Bill C-350

Combatting Torture and Terrorism Act

An Act to amend the State Immunity Act, the Criminal Code and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act

This enactment amends the State Immunity Act to provide that a foreign state that supports or has supported torture or extrajudicial killing is not immune from the jurisdiction of any court in Canada. It also amends that Act to require the Minister of Foreign Affairs to respond within a specified period to a report of a parliamentary committee that recommends restricting the immunity of a foreign state under the Act.
In addition, the enactment amends the Criminal Code to provide that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is a listed entity, its property therefore being subject to seizure, restraint or forfeiture under the anti-terrorism provisions of the Act. It also amends that Act to require the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness to respond within a specified period to a report of a parliamentary committee that recommends that an entity become a listed entity.
Finally, the enactment amends the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to provide that a permanent resident or foreign national is not inadmissible to Canada on security grounds for being a member of a certain organization if certain criteria are met.

Combatting Torture and Terrorism Act

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-350, An Act to amend the State Immunity Act, the Criminal Code and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

Madam Speaker, since the House voted five years ago to list the IRGC as a terrorist entity and shut down its operations in Canada, Conservatives have been pushing the Liberal government to actually list the IRGC, but it has not acted.

It is time to bring it home and protect Iranian Canadians and all Canadians from threats and violence from this vile regime. Today, I am tabling a bill that will list the IRGC as a terrorist organization, and goes further to support victims of terrorism, torture and extrajudicial killing.

In addition to listing the IRGC as a terrorist entity, this bill would allow victims of torture and extrajudicial killing by Iran and other designated state sponsors of terror to seek damages. States' involvement in terrorism as well as torture and extrajudicial killing should not be protected from accountability for these actions by the State Immunity Act and, thus, will not be protected if my bill passes.

I know this bill will be welcomed not only by the Iranian community, but also by many other victims of crime. It requires the government to respond within 40 days to a request from a parliamentary committee to list a new entity as a terrorist organization or to list a new state as a state sponsor of terrorism.

The Liberals have had five years. They have failed to stand with victims of crime and with the Iranian community. A Conservative government will bring it home.

I hope this bill, the combatting torture and terrorism act, will become law as soon as possible.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)