How unions spend money not taxpayer’s business, says Edmonton Tory MP

OTTAWA – At least one Conservative MP says he’ll vote against a private member’s bill that would force unions to open their books to the public.

Brent Rathgeber says he knows he’s in the minority within the Conservative caucus.

But the Edmonton MP says while union finances should be fully disclosed to union members, how those organizations spend their money is nobody else’s business.

Conservative backbencher Russ Hiebert’s financial transparency legislation, Bill C-377, comes up for a final vote later today in the House of Commons.

If it becomes law, unions would be required to, among other things, publicly disclose how much money they spend on political activities.

Labour groups call it an attack on unions.