House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2000, with 56% of the vote.
Justice October 8th, 1996
They are measures we are sure will strengthen our ability to halt the kind of unacceptable material to which I know the member and I do not want to see our society exposed.
Those are only two of the many measures we have taken to fulfil our commitment in the red book.
Justice October 8th, 1996
Second, the justice committee has produced a paper which identifies a variety of strategies to deal with violence and pornography in television and movies and the entertainment industry.
Justice October 8th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, two concrete measures come immediately to mind. We have taken these measures to do exactly what we said we would do.
First, working with my colleague, the Minister of Industry and his blue ribbon panel on the information highway, we are looking at specific measures we can take with the international community to deal with violence and pornography on the Internet.
Justice October 8th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, it was just those concerns that lead the government to consult and then produce Bill C-55 which was tabled in the House some two weeks ago.
Through Bill C-55 changes were proposed to the criminal justice system that will enable us to take that burden from the shoulders of police. This will be done by enabling sentencing judges, in the cases of repeat sexual offenders, to impose not only a prison term but to ensure that at the end of that prison term there is an appropriate period of supervision in the community to safeguard the interests of Canadians and their families.
After the sex offender is out of prison at the end of the sentence, there will be a period during which the offender will have to report, if appropriate, to police, let authorities know of the whereabouts of the offender, continue treatment if that is required and even in the appropriate cases wear an electronic monitor. That is the most effective way to deal with this threat to our security.
Immigration October 7th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, no, that is not so. A lot of the success achieved in the last year or two has resulted directly from the integrated efforts of the Akwesasne Mohawk police, the RCMP, the Sûreté du Québec, the Ontario Provincial Police and the New York state police. Together, those five forces have combined efforts to make real progress in intercepting and diminishing the extent of smuggling.
The government accepts its responsibility and takes it very seriously. I assure the hon. member that its efforts to reduce and diminish the kind of illegal activity to which he has referred will very much continue.
Immigration October 7th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, the tragedy that occurred last week demonstrates there is illegal activity going on. With a border the length of ours with the United States it is not surprising that there is illegal activity.
Over the past three years, with the investment the government has made in the anti-smuggling initiative, every available effort has been made to try to reduce the extent of illegal activity.
I should also draw attention to the fact that the Prime Minister and the President of United States recently entered into an accord with respect to patrolling the border pursuant to which authorities in both countries share information and meet regularly to develop co-ordinated strategies to diminish illegal activities across the border.
They will never be entirely eliminated but last week's tragedy demonstrates the urgency of our continued effort. It is to that continued effort that this government is committed.
Smuggling October 4th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, I can only assure the hon. member that the RCMP take their responsibilities very seriously. Their resources were supplemented almost three years ago with the anti-smuggling initiative.
The border is never going to be entirely beyond the commission of offences. It is a 3,000 mile border and it is an open border. The hon. member knows the level of difficulty in policing it all.
We believe that the RCMP are doing as effective a job as they can under difficult circumstances and the government's resolve to do everything possible against smuggling is quite clear.
Smuggling October 4th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, I can assure the hon. member that the RCMP are very much directly involved in efforts, not only in that area but across our border to deal with efforts to smuggle and to break Canadian laws.
Last weekend the solicitor general and I hosted a forum on organized crime in Canada. The forum was attended by representatives of police forces, provincial governments, prosecutors, defence counsel and working police officers. We reviewed not only the present state of the situation but also specific measures that can be taken to give police additional tools in their efforts to combat organized crime.
Arising from that conference, together with the government's demonstrated resolve to deal effectively with smuggling, I am certain that we will have even more effective steps in the months ahead to deal with this problem.
Smuggling October 4th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, it was a tragedy the other evening when lives were lost in an illegal attempt to smuggle people across the border.
The hon. member knows that any such activity is a criminal offence under the present laws of Canada, that the RCMP work closely with the American immigration and naturalization service. Every effort is made to discourage, detect and to prosecute this unlawful activity.
The reality is that some three years ago, the government created the anti-smuggling initiative which represented an increased investment of funds and people into the resources of the RCMP and related services to deal with smuggling in general, including the smuggling of people.
Our resolve in that regard continues. We shall do everything we can to detect and to prosecute such illegal activity.
Justice October 2nd, 1996
Mr. Speaker, I have met with Darlene Boyd. I have spoken to her directly about this issue. I saw for myself the enormous tragedy she has had to endure and live through.
I know I speak for all members of this House when I say our hearts go out to Darlene Boyd and to others who find themselves facing those types of tragedies.
If the hon. member and his colleagues in the Reform Party would co-operate with us and support Bill C-45, as I urge them to do, we will change the provisions of the Criminal Code so that before anyone who is in custody can bring such an application they would first have to have it screened by a judge of a superior court to demonstrate, and they would bear the onus, that there is a reasonable prospect of their success in front of a jury.
Second, they would have to persuade a jury unanimously, as opposed to the present two-thirds rule, that they should be given permission to apply early to the parole board.
I believe those changes allow us to retain this provision, which has been part of criminal law for 20 years, while improving it and ensuring that it is available only in exceptional cases. I urge the member to join us in passing that legislation.