Madam Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the hon. member for Calgary—Nose Hill.
This bill has important ramifications for our national security and for our international reputation. I want to address both of those issues. I looked at the bill carefully. We are all well familiar with the admonition that tells us that anytime an individual or a nation is willing to trade an element of freedom for an element of security, one runs the risk of losing both. When we talk about giving up freedoms, it is something about which we have to be very cautious.
Obviously in the global environment in which we now live, there is a growing number of people, a growing network of individuals who are intent on the destruction of those civilizations and those nations who embrace freedom and democracy, and unfortunately we are forced to consider these questions.
I want to look specifically at items related to biological, chemical and nuclear weapons. I am listening carefully, as I hope others are, to concerns about the loss of civil liberties and so we will want to look at those very carefully as we continue to walk through this bill.
I particularly want to reference part 8 which amends the Export and Import Permits Act. These amendments give the government the power to create an exports control list. A list like that is necessary to control the export of weapons and munitions, as well as articles of a strategic nature that could be used to the detriment of both Canadian and international security. Canada has committed to this course of action in numerous international settings. We have done that for the purpose of preventing, among other things, the proliferation of missile technology, as well as biological, chemical and nuclear weapons, something with which we all have to be concerned.
The measures in part 8 of the bill are also a response to Resolution 1373 that was passed by the United Nations Security Council. Among other things, that resolution declared that all countries should contribute to efforts to eliminate the supply of weapons to terrorists and we are involved in that with a keen and careful eye to that balance of what this means in terms of loss of freedoms.
In addition to these international obligations, Canada has agreed not to export certain goods that it obtains from the United States to other countries that might use those particular goods improperly and again, contribute to regional or international instability. The Minister of Foreign Affairs has expressly given direction to consider international peace, security and stability. These are the criteria we have to look at when we are looking at the export or transfer permits on these particular goods.
The next area in which Parliament needs to be looking toward is part 23, which reads in part:
- The purpose of this Act is to fulfil Canada's obligations under the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction, which entered into force on March 26, 1975, as amended from time to time pursuant to Article XI of that Convention.
All these steps are essential to reaffirming Canada's commitment to international security and our allies are looking for us to do that.
The question I have is why was this not done earlier? What has been taking us so long? I believe the minister is concerned about these things, but I find it unusual to discuss in 2002 the implementation of a treaty which was signed in 1975. That is almost 30 years ago.
It makes me wonder if the government is not fearful of its own legislation. Is this a deliberate slowdown process that we have been looking at for 30 years? Is the government in fact worried about loss of freedoms and civil liberties? Is there something the government is not telling us about what it is worried about in the implications of this bill because we are now looking at implementing a treaty that was signed some 30 years ago?
The treaty was signed during Prime Minister Trudeau's first term and it might be implemented during the present Prime Minister's third and possibly final term. The Canadian Alliance transport critic was not even born when the treaty was ratified and 30 years later, it has still not been implemented.
The government has had plenty of reason to act on this convention. As a matter of fact, on June 29, 1996 the G-7 summit in Lyon, France recognized the need to “implement the convention, including the establishment of an effective verification mechanism”.
We all have seen the blatant abuse of verification relating to Saddam Hussein. We know the importance of having an effective verification system. That was in 1996. We are proud members, I thought, of the G-7, yet we still drag our feet on this.
The attacks of September 11 have reminded the world of the need to keep weapons inputs, especially biological inputs, out of the hands of those states, groups or individuals who might use them to create the tools of destruction. Thirteen months later, since initially looking at this legislation, the government has still not begun implementation.
The Security Council has urged action on this file. Resolution 1373 has passed, among other things. That resolution declared that all countries should contribute to the efforts to eliminate the supply of weapons to terrorists.
It does make me speculate that if Canada had agreed a long time ago to stop its export of these input agents for biological and toxin based weapons, Canadian defence companies may have had more success in bidding for contracts in the United States. I believe it is reasonable to assume that the United States has been hesitant to award research and development deals to Canadian contractors out of fear that the R and D could be exported and end up in the hands of our enemies. That is a reasonable expectation. It shows what delay will cost us in terms of investment and jobs, let alone security.
Saddam Hussein's well-publicized chemical gassing of his own people should have indicated to our government the need to implement the convention, but the government has done no such thing. Even from the point of view of how it might affect us in a technological or commercial way, according to the Department of National Defence policy directive:
Canada has never had and does not now possess any biological weapons (or toxin based weapons), and will not develop, produce, acquire, stockpile or use such weapons.
Given that, we have to wonder what are the factors, what is the government worried about in terms of implementation.
This is strange. We do not have weapons of mass destruction, toxin-based weapons or biological weapons. Canada has nothing to lose by enacting the bill before us. The government does not have any excuse for the delay. It must get moving with the provisions of this bill, which will affect the transportation and sale of these things.
Our allies expect us to act. When they do not see action, they wonder about our commitment. We have already lost enough influence around the diplomatic table with our severe reductions to funding in national defence. We have lost influence at NATO. Let us not continue to lose influence by dragging our feet on something of this importance.