Finance committee  First of all, on the complaints that are financial, I do get some. The ones I hear are, “You're giving me too much paper. Save the trees”. I believe in giving as much information as possible, and that's truly what I've heard many times: “Why so much paper? Why so much information?”

Finance committee  I don't have anything here with me.

Finance committee  Can I answer the question?

Finance committee  I pointed out in my presentation that there are two sections in this book I'm going to give you: one, we've got to get the approval of our members to spend the money; two, we've got to report back. That's in there and that's what we live by.

Finance committee  Oh, absolutely. It's a dream come true for the Merit shop. As to those visits to the PMO, I didn't know the numbers, but I sure know the unions won't get that number.

Finance committee  Thank you, Mr. Martin. The proponents of this bill, who are at the table today, have become so sure of themselves that they have confirmed my testimony to you. Mr. Oakey, from the Merit contractor, is quoted in the spring 2012 edition of the MeritOpen Mind magazine as saying, and I quote: MP Russ Hiebert introduced a Private Member’s Bill (C-377) that would require unions to publicly disclose detailed financial information.

Finance committee  Thank you. This bill, with the reporting that we will be required to do, would show various training programs that we put on for our contractors. We value our contractors, and when they need specialized training, they come to us. We will put it on. I can assure you it will cost more than $5,000 to put on training programs for construction workers.

Finance committee  Oh, yes, some might call it a fishing expedition; I would.

Finance committee  Yes. I believe the cost would be huge to the Canadian taxpayers. I have a report, 10 years old, from the Department of Labor in the U.S. It states the cost for the oversight of the reporting that was required in the U.S. I believe the reporting that will be required in Canada will be substantially more than that in the U.S., but 10 years ago it cost the U.S. government $28 million and took 300 full-time workers to oversee the compliance.

Finance committee  We provide the infrastructure that allows workers to work one week in Newfoundland and as soon as they're laid off, report for a job waiting for them in Fort McMurray. Our contractors see this as an invaluable benefit, and it saves them considerable time and expense. Our members already know where their dues go.

Finance committee  My name is Jim Smith. I am Canadian vice-president for the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. This bill jeopardizes many gains that the government has made in relation to projects we build for you. I would like to explain to you how the construction free market economy works, because you are about to interfere with it.