Hon. Julie Miville-Dechêne: Minister, Canada’s reputation for reliability has been undermined by a record number of labour disputes at ports on the west coast and in Montreal in recent years. Some people think that the decision by Canadian fertilizer production giant Nutrien to move its export terminal to Washington State instead of Vancouver is related to overly frequent shutdowns at our ports.

Does your government intend to follow up on the recent report by the Ready and Rogers Industrial Inquiry Commission on labour relations, which recommended amending the Labour Code to allow for the appointment of a special mediator?

Hon. Patty Hajdu, P.C., M.P., Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario: Thank you very much, Your Honour, and thank you to the senator for a very good question.

Look, there’s no question that labour stability is essential in this country. There’s no question that many people are worried about labour stability, and there’s no question that unions have the right to strike in our Constitution. That is the difficult job of a labour minister to get that balance right, to make sure that we’re protecting people’s fundamental rights to bargain collectively and fairly and to ensure that there is industrial peace.

I can tell you, as this is my second time around as the labour minister, this is one of the most challenging pieces of work to do. We will continue to work with unions and workers and federally regulated employers to make sure we have a path forward. Recently, I announced a tripartite table where the Government of Canada will sit in the same room with collective bargaining agents and unions and federal corporations so that we can have a clearer path forward without as much labour disruption.

Senator Miville-Dechêne: Is it not urgent to find solutions to keep the parties at the negotiating table by preventing them from giving notice of a strike or lockout while the mediator is at work, a mediator who could give their opinion on the terms of a fair and reasonable comprehensive settlement?

I’m asking you a more specific question: What do you think of the mediator option?

Ms. Hajdu: Thank you very much. We have a federal mediation service with mediators available. I never rule out any good idea. I would like to examine more of what that specific mediator would do in addition to the federal mediation service. Some large organizations have their own appointed mediators that the union and the corporation both agree are useful in a variety of different disputes before it gets to an actual work stoppage.

I would also point out that 97% of agreements in this country are arrived at without a work stoppage. That is truly the success of the federal mediation service. Of course, in very protracted disputes or very elevated disputes, we do have the Canadian Industrial Relations Board, who very often will weigh in, in a variety of different ways, including —

The Hon. the Speaker: Thank you, Madam Minister.