Mr. Speaker, I have one question for the member opposite. Where has he been when the government passed legislation with respect to additional money for CPIC? Where has he been when we added additional money for the RCMP? Where has he been when we bolstered the immigration services? Where has he been when we have co-ordinated such so that we have CSIS and the RCMP reporting to immigration when it comes to organized criminals coming into Canada? Where has he been when we have negotiated either bilateral or multilateral arrangements with respect to other embassies in foreign lands and with respect to co-operation and sharing of information? Where has he been when the government has acted repeatedly with respect to organized crime?
Are we doing enough? I said in my comments that no, we have to continue to work, continue to pull together and to meet with the provinces and the territorial people to find solutions that are beneficial for all Canadians.
I really would like to know where the hon. member has been during all these times when the government has acted and continues to act. It is very easy to get into the politics of blame, negativity and hurl things like “They are soft on crime”.
As the former chairman of the Waterloo regional police and having been in charge of 700 police officers, I can tell the House that the government is not soft on crime. We continue to work hard when it comes to crime issues, when it comes to justice and due process, when it comes to things like safety and security in our communities. That after all is fundamental to the very fabric of the country.
I ask the hon. member, with all due respect, to read what the government has done, brush up on the statutes and the legislation, take a look at the strides and efforts that we have made in the past little while, especially in the last seven years since we have been in power. Perhaps then he will get a better understanding of where we are heading as a country.
It is easy for the Alliance Party opposite to always try to find the wedge issues or the leverage issues that tend to pit Canadians against Canadians, region against region, people against people, and group against group. That is its raison d'être.
I reject it as do most Canadians because that is not what Canada is all about. Canada is a much better place than the Alliance people opposite would paint it.