Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Cumberland--Colchester for his remarks. I would just like to follow up on some of them with a couple of questions.
He made the point that he did not see the reason why we needed to extend immunity to essentially foreign visitors to conventions. I wonder, though, whether he should consider the way Canada is perceived or the way these conventions are perceived by other countries. We have a situation now where difficulties occur when these conventions are organized. We have violence. We have protests that are out of control.
I wonder whether one of the reasons why it is necessary to extend immunity is that foreign visitors to these conventions may feel that they need this extra protection wherever they go in the world for these conventions. Perhaps they do not realize that Canada is a very orderly nation. We do obey the rule of law. Perhaps what they are seeking, on international terms, is legal protection. It is not just Canada they are worried about. It is other countries where these conventions may be held. Perhaps it is a perception thing that makes this necessary.
I would also very briefly like to point out the fear expressed by the member for Cumberland--Colchester that these people who get immunity will abuse it in the same sense that happened with the Russian diplomat with respect to drunk driving incidents. There is a difference because the immunity that is involved in the bill is only temporary. It is for people who are coming to the country for a few days for a convention and then leaving. It is not quite in the same category as diplomats who are here for years.
Are these fears that maybe the member for Cumberland--Colchester has somewhat overstated and perhaps not as serious as he might think they are?