As a mother, I'm sure we all understand we would do anything we possibly can to get our loved ones home, so we certainly need to be cognizant of that.
I also have some concerns about the permit process proposed in the bill, especially given the long waits Canadian organizations have faced due to Bill C-41, which established a new process for government authorization to do humanitarian and development work in areas controlled by terrorist organizations, such as Afghanistan under the Taliban. It is well over a year since that bill passed, and the authorization process took a year to design. It is so complicated that many Canadian organizations are saying that it simply doesn't work.
Then there is the no-fly list process. To my understanding, it takes up to six weeks to get a Canadian travel number.
In cases where time is of the essence and families are seeking a permit from the minister to carry out a specific activity that is restricted under this act, what would the service standards be, and how would the government ensure flexibility in urgent hostage-taking situations? What information would be required from the individual?