Madam Speaker, we all know that organized crime is a parasitic creature that exists in our society. In fact, organized crime and criminal gangs are responsible for more than half of the grow operations and drug busts that occur in our country. Half of the moneys that go to organized crime is driven by the grow ops, crystal meth labs and the drug trade in general. It is a problem not only in the province of Quebec but it is a national problem.
Organized crime gangs are involved in a wide variety of issues, as we know, from gun running, people smuggling and alcohol. We need to have and we now have tougher laws with this particular bill.
We also need to be able to organize and work with our counterparts internationally. One of the things that the Minister of Justice has done is implement a series of additions to the code, putting the precursor substances to the making of some of these products on a schedule that will help us track their import and export. In doing that, we would be able to find the countries and groups that are involved in the production of cocaine, heroin and other substances involved in the production and contributing to the organized crime gangs and the drug trade that they ply.
My question to the hon. member is really a challenge for him and for the House. There is something we can do that is fairly simple, in addition to where we are going now, and that is working with the states, particularly those in the OAS, the Organization of American States, to implement international import-export permits for the precursor chemicals that go into manufacturing cocaine in particular and also in the production of crystal meth.
Would the hon. member's party support Canada taking a lead in trying to convince other countries, particularly in the OAS, to adopt an import-export permit system for the precursor chemicals that are used in the production of these illegal drugs that cause so much heartache, pain, death and suffering to so many innocent people?