Lynn Myers

[Organized Crime, September 20th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, as you know, the member opposite has gone on repeatedly about this project. He knows full well that the Security Intelligence Review Committee has conducted a review. I am pleased to report to the House today that review is now complete and has been submitted to the solicitor general.

There are three points in that submission that I would like to refer to all members of the House. The first is that there was no political interference as alleged in the media. The second is the draft report in fact was deeply flawed. The third is that no evidence of any substantial nature was part of that draft report. This is good news for all of us. It underscores—

[Organized Crime, September 18th, 2000]

Absolutely rubbish.

[Organized Crime, September 18th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite really should get his facts straight. Less histrionics and more facts.

The facts are quite simple. We as a government have repeatedly injected resources and money not only into the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, but into CPIC which is something I am familiar with given my police background. We have injected funds into immigration, into revenue, into the ports of entry and others. We have done all kinds of things with respect to assisting in this very important area.

Have we done enough? No, we have not. There are additional things that we need to do in terms of co-operation, for example, with our provincial and territorial partners. Have we done enough with respect to making it seamless with respect to the police services across Canada, at the local, regional, provincial or federal levels? No, we have not and we need to do more. Will we do more? Yes, we will.

The member opposite should listen instead of fearmongering and trying to upset Canadians, as those people opposite are always so prone to do. It is their forte to always try to pit region against region, people against people and province against province. Instead of the politics of negativity, they should talk about what is positive and what we in the Government of Canada are doing that is positive. They should listen. They should get their facts straight and they should proceed accordingly.

[Organized Crime, September 18th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I listened to the member opposite with some but not a great deal of interest.

What really has me on my feet is the allegation that he is trying to make with respect to party funds. If he has any allegations to make, he should make them to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. If you have any, you make them directly and you then take it outside and make them outside. Because if you do not, you do not have the fortitude to repeat what you just said in this Chamber out there.

[Organized Crime, September 18th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, my, my, my, the Bloc members are touchy tonight. They are very sensitive. They can dish it out but they cannot seem to take it. I do not need to be lectured on constitutional law. I know exactly what constitutional law is in Canada.

I do know that if the Canadian government and the justice minister and the solicitor general proceeded without meeting in Quebec in the next couple of days, those people opposite would be screaming to high heaven. They would be saying that once again they are victims, that once again they have been left out, that once again they have been cut off from the Canadian mainstream. They would be up on their high horse going into all kinds of pretzel-like gyrations.

The point is that in the next couple of days we are proceeding to go with the Quebec counterparts, ensuring that we work in a co-operative fashion. The hon. member cannot seem to get that through his head. He should rethink his position, tone it down and think through what he is saying, instead of getting all emotional and proceeding in a ludicrous way. But that is fine. Perhaps it is part and parcel of who he is.

All I am saying is that the government, the justice minister and the solicitor general have made it very clear. We will be dealing with this issue with our provincial and territorial partners in an effective way. We will make sure that we continue to work in a way which is consistent with Canadian values which are fundamental to the country.

[Organized Crime, September 18th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I take the justice system of the country very seriously. I know that around the world it is regarded as second to none in terms of what it represents not only for jurisprudence in this country but on international levels as well.

I also take the charter of rights and freedoms, what was signed into law in April 1982, very seriously. I know that all Canadians do as well because it is a defining value which underscores the very essence of what it means to be a Canadian.

I also know that due process of law is fundamental. For Canadians it is something that they not only want but something that Canadians from coast to coast to coast expect us as a parliament and as a government to ensure is in place in a manner consistent with the values and the foundations of the country.

What I do know is that last week the justice minister and the solicitor general were in Iqaluit. They have met with provincial and territorial partners to ensure that we look at this very important program and this very important situation vis-à-vis organized crime. They will be meeting in the next little while in Quebec to ensure that there are ongoing discussions because unlike the Bloc leader who tried to paint it simply as a federal jurisdiction, that is the criminal code, it really is a shared responsibility between the jurisdictions. I was quite astounded frankly at his naivety.

That aside, it is important that we work together with our provincial and territorial counterparts and that we do so in a manner consistent with what Canadians expect from their government, in a manner consistent with the underlying values of freedom, the charter, due process of law and justice for all Canadians.

[Organized Crime, September 18th, 2000]

Listen to the member of the Alliance saying “Hogwash”. Imagine. He does not understand the charter. He would not know diddly-squat about the charter and the rights and freedoms of individuals if he fell over them. He does not understand any of that. The Alliance people have no regard for the individual rights and freedoms of people. They would have us all become monoliths just like they are. We will have no part of that.

For the Bloc leader to go on at length and talk about destroying the rights of individuals was astounding to hear. One would have thought that party would have had a better position when it comes to something as fundamental as our great charter of rights and freedoms, something that is envied around the world, something of which we should be proud, something we should stand up for and defend at every opportunity, and something we all can hold near and dear to our hearts.

We heard the justice minister today and repeat again tonight that she will do everything that is required to ensure that we do not succumb to the scourge of criminal activity and organized crime. She said categorically that we on the government side will ensure that the kinds of measures will be in place that are required in this all important area. The reason she did that is because that is what Canadians want. They want a government to act when required. They want rights protected. They want criminals brought to justice and victims in that sense helped and assisted.

We on the government side are prepared to do that unlike members opposite. If we listen very carefully to their speeches they offered not one solution. All they did was go on about problems, circumstances and situations. They offered not one solution, unlike those of us on the government side.

We have added money to CPIC. We have beefed up the airports in terms of security. We have added a great deal of resources to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. We have continued on our immigration track in terms of making sure that we have the money in place and the resources necessary to ensure that we keep criminals out of this great country of ours as best we can in a fashion that is in keeping with what the Canadian people want. We have produced the tangible evidence required by the government to ensure that safety and security are in place.

Is this perfect? Absolutely not. Is it all we can do? Absolutely not. Is there more to do? Absolutely yes. We need to carry on doing the kinds of things required to ensure that organized crime as we know it is eradicated as best we can, given the circumstances in which we find ourselves. That we will continue to do.

We heard the Minister of Justice along with the Solicitor General of Canada say that those efforts will be taken in a meaningful and consistent way in recognition of the charter and the fundamental rights and freedoms all Canadians enjoy. That seems to escape some members opposite. It seems to escape them that it is not always a world of black and white as they would like to portray. Rather, there are nuances and things that have to be considered and weighed. As a government that is precisely and exactly what we are doing. I would argue, given my experience, my background and my knowledge in this area, that is the appropriate way to proceed. I commend the government. I am proud to be part of a government that does so in that kind of concerted and proper way.

If through legislation we require additional tools to assist our police to stop money laundering or to bring into place agreements to pool enforcement agencies between local, regional, provincial and federal—in this case the Royal Canadian Mounted Police—then we should get on with it. We know those are the kinds of things that may need to be done and we are prepared to do them.

We know that there needs to be an effective sharing of information and intelligence among all levels of police across Canada. We need to provide it in a seamless way where instead of jurisdictional tugs and pulls there would be a concerted effort to make sure that knowledge is shared and people act as one when it comes to this all important area.

I will take a little time to briefly outline some of the arrangements that are in place right as we speak to ensure that there is enforcement, co-ordination and intelligence sharing and to make sure that takes place among all partners in the fight against organized crime.

Intelligence and information on crime groups and their activities are the foundation of effective enforcement. We know that and we know that exists. We need that kind of intelligence and information sharing. That is what is used by police to determine what groups or activities impose threats to Canadians and to the Canadian system, the Canadian economic way of life, and indeed the morality of the country for that matter.

Police use this information to set priorities and target their resources so that they have the greatest impact given the resources at hand. Intelligence and this information are together the primary building block in anti-organized crime enforcement.

The Criminal Intelligence Service of Canada was formed in 1966. It is a national organization that links the criminal intelligence units and the Canadian law enforcement agencies in fighting the spread of organized crime. CISC is comprised of a central bureau located in Ottawa in the RCMP and a network of nine counterpart bureaux in the provinces, again in keeping with that kind of co-ordination fanning out into various regions and provinces across this great country.

Currently more than 120 police forces contribute intelligence information to the CISC network. The structure and the computer network help police and other enforcement agencies to share information and co-ordinate action on organized crime across the country. This is important because it ensures that we work together and we work co-operatively.

There is another point I want to make and that is co-ordinated enforcement. Individual agencies cannot expect to tackle organized groups by themselves. That is impossible. It is much better to bring in a number of jurisdictions at any point in time. By bringing together agencies from a number of jurisdictions, police widen and strengthen the enforcement net. It also allows diverse skills, talents, expertise and knowledge to be brought to bear at once to mutual benefit for all.

A good example of co-ordinated enforcement can be found in the 13 integrated proceeds of crime units established in the RCMP in 1997 as a result of legislation, I might point out, and the good judgment of this government. These units combine the resources and expertise of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; local, regional and provincial police officers; Canada Customs and Revenue officers; crown counsel; and forensic accountants to target and seize the proceeds of crime of organized criminal groups.

The units have seized more than $140 million in criminal assets so far. That is important because it underscores the commitment of the Government of Canada in this all important area.

In the greater Toronto area the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Ontario Provincial Police and the Toronto, Peel and York regional services work together in a number of joint force initiatives aimed at combating national and international organized crime groups. These include a combined forces Asian investigative unit, a combined forces special enforcement unit and a combined forces Toronto integrated intelligence unit.

The units are co-ordinated by the RCMP and have had some very major successes against national and international crime groups. The bust of a multimillion dollar international debit and credit card fraud ring in Toronto last year is one example.

A number of other important joint force initiatives have been developed and led by provincial governments and police as well. The Quebec government has created an anti-biker gang squad based in major cities throughout the province. These squads are currently operating in Montreal, Quebec City and the Outaouais region. They are comprised of provincial and municipal officers and the RCMP.

In Ontario there is a special squad of the Ontario Provincial Police that cracks down on biker gangs. This OPP squad works with the RCMP, the criminal intelligence service in Ontario and 16 local police services. It gathers intelligence and executes enforcement actions aimed at larger and growing outlaw biker gangs.

I could go on in this area in terms of what the government is doing and what our police services across this great country are doing. Do we need to do more? Absolutely. Must we do more? We absolutely must and we will.

At the end of the day we will work co-operatively together. We will ensure that we work in partnership in a seamless way to ensure the safety and security which Canadians repeatedly over the history of this great country have taken for granted. We will do so in an effective way that underscores the commitment not only of the justice minister and the solicitor general but of all members of the government who ensure and want to ensure that Canadians feel safe and secure in their homes. We will ensure that we do not take for granted the kind of law and order system that we have, but rather that we work concertively along with everyone in the House to ensure that Canadians have the best enforcement system possible, given the resources at hand and the priorities underlined, to ensure that we do the right thing and to ensure that we have safety and security not only for individual Canadians but for their families and for the country.

[Organized Crime, September 18th, 2000]

I certainly withdraw the shoe from the member's foot.

What I want to say has to do with gun control. We actually listened to the justice critic say—and my head was spinning at this point thinking he could actually believe this—that if the gun control legislation was as good as it was purported to be—and I am paraphrasing here—Mr. Auger might have been spared the danger and the five bullets. I had to think about that for a minute because that really is twisted logic. If one really comes down to the brass tacks of it all, it is twisted logic.

What I would say instead is that what we have in place with respect to gun control is something that the vast majority of Canadians support. The reason they support it is because they know it is an effective tool for the police, for CPIC and for Canadians wherever they live in the country in terms of the reduction of crime. It is a Canadian value. It defines us differently than our neighbours, for example, to the south.

Along with their NRA friends, Mr. Heston, the Michigan Militia Corps, the minutemen and those right wing nutbars that exist in the states, the Alliance members actually counsel people to break the law and not register.

If we had the reverse where people had registered their guns, if we had the Alliance members helping in this regard as opposed to hindering it and dragging their feet as they have been doing over the last number of years, we would have had in place a system that would have worked.

I reverse that and say shame on them for not bringing safety and security to something that not only the police chiefs of the nation endorse but the association of police as well. They should know and recognize that as being something fundamental to the country. They should be proud to do that as opposed to the shameful way they have conducted themselves with respect to this whole gun control issue.

We also heard the leader of the Bloc, with great sarcasm and great mockery, take on the whole business of the constitution and the charter of rights and freedoms that all Canadians enjoy. I had to absolutely wonder where he was coming from. Is that in keeping with the wishes of the people of Quebec? Is that in keeping with the wishes of the people of Canada in terms of our great charter of rights and freedoms, that great document that helps define us as a people and unite us as a nation?

[Organized Crime, September 18th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I am not sure which part of my speech the member took umbrage with. I assume it was when I called them extremist right wingers. I suppose that is where he was most upset, but if the shoe fits I suppose he can wear it and I am sure he does.

The other point I wanted to make with respect to the justice critic from the Alliance—

[Organized Crime, September 18th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I will begin my remarks by saying that organized crime is a very serious situation. I want to emphasize not only to the House but to all Canadians that the Government of Canada, the justice minister, the solicitor general, the Prime Minister and all members of our caucus take this, as I am sure all members of parliament do, in a very serious fashion.

I can tell the House that with my police background I have attended many conferences and was involved in many situations where this was discussed. We looked at this in a very concerted way trying to determine what exactly should be done in this area. We wanted to bring together partners from across Canada and from all levels of government: provincial, federal, territorial, municipal, regional and others, so we could operate effectively and ensure that the kind of policing, policies and laws that we put in place would work in concert to ensure that the scourge of organized crime would be diminished if not eradicated.

I take this very seriously. I, along with the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, was in the Ukraine and Russia not so long ago where they have huge problems with respect to organized crime and the criminal element. It is of grave concern, especially as it relates to Canada in terms of people trying to get into our country and trying to contaminate the very fine country we have.

We need to redouble our efforts in terms of making sure that our borders in that sense are safe and secure so that our Canadians, no matter where they live in this country, are safe and secure, not only themselves but their families as well.

I will take a moment to recap some of things that have been said in the Chamber tonight. We of course heard the member for Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough lead off with respect to this motion. He made some very interesting comments.

However, the one thing that I take a little exception to is the fact that he said we should look to the United States for a template in terms of how to manage this problem. That really is outrageous when we think about it. The Americans have high crime rates, high murder rates and whole inner cities that have given up as result of criminal activity. People are now living in suburbs with walls around them. The Americans, I say with all due respect to the member, are hardly an example for us to emulate. In fact, they are the worst example.

I also want to point out that during the 1997 election the Progressive Conservative Party actually campaigned, and members of his party were elected as a result of campaigning, on reducing the budget by $83 million in this all important area. I think it is fair to say that it is a little disingenuous for him to get up tonight and say that we should be putting in more money when he campaigned on quite the opposite.

We were also treated to the justice critic for the Alliance getting up and talking about things like not having laws in place to keep criminals out of Canada. I want to again make reference to the Ukraine and Russia where I was not so long ago with the minister. I can tell the member that he, as are all those Alliance members, is point blank wrong. There are in fact laws in place. The minister has made it very clear that people who are undesirable coming to this country will not be admitted. Those directions and operations were given concertedly and with great and due diligence.

The members of the Alliance who keep perpetuating these myths should really take a look in the mirror and give their heads a shake and try to determine why they keep perpetuating this kind of nonsense. What they should do is read the laws. They should understand what the laws stand for and how best to implement them instead of the fearmongering that they are so good at doing. Those extremists opposite with their right wing agenda are always trying to stir up Canadians and pit people against—