Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to report to the House that none of the suspicious packages received on the Hill this week contained anthrax or any other biological substance. Indeed, none of the suspicious incidents reported elsewhere in Canada contained biological agents.
I want to emphasize that there are no reported cases of anthrax in Canada.
The response proves that our Emergency Response System works just as it should, efficiently and effectively. From the first responders, Hill security, police, hazardous material specialists and the fire department to our Health Canada personnel who tested the suspect material and the RCMP who were ready to transport the material to our lab in Winnipeg, the response was tremendous.
I want to recognize all those involved and thank them for their efforts. Canadians should be reassured that the system works and will continue to work to protect everyone.