I too want to echo the gratitude that was expressed by the other side and by Ms. Ablonczy, especially to the good folks sitting at the end of the table who I know work for the government. Tomorrow they work may for another government that may be of a different stripe, but I know they do their best to craft and assist in the crafting of legislation. I don't believe they would have done so in the knowledge that they would be impinging on civil rights and freedoms, but in doing the job they were asked to do by the government to meet the growing threat of terrorism.
Our staff all work very hard. We don't say thank you enough to the good people around here who make our lives much better. We're the mouthpieces, but often they are the brains behind the mouthpieces.
I think Madame Doré Lefebvre said it appropriately when she said how she felt about it. I felt the same way when we had no one to agree that this bill is as faulty as it is made out to be. The wonder of our democracy is that we view things differently; we sit down in committees like this, and in the end, as Ms. Ablonczy says, I think we came up with a good piece of legislation; we made it just a little bit better.
No one on this side of the table, no one in this Parliament I believe would want to do anything to injure and contravene the civil rights and liberties of the good folks who call themselves Canadians or who are here visiting.
Sometimes in the to and fro of battle—and I'm probably the biggest sinner of all sometimes when we cast aspersions—especially in that theatre called question period, which is all about the questions and not about the answers.
I think we need to meet this evolving threat of terrorism with some new tools, and I won't belabour the point except to say to all Canadians that what you hear today and what you see is a good example of how a democracy works. There's a difference of opinion and in a few short months you, the people who are watching this and your friends and neighbours, will determine who you want to be seated at this table and who will make the right decisions.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.