MP Pierre Poilievre says his proposed legislation giving federal employees the option of paying union dues is about workers' freedom.
If his support for workers' freedom were sincere and not union busting, then I would expect him to also support taxpayers' freedom - making payment of federal taxes optional.
Here's why: Poilievre argues that federal workers who don't agree with the political actions of their union should be able to express their opposition by withholding their dues. Based on that logic, I don't see why the same shouldn't apply for taxpayers.
If I don't agree with political actions of the government - proroguing Parliament to avoid defeat by the opposition, for example - then I should be able to withhold my taxes.
Of course, Poilievre would never support such an initiative because it would lead to the collapse of our system of government. If taxpayers weren't forced to pay taxes, most wouldn't.
It's for the same reason that payment of union dues is mandatory. Without those dues, there would be no union.
Taxpayers who don't like what the government is doing can complain to their MP and vote against the government in an election. If enough taxpayers are fed up, the governing party loses the election.
Likewise, union members who don't agree with what their union leaders are doing can tell them so and vote them out during union elections. That is how federal employees should be expressing dissatisfaction with their union leadership.
As for Poilievre, he should drop his ill-considered proposal and move on.
Ben Verkerk,
Kelowna