Let me say three things. I don't view this as a piece of legislation or that it's about ISIS or al Qaeda. It's about providing the capacity for our security agencies to do their job. It's my fundamental view that wherever that can be done within the context of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, it strengthens our democracy and protects our democracy.
I buy the view that was advanced by Mr. Churchill during World War II when he reported on the status of the war effort—at a time when they faced a risk, if I may say so, more substantial than ours—to the entire British Parliament in a secret session because he believed that the core premise of British democracy had to be sustained so that they did not become like the enemy they were facing across the sea, namely, the Nazis.
I would argue with you, with the greatest of respect, that any time we set aside any freedom if we don't have to, any time we set aside any core constitutional protection if it's not absolutely necessary, we're going down the wrong road and we should do our best not to do that.
It is true that in Canada the Supreme Court and other courts have decided that the charter is not absolute. There are reasonable circumstances during which it has to be set aside. Having that process take place in our courts is part of what makes us a society of laws and not just people with individual views that are deployed any particular time.
I said to you the War Measures Act was the worst violation of any individual security and freedom of assembly and speech that we've ever seen. Nothing in this legislation troubles me to that extent. It's important to keep historical perspective when we go through these kinds of undertakings.