Rahim Jaffer

[National Security, October 4th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, premiers are calling for action on our border. Employers and investors are calling for action on our border. U.S. senators are calling for action. In fact yesterday one held up an orange traffic cone to show the level of security at some border points at night. Americans will not be satisfied if the government continues to ignore the problem.

Will the Prime Minister take action today by convening a federal-provincial summit on the border?

[Petitions, October 3rd, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition that I would like to present to the House today. It is from the Falun Gong-Falun Dafa organizations across the country. A number of constituents from my riding and surrounding Edmonton are calling on parliament to form part of Canada's SOS!Rescue Team to basically go to China and insist that the torturing and killing of the people who practise Falun Gong and Falun Dafa stop, and that all Falun Gong practitioners and Lin Shenli be freed now.

[Canada—Costa Rica Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, October 2nd, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to be recorded as voting yea to this motion.

[National Security, October 1st, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, Americans have been informed and reassured of their government's plans and actions. Yet here in Canada our government sits silent fostering economic uncertainty. During this silence the American attitude toward our border is souring, jeopardizing thousands of Canadian jobs linked to U.S. trade.

Once again, is the government in favour of creating a security perimeter with the United States, yes or no?

[National Security, October 1st, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, thousands of Canadian jobs have been lost due to economic slowdown. The government can prevent the loss of thousands of more jobs by fortifying our trade links with the United States through a security perimeter. Over 80% of Canadians are in favour of creating a security perimeter.

Will the Prime Minister state his position on the security perimeter today in the House rather than at a Liberal fundraiser or on CNN?

[National Security, September 27th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, it is 17 days and counting and the minister has yet to reveal a plan to secure our borders.

Bill S-23 expedites trade but it does nothing to address the shortage of personnel, resources and laws required to properly secure our borders. Hopefully the minister reassured the U.S. ambassador last night. He now needs to reassure Canadians. What is his anti-terrorism plan?

[National Security, September 27th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, last night the revenue minister met with the U.S. ambassador. The United States is moving to create a secure perimeter with or without Canada. Our trade dependency dictates that we must be within that perimeter.

What, if any, concrete assurances did the minister give Ambassador Cellucci to ensure that Canada does not end up on the outside looking in?

[Terrorism, September 26th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the opposition is concerned about the safety of the customs officers, unlike the government.

Attorney General Ashcroft announced an increase in border officials to enforce security at the Canadian border because the border has become, and I quote, “a transit point for several individuals involved in terrorism”.

The government has stated that Canada is providing adequate screening to keep potential terrorists out of Canada.

If this is true, then why is the U.S. so concerned about individuals involved in terrorism going from Canada to the U.S.?

[Terrorism, September 26th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, Canadian customs officers have the responsibility to detain criminal code offenders, just like police officers, yet they lack the tools, such as sidearms and Kevlar vests. In fact it took the charity of New York state police officers to supply our officers with the much needed bulletproof vests.

What specific resources is the minister prepared to give customs officers in order to protect Canadians and themselves in the war against terrorism?

[Terrorism, September 21st, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the words of the U.S. administration should be setting off alarm bells at the PMO. Colin Powell criticized our border integrity. President Bush has stated that the most important relationship the U.S. has is with Mexico. Last night he stated that the U.S. has no truer friend than Great Britain. Canada once enjoyed these designations.

With billions of dollars in trade and thousands of Canadian jobs contingent upon our trading relationship with the U.S., what measures has the Prime Minister actually taken to strengthen Canada's borders and fortify our trade links?