Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise today to speak to the amendments to Bill C-3, the DNA act. The motion in Group No. 3 that we are debating would increase the penalty for anybody who abuses this information. If the information is used for anything other than what was intended, a very severe penalty should be applied. This is needed because the information is very useful in fighting crime. It is also very personal and should be used only for what it was intended.
DNA profiles contain uniquely private and personal information. This information should be used only for the purposes of identification.
The essence of this bill is to create a databank to identify every person who has committed a crime in this country. If the profile is on file, then anytime it comes up again we know exactly who the person is.
This would give a strong tool to our police, to our crime fighters. It is a strong tool for the protection of society. It is a strong tool for deterring criminals from acting because they will know there is a positive means of identification on file and that there will be no mistakes.
This motion goes on to state other reasons it is important to protect these profiles. The improper use or disclosure of DNA profiles can lead to significant harm to the individual, including discrimination in areas such as employment, education, health care, reproduction and insurance.
There seems to be a great deal of concern about the rights of people. If we have rights for the average citizen in Canada, then we need to secure those rights and make them stronger.
If we have this DNA information on file, it should be used for crime prevention and that is all it should be used for.
We support this amendment from the member for Sydney—Victoria.
If this very personal information gets out for any reason other than that for which it was intended, then the crime should be very, very strong. This should, in itself, go a long way in putting to rest some of the fears of the people who are worried about the rights of criminals. However, I think we should worry more about the rights of the individual.
Forensic DNA analysis provides information not only about an individual, but also about the individual's parents and children, thus implicating family privacy. Again, this is the type of information we do not want to be made public. The information is meant to be used as a tool to fight crime. It is not meant to be used as a tool to invade anybody's privacy.
Again, there is a need for a strong deterrent for anybody who would abuse this databank. Once this databank is in place, we need a very strong deterrent for anybody thinking of taking up criminal activity.
DNA profiles are also tied to reproductive decisions which are among the most private and intimate decisions an individual can make.
The reasons that have been put forward to protect DNA information indicate why we need this amendment. We need a strong penalty for anybody abusing this information because it delves into absolutely every aspect of a person's life. There are no secrets when a DNA profile is created.
Also, the bill states that the commissioner shall ensure that the national DNA databank authority maintains a record of every person who accesses the national DNA databank established under subsection (1). There has to be a record of any person who uses this databank to absolutely make certain that the use of this information is for what it was intended and that it cannot be manipulated for use in any other manner.
It was mentioned earlier the research that could be done with the DNA databank information on criminals. Persons could take all of that information and use it for various reasons. But it has to be kept for the use that was intended. That is why this motion was put forward.
It also states that every three years after this legislation comes into force a complete investigation must be carried out with respect to the national DNA databank and all aspects surrounding it. This is another aspect that was put in place to ensure the privacy of the individuals in the databank.
Anybody who thinks this bill is going to invade a person's rights must realize that all manner of legislation is being put into place to protect against that. The legislation is being put in place to make this bill acceptable to the people who feel that the information could be used in a improper manner.
With all of these aspects to the bill and the fact that this amendment has been brought forward to increase the penalty for the improper use of the databank, I think we have come to the point where it will be usable, the information will be protected and we will not have to be concerned with that.
Let us allow this DNA databank to exist. Let us use it as a strong tool to fight crime. Let us use it as a strong tool to protect people's rights in this country. Let us use it as a tool for deterrence and police action.