BC FORUM News Bill C-377: A seriously flawed proposal December 10, 2012 - The Conservative majority government could pass Bill C-377 at anytime as this Private Member’s Bill attacking labour unions has reached the 3rd Reading stage in Ottawa. And given Stephen Harper’s penchant for passing controversial legislation on a Friday afternoon, we must take action now! These are the Facts About Bill C-377: READ THE FACTS HERE! Bill C-377 is a seriously flawed proposal. Despite being withdrawn, redrafted, and then heavily amended by its sponsor (at the very last minute), it still presents clear and costly risks to government and taxpayers. • It exposes the government to legal action on a number of fronts, including the Constitution and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, according to testimony from the Canadian Bar Association, the Privacy Commissioner of Canada and others. • Experts agree there is no way to forecast the costs. The Canada Revenue Agency charged with implementing C-377 has produced reports with costs ranging from the millions to the tens-of-millions. • The Parliamentary Budget Officer says C-377 is so nebulous that the costs cannot be guessed at this time, although he contends that the Canada Revenue Agency has seriously underestimated the costs. • The experience in the United States with a similar, although far less detailed program suggests annual operating costs between $32 million and $45 million. • Meanwhile, the MP who wrote C-377 still claims that the cost to taxpayers will be minimal – even though he’s had to substantially rewrite the legislation more than once to deal with glaring errors and flaws. • Conservative MPs will have to justify voting for such a risky proposal if it turns out to be the multi-million dollar boondoggle some predict. After all, the government’s priority is supposed to be jobs and economic growth, not more red tape and bureaucratic waste in Ottawa | 
