Mr. Speaker, I just want to congratulate the member opposite.
It is rare in the Chamber that I rise and say that I agree with everything that was said by a member in the opposition party. The member is absolutely right. We must not be stampeded into compromising our fundamental rights because of the activities of organized crime. When we do that organized crime wins. We must never do that.
I agree with him, as I mentioned earlier and I will be mentioning when I speak myself, that the way to get at organized crime is to get at the way they make their money. The member opposite pointed out very correctly that our ports are leaky sieves in which all kinds of contraband is going out of the country. I have had many reports and have made many representations to my ministers saying that we must do something to stop it. It is not checking the contraband that is coming in, it is the contraband going out that is the problem.
What happens is that the Americans send their contraband across the border because it is an open border. It is then shipped out of Canada to Africa, to Jamaica and to countries that want the illegal goods. We have a real problem there.
I would like to ask the member if he agrees that if we were to compromise freedom of association as a response to the motorcycle gangs in Quebec, would we not be jeopardizing the very freedoms that the Bloc Quebecois itself enjoys? I recall a time when the RCMP attempted to read the mail of the Parti Quebecois because it was a separatist organization. There was outrage in the entire country. Everyone was angry.
I would like the member's comment on this. Surely the Bloc Quebecois, of all the parties in the House, should be saying that we should not use the notwithstanding clause, that we should protect freedom of association and find other means to combat the problem.