Thank you, Madam Chair.
Minister Anandasangaree and Minister Fraser, welcome to the committee. It's always a pleasure to hear your testimony.
Bill C‑29 is a rather meaningful bill that proposes to disregard in some cases the division of powers set out in the British North America Act. We, at the Bloc Québécois, take this very seriously. I think you will agree that it must be clear.
Honestly, it is not clear to me here when it comes to financial crimes. Obviously, we know what finances are and what a crime is. However, according to the bill, a “financial crime” is a violation of a federal act relating to financial assets. I would say there are a good number of offences that meet that description. The definition of serious and complex financial crimes includes money laundering, fraud, organized criminal activity, theft, extortion, corruption, drug trafficking, other economic crimes and money laundering. There isn't much left once you include crimes in those categories.
I would like you to explain why it is necessary to disregard the division of powers set out in the British North America Act and remove the provincial attorneys general's power to prosecute in these areas.
Minister Fraser, can you answer the question first?