I'm glad you raised that, Ms. Sgro, because what certain individuals will say south of the border, and of course how it gets broadcast, is an area that has concerned me.
To take just the last two weeks, for instance, it has been gratifying, in looking at the U.S. administration from the President on down, to see them reflecting on their confidence in Canada as their neighbour and in our capabilities when it comes to security and borders. They have expressed a very high level of confidence.
We heard that from the White House. We heard very positive comments from Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice; she specifically reflected on border integrity and their confidence in that area. I was in discussions again today, and a couple of times over the last few days, with the head of Homeland Security in the United States, Secretary Michael Chertoff. We talked about the confidence they have in Canadian capabilities when it comes to security, and specifically when it comes to borders. I received a call from Attorney General Gonzales yesterday or the day before with the very same message.
This expression of confidence is from their highest levels. That's why it's frustrating for us, obviously, when an individual in the United States who is not fully aware of the high degree of professionalism, let's say, and the high degree of accomplishment of our own security forces, comes out with statements--I'm trying to maintain an air of diplomacy here--that are absolutely unfounded in fact and that create a bit of a stir.
The Leader of the Opposition the other day asked questions along these lines. In one of his questions he asked—and I think it was a fair question, but I was rather chuckling because he was asking—what we were going to do to control the media in the United States, who zero in.... I think the Leader of the Opposition quite rightly was saying that he recognizes the high quality of professionalism in security we provide here in Canada. He was asking what we were going to do to control these media, and I was thinking, we can't control the media in Canada; I don't know how we're going to do it in the United States.