Mr. Speaker, I want to address a couple of the member's remarks.
He mentioned the G-20 summit recently held in Ottawa and the violent protesters. This is a dangerous trend we see developing. Quite frankly it is mostly a group of bad actors who are travelling to these things just for the sake of the thrill. They must find it thrilling. They are not achieving any political goal. They might claim to be making some kind of statement but the best political demonstration is a peaceful one. Those who vandalize property are nothing more than common thugs. That is what the demonstrators are.
I find it very disturbing. It is a good thing that the role of the RCMP is being clarified for the handling of that type of demonstrator. Anybody who wilfully damages property as an act of thuggery under the context of some type of political demonstration should be dealt with by a heavy hand because it is entirely inappropriate behaviour. A clear message should be sent to the demonstrators not only in Canada but elsewhere that they will not be tolerated.
We have a democracy. There are systems and processes in place of free speech and political activism. Resorting to violence is not acceptable.
The member also mentioned Canada becoming a safe haven for terrorists and terrorist organizations to conduct staging activities and fundraising. He used the words rightly or wrongly. I want to say that is rightly. A 1996 CSIS report warned the government of just that fact, that the loopholes in our immigration and refugee system allow criminals and terrorists to exploit our laws and abuse our country for evil purposes.
The Prime Minister's response shortly after the September 11 terrorist attacks was that we are responsible for people who come into our country and the Americans are responsible for those who go into theirs. In other words, if the Americans do not want terrorists who enter Canada to use it as a staging ground to attack the United States, they should be stopped at the Canada-U.S. border. It was an absolutely ridiculous, irresponsible statement that he made. It sends a very dangerous economic message to the congressmen in the United States because they are talking about increasing border security and controls at the Canada-U.S. border. It is our shores that we need to protect from criminals and terrorists, not a common border with the United States. That is crazy.
We should be looking at ways to free the border and to protect our common shores. I wanted to put that on the record in response to the member's statement.
With respect to the specific question about reciprocal agreements, as my hon. colleague rightly indicated, the legislation is setting a dangerous precedent. Reciprocal agreements would head in the same direction.
It would be irresponsible for Canada, as he said, to grant blanket immunity, to invite people here to essentially break the law and even exempt them from taxes on alcohol. There would be no need for Canadians to seek this immunity elsewhere. Reciprocal agreements would be a move in the wrong direction.