Mr. Speaker, I enjoyed listening to my hon. colleague's comments. I was somewhat disheartened to see him slip into rhetoric and polemics because I frequently have found him to be more thoughtful and to apply perhaps a more intellectual analysis than I have had to listen to this morning.That is disappointing. I was not surprised by that kind of approach in yesterday's debate by an hon. member from across the way, but I would have held the bar higher for my hon. colleague this morning.
I make particular reference to his mention of clause 5 as being the heart of the bill. This is coming from someone with his background in international politics and his concept and understanding of the Vienna convention, at times totally lacking from the other member. I understand his preoccupation with police powers. As much as we have attempted to explain that this is a codification of common law, his past has given him a great fear of police powers. However that is not reflected in the normal Canadian and in the polls wherein Canadians have asked us to provide the security and to do so of course intelligently.
On matters with regard to immunities, because of his background which I have described, he is very cognizant of the fact that there are consular and there are diplomatic levels. Unlike the colleague to his left from Cumberland--Colchester who spoke earlier, this is not just a matter of throwing open the doors to every conceivable official who comes into the country allowing them immunities on that scale.
I ask him to respond to those two issues that I have raised and to do so free of the rhetoric.