Thank you, Mr. Chair. It's a pleasure to appear before the committee as you review the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act.
My name is Trevor Bhupsingh, and I'm the director general of law enforcement and borders at Public Safety Canada.
With me today is my colleague, John Davies, the director general of the national security policy directorate.
I want to thank the committee for inviting the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, or RCMP, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, or CSIS, and the Canada Border Services Agency, or CBSA, today. Each has an important role to play in Canada's anti-money laundering and terrorist financing regime.
You will recall that a few weeks ago, representatives from the Department of Finance provided this committee with an overview of the regime and the balance it tries to achieve between protecting privacy rights, minimizing the administrative burden, and combatting money laundering and terrorist financing. The committee has already noted the information and intelligence essential to the country's national security.
The RCMP, CSIS, and CBSA are key to the enforcement of the regime. Effective portfolio coordination means working together to ensure that common priorities are established and addressed, and that the regime integrates the perspectives of our portfolio organizations, because they are on the front lines of detecting, deterring, and disrupting money laundering and terrorist financing in Canada. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is responsible for investigating money laundering and terrorist financing cases, laying charges, making arrests, and seizing funds or confiscating assets. The Canada Border Services Agency is responsible for the administration and enforcement of the cross-border movement of currency or monetary instruments valued at $10,000 or more. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service has a mandate to collect, analyze, and report to the Government of Canada information and intelligence concerning threats to Canada's national security.
The department and each organization contribute to the advisory committee on money laundering and terrorist financing. The proposals brought forward by the portfolio are summarized in the position paper made public by the Department of Finance last February 7 in support of the work of this committee and toward the improvement of Canada's regime.
The second role played by Public Safety Canada in the regime is to contribute to the policy development efforts led by the Department of Finance. This takes many forms and is integrated in the department's core mandate. It is where we would leverage information, research, and analysis to provide evidence-based advice that will assist the Department of Finance in its lead role.
In addition, Public Safety supports the Minister of Public Safety's statutory responsibilities to recommend terrorist entities to be listed, pursuant to the Criminal Code. The listing regime is an important element of Canada's efforts to combat terrorist financing, as it allows for the freezing and possible seizure, restraint, and forfeiture of assets of a listed entity. It also sets out severe penalties for persons and organizations that deal in the property or finances of a listed entity.
Mr. Chair, thank you for the opportunity to address the committee. We're happy to answer your questions.