Mr. Speaker, I rise today to advise the House that the government has listed six more entities, pursuant to the Criminal Code, bringing to 13 the total designated since last July under Canada's Anti-terrorism Act.
The newly listed entities are the following: Islamic Army of Aden, Harakat ul-Mudjahidin, Asbat Al-Ansar, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Hamas.
The decision to list an entity is a very serious one. The consequences are severe, not only for terrorists but for those who support them. The listing is a public confirmation that these entities are engaged in terrorist activity.
It is now a crime to knowingly participate in, contribute to, or facilitate the activities of these entities. Any person or group that is listed may have its assets seized and forfeited. People or groups who deal with the property or finances of these entities are subject to severe penalties, including up to 10 years imprisonment.
That is why the work to prepare for this listing is very thorough and deliberate. The listing of such entities is a work in progress. As we are listing these six entities today, steps are already underway for the next additions to the list.
I can assure the House and Canadians that there will be more. The government has always taken seriously its responsibilities to keep Canadians safe and secure. The tragic events of September 11, 2001, made this job even more important and its success even more critical.
Fighting terrorism is a top priority for the government and this list is one of the many steps we have taken in our fight against terror. After September 11 we moved quickly to implement our anti-terrorism plan which has four objectives: first, to stop terrorists from getting into Canada and protecting Canadians from terrorist acts; second, to enhance the tools we have to identify, prosecute, convict and punish terrorists; third, to prevent the Canada-U.S. border from being held hostage by terrorists who would want to affect the Canadian economy; and, fourth, to work with the international community to bring terrorists to justice and to address the root causes of this kind of hatred.
This is an important part of our effort to fight terrorism and keep Canadians safe and secure. It sends a strong message that Canada will not tolerate people who carry out terrorist acts and those who would support them.