Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to take part today in this exercise in reflection brought about by the anti-terrorism bill.
The events of September 11 have wreaked havoc with everyday life and the way people go about their daily life. It can be said that since September 11 we have been experiencing a shockwave. In my riding, I have heard stories when talking with friends about how life is no longer the same. We thought we were not vulnerable to an attack such as this one.
People are experiencing feelings from fear to anger and compassion. Compassion is being felt for many American citizens, but there is also a feeling of compassion for what is happening in faraway lands, in Afghanistan, compassion for all these displaced people who are destitute and often on the verge of starvation.
As a result of the unfortunate event of September 11, we as a society have a lot of thinking to do. Our vision of the world leads us to rethink not only what an anti-terrorism act should be but also our vision and the compassion we should show to improve the living conditions of people in the Middle East, in Asia and across the world. As we know, the conflict in Afghanistan is not the only one going on in the world today.
The bill is aimed at reassuring our fellow citizens but also at eradicating terrorism. I have been wondering. Will this bill reach its intended goal? Is it not too far-reaching and might it not fail? How could we better reassure people? Could it be through a change in attitude? I believe a change in attitude is a goal we should strive for. Does the bill not go too far?
We know that several people, more precisely 62% of Quebecers, have some concerns about losing the freedoms and privileges guaranteed by the charter of rights and freedoms, privileges that were acquired over time. They are concerned with security. We know that security has been seriously jeopardized. Right now we can feel that people are scared, especially in the United States. Even here on the hill, we had an emergency situation yesterday because of a letter that might have contained anthrax. We know that this feeling of fear could very well affect us too.
The attacks on New York and Washington made us aware of the dangers stemming from the international situation. They warned us that from now on we would have to be on our guard. Many people are on the verge of a psychosis about terrorist attacks. If this is what bin Laden wanted to achieve, I think he succeeded. We must react and we must do it quickly.
I think that rapid action does not require haphazard measures. I hope that in introducing this bill, the government will be open to amendments that we may want to propose to ensure that this bill does not infringe on our rights and freedoms. The Bloc Quebecois has asked a lot of questions and has some concerns about the implications of this bill. In fact, there was an obvious political goal attached to the introduction of this bill, that is, to calm the public.
Maybe the government will succeed in recreating for a few days or a few weeks the illusion that Canadians had before September 11, namely that they can live in relative peace under the umbrella of the United States. It will take only one serious incident to change all that.
We may try to prevent, repress and punish terrorism, but will we be able to eradicate it without dealing with the feeling of hopelessness that causes it?
How can we prevent an individual, whether or not he belongs to an organization, from taking other people's lives with his own? I wonder if an anti-terrorism act will keep at bay people who are prepared to give up life or to risk it in the name of a so-called holy war.
This is why we must be very careful about the type of bill on which we will vote here, a bill that requires the support of members of parliament.
We must ask ourselves the following questions. Why must we legislate against terrorism? How can we do it without infringing on those freedoms that are so dear to us and that were gained over the years? Last, will this legislation be enough to avert the threat?
Let us begin with the first question. Did the government have to introduce these measures today? Either the security measures in place were inadequate and the government was careless or else it was fully aware of the possibility of terrorist attacks. If it was, this means that existing measures were not applied properly. Either way, the government is responsible and must now hurry to reassure the public with its omnibus bill.
There are examples that illustrate both carelessness and mismanagement. The first one is the delay in reviewing the cases of refugee status claimants in Canada. We had an act that could have allowed us to be much more vigilant. It often takes several years before a ruling is made. It may take in excess of five years. Hanging a sword of Damocles over the heads of these claimants will not facilitate their integration, if they are accepted, or their expulsion, if they are rejected. If the act had been properly enforced, part of that problem might have been solved.
Another example is the privatization of security services at airports. The discovery of knives on aircraft at Toronto's airport shows that the government was negligent and missed an opportunity to tighten up security for the benefit of passengers by resorting to penny pinching schemes.
Finally, today the government announced measures that will cost hundreds of millions of dollars. It should have thought of these measures before, but we cannot go back in time. However, we must be vigilant as to the types of bills that we are going to pass in the coming months.
Again, I hope that the government will give opposition parties enough time to hear witnesses and recommend amendments to the bill.
A second concern is the issue of security. Since it is possible to improve the security of Quebecers and Canadians by rigorously applying existing security measures, is it necessary to go as far as amending the criminal code to grant broader powers to the police force in terms of preventive custody, electronic surveillance and opening of postal and electronic mail?
Is there not a risk of violating the fundamental rights of law-abiding citizens? This is the question the House leader of the Bloc Quebecois asked the Prime Minister today. We cannot say we got reassuring answers with regard to the goals of the anti-terrorist act.
Finally, the long term effectiveness of the comprehensive strategy being proposed raises concerns. In the aftermath of the air strikes by the U.S., can we really believe that an anti-terrorist act will prevent such acts in the future? Not only should we find a political solution to the problem, but we should also be cautious about exclusively military and police solutions. We have to go beyond that.
Before September 11, there was already a terrorism problem. We could have been much more vigilant. This is the why I ask the government to be cautious in the choice of legislation it wants to implement in Canada. It might bring in a short term solution, but such legislation could have, in the long term, a destructive impact on democracy in Canada and in Quebec.
Before September 11, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, the RCMP and the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency knew that something was going on in Quebec and in Canada. However, all the information was concentrated in the hands of the solicitor general and the Minister of Justice. We could have been much more vigilant.
There are irritants in the bill. It should be reviewed every three years. This legislation could be counterproductive.
The bill should contain a sunset clause, otherwise it would no longer be in force.
We have to be very vigilant. I ask the government to show openness and to listen to opposition parties, which might change its mind regarding this anti-terrorist legislation.