Mr. Speaker, 42,397 people signed a petition calling on all federal party leaders to seek and maintain top security clearance. With it, leaders can be informed and prepared.
Marc Hachey of Carleton is a retired senior RCMP officer who initiated the petition. Throughout his distinguished career, he worked on national security investigations, so he understands the risks we face.
The Leader of the Opposition has refused to seek top security clearance. He believes the less he knows about national security, the more effective he can be. Wilful ignorance does not make a leader; trust and intelligence do.
This issue is not going away. All federal party leaders, without exception, have an important role to play in national security, and that requires intelligence.