BC Liberal MLA Greg Kyllo, Opposition Critic for Labour​, in response to the NDP’s decision to eliminate the secret ballot, said in a statement: “The secrecy of a person’s ballot is a fundamental democratic right — whether we are voting for our elected representatives or voting to join a union.

“Since forming government, John Horgan has made it known that he intended to scrap the secret ballot for union certification and transition to card checks as soon as he had the power and opportunity to do so.

“This shameful and self-serving decision goes against the recommendations of this government’s own expert panel, which in 2018 recommended the government keep the secret ballot for union certification.

“The only ones that appear to benefit from this decision are NDP-aligned unions who have seen their membership decline in the last few decades. Seventy per cent of B.C. workers have chosen not to be represented by a union.

“Allowing annual union raiding in construction will also create instability​, and that disruption runs the risk of hiking costs and delaying projects, making affordability even worse in our province.

“This is the latest example of the NDP paying off their friends and insiders, through union labour agreements that are costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars in project cost overruns.

“John Horgan and the NDP’s pattern of secrecy continues to get worse​, and it is unacceptable that they are now seeking to deprive ​many B.C. workers from a fundamental democratic right.

“We’re calling on John Horgan to listen to British Columbians, scrap this bill immediately, and uphold the sanctity of the secret ballot for workers.”