Grant Hill

[Terrorism, October 17th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, if the minister does not believe the RCMP, who does she believe? Its own counterterrorism force says that false refugee claimants committing fraud and theft in Canada is the modus operandi for terrorist cells in Canada. Her actions to date have done nothing to prevent this.

How can the government claim it is doing enough to stop terrorism when it still will not deal with this problem at its roots?

[Terrorism, October 17th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday Sergeant Philippe Lapierre of the RCMP's counterterrorism section said at a conference on money laundering in Montreal that terrorists in Canada follow a pattern. First they apply for refugee status. Then they apply for welfare and health cards. Next they get involved in theft and financial crime. Finally they try to launder the money through legal businesses.

What measures has the government taken to prevent false refugee claimants from committing their crimes in Canada?

[Terrorism, October 2nd, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, members of this caucus did vote against the bill because frankly it is too weak.

It is now clear that there are far too many weaknesses in the legislation the government has introduced to reform our refugee system.

Will the minister encourage the Senate to return Bill C-11 to the House of Commons for consolidation and improvement by the elected representatives of the people?

[Terrorism, October 2nd, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about a specific from Bill C-11.

Bill C-11 calls for refugee claims to be referred within 72 hours but the department does not have the resources to meet this goal. When it tried to do a pilot project, this is what happened: “There are no facilities to keep them. Some of the people slept outside with a blanket”. That is from the people who conducted the pilot.

Will the minister admit that she does not have the resources to do what the bill promises to do?

[Multiculturalism, October 1st, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said that we are supposed to stand shoulder to shoulder with the United States. The minister was shoulder to shoulder with these comments. She sat there and said nothing.

My question is directed to the Prime Minister. Why does he continue to support this minister?

[Multiculturalism, October 1st, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the conference where the multiculturalism minister stood and listened to the applause beside Sunera Thobani is a terrible thing for all of Canada. Listen to what this individual said: “The west for 500 years has believed that it could slaughter people into submission”. The minister just sat there.

My question for the minister is straightforward. Why did she not immediately stand and disavow these comments?

[Terrorism, September 28th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the briefing book says that and the minister keeps saying it but CSIS says something different.

It has been 18 days since this terrible act of terrorism and there has been no action on anti-terrorism legislation, no action on air marshals and no action on tightening up our deportation system.

What will it take for the government to really take some action?

[Terrorism, September 28th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, it is a shame that Canadians had to read in their newspapers this morning that CSIS, the minister's own department, says that al-Jihad is operating here in Canada.

Why do they have to learn from their morning newspapers that there is a Canadian connection instead of from the minister who should really be the one to tell them that we have these sorts of problems?

[Terrorism, September 28th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the solicitor general has been loath to admit that there is a Canadian connection to international terrorism. Now we find that CSIS believes that al-Jihad has been operating in Canada in support of bin Laden and his terrorist efforts.

Will the solicitor general fess up to the fact that there is a Canadian connection?

[Terrorism, September 21st, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the evidence was very plain. This man was apprehended with a false Canadian passport and false documents. He was turned over to Canadian authorities by the U.S. What did they do with him? They let him out on bail and in the interim he may have been involved.

Once again, and this is in the broad context now, not about this specific individual, how does releasing an individual like this help us in the war against terrorism? How?