Mr. Speaker, we commend Bloc members on their engagement on this important issue. Also, the member raises a very important issue. Privacy of Canadians and ensuring that it is protected is a high priority for the government and for all members of the House.
The bill provides that financial institutions report directly to FINTRAC. They are not to be giving information to any other entity. That information would only be provided by FINTRAC and FINTRAC provides only very minimal information about any individual, information basically that would be available on the Internet.
If further information is required, a judge must examine and decide that, yes, further information is required. If information is shared outside the country with our international partners, that will only occur if there is a memorandum of understanding with the partner and if a strict protocol followed. The minister must look at each of those requests and personally approve them. We are anxious to ensure that privacy rights are protected.
We have met with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada on this issue and will hold further meetings to ensure that we understand any concerns on privacy and meet them as strongly as possible.