Mr. Speaker, the bill introduced by the minister this morning contains almost 80% of what the Bloc Quebecois has been asking for over the last five or so years.
One point, however, is missing from the bill on organized crime now before us and that is the whole issue of reversing the burden of proof and the proceeds of crime.
My question for the member is a very simple one. Everyone knows that money is the sinews of war, whether politics or organized crime are involved. The comparison may be slightly imperfect, but it boils down to the same thing; there is organized crime because there is money to be made. The more money they make, the stronger and more organized they will be.
There is really nothing in the bill to facilitate the work of the police and crown prosecutors, to reverse even somewhat the burden of proof, so that it is not up to the crown to prove the illegality of an acquired asset, but rather up to organized crime to prove the legality of its origin.
My question for the member is as follows. Will he be able to support this, when he talks of amending the bill? Is it in this sense of giving additional tools to the police and crown prosecutors to facilitate proof with respect to such things as money which is, as we know, the sinews of war?