Mr. Speaker, clause 18 of Bill C-44 would make it a punishable offence for individuals in this country either to import or export fraudulent documentation.
If members recall, some months back there was an article in the Globe and Mail that pointed to a decision by the Department of Justice. The decision suggested that the immigration and customs officials who were opening mail to confiscate fraudulent documents and also to try to stop the rings that smuggled documents did not have authority under the law to do so.
This clause in the bill gives legitimacy under the full weight of the law to our customs and immigration officers to confiscate mail that is carrying fraudulent documentation such as drivers licences, visa applications and passports. Many have been intercepted, particularly in Toronto and Montreal.
We are suggesting in this clause that it be a punishable offence. Currently the offence would carry a penalty of two years and/or a fine of $5,000. We feel this should be a deterrent to making those fraudulent documents available.
Fraudulent documentation is a problem not only in Canada but worldwide. It is almost scary to see the kind of high technological reproduction of our documents, so we should be sending the right message.
Reform Party members keep having this debate. They support the intent of the bill but do not believe it is enforceable. It is like saying that you do not accept amendments to the Criminal Code because you do not think the police can enforce them.
The police, of which my hon. friend was a member, have too few police officers in all the major cities. Does it mean that if we bring in a Criminal Code amendment that is good in intent and shows sound judgment, that this party and this ex-police officer will turn it down because while the intent is good it is somehow unenforceable, whether by police officers, customs, or immigration? Does this allow the Reform Party to say "we are opposed?" What kind of a silly argument is that for an ex-police officer to make?
If the intent is good, then we have to make sure of the enforceability of the legislation. Anyone in this country that tries to circumvent the Immigration Act through the fraudulent production or importation of documents should be punished.