why is it suddenly imperative for unions to report every single penny, every charitable donation, every hour volunteering, and any HINT of political involvement? Can the Conservatives be so blindly partisan they are introducing this bully-bill to stop union members from volunteering for political parties?

What other purpose could there be in imposing this expensive and time-consuming reporting of mind crushing detail JUST on unions. So instead of spending our time trying to improve wages and working conditions, wrestling with the serious economic and technological challenges facing today’s newspapers, TV, radio and digital media, and fighting for a valued and democratic press, we will be tied up with red tape. Not to mention sharing sensitive financial and other information we may NOT want to make available to employers while bargaining.

It seems the Conservatives want to make sure we don’t have a second free to help one more worker, or to lobby Ottawa against unpopular or unfair labour practices. Is this bill the Conservatives’ way of pushing unions into a corner so they can kick the hell out of us?