Yes. We've had a great record in that area, as you may know, Mr. Hawn. We recognize that this has to be an essential part of our security concerns. You know about the Canada First defence strategy in terms of the protection of Canada, and then, of course, there is the protection of North America and indeed the whole hemisphere.
I'm actually looking forward to going to a security conference next week, where we'll discuss a wide range of issues. That will be taking place in Panama. I'll have the opportunity to meet with quite a few of my colleagues who will be there, and we'll have the opportunity, over a period of a couple of days, to discuss all aspects of this. We know that the threats we have don't respect or know borders. We know that sort of thing. We know that those individuals, those organizations that are in the business of dealing drugs, for instance, or terrorists, will go wherever they see a weakness.
I have had discussions over the years with colleagues from the Caribbean and Central and South America. They tell me that organized crime will target them. If their country is stable, the borders are safe, and the beaches are accessible, they find that therefore they are targeted. That is completely unfortunate, so it's important that Canada will continue to make them a priority in terms of our aid and development. We are one of the leaders in assistance to our Caribbean colleagues. I'm very proud of the fact that we have a long record of association and assistance.
We engage on a regular basis with our South American and Central American colleagues on the question of security. The meeting I have will actually follow up on other meetings that I've had. I was in Peru several months ago, meeting with defence ministers. Again, there was a collective recognition that we have to work together and cooperate against the international threats that we all have.
There are those who think that we can stand on the sidelines and these terrorists will go away. I'm very proud of the fact that we are part of a party and a government that doesn't buy into that—that somehow these things will go away and that we have to do nothing—and I was proud of the fact that our party and our government stood in Parliament, were very clear, and put that motion before the House of Commons that we will stand up and do what's right in this world.
We will go after those terrorists, those people, and those organizations that are in the business of massacring people and degrading individuals. I'm proud to be part of a party that doesn't go along with that and recognizes that we have to do something about it. That has been the Canadian way. Our government, we, you, and I, and those supportive of us will do that, regardless of whether we get support across the aisle.