Mr. Speaker, when it comes to terrorism the best defence is a good offence.
Richard Fadden, the deputy clerk and co-ordinator for security intelligence at the Privy Council office in Ottawa said that we need to develop the necessary tools to protect Canadians, whether here at home or abroad and suggested that it is time to consider creating a foreign spy agency. In other words, a good offence against terrorism requires an effective intelligence gathering agency.
If the most senior civil servants understand the need to combat terrorism abroad, and if the foreign affairs minister understands the need to start pulling our weight in this area, why has the solicitor general not moved quickly to establish the foreign spy agency?