Mr. Speaker, I will endeavour to get the information as soon as I can and will give it to my colleague at a committee meeting.
House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2021, with 47% of the vote.
Protecting Victims From Sex Offenders Act December 7th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, I will endeavour to get the information as soon as I can and will give it to my colleague at a committee meeting.
Protecting Victims From Sex Offenders Act December 7th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, as I previously indicated, there was good co-operation from all members of the committee working together on this.
My colleague is right that there was some discussion about outside bodies requesting additional financing. Those discussions were taking place amongst the two levels of jurisdiction. At this point I am not certain as to what the final outcome was, but we certainly have not heard anything since from the body of which my colleague spoke.
I do not know whether or not those agreements are in place. I am certain that those discussions, if they have not been completed, will be finalized somewhere in the not too distant future.
Protecting Victims From Sex Offenders Act December 7th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank all members of the committee for their hard work on this bill. As I indicated in my speech, there was good co-operation from all members. Some amendments were made to the bill, which I believe strengthen it a great deal, and that was through the co-operation and support of all members of the committee.
In fact, the committee waited far too long to get this bill moving; the government could not wait any longer and the legislation was introduced. However, it did not affect the efficiency of the committee in dealing with it. As I said in my speech, all committee members worked diligently to make sure that this piece of legislation moved forward in its current stage. It is a piece of legislation that all parties can point to as being a good piece of legislation coming out of this session.
Protecting Victims From Sex Offenders Act December 7th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to have this opportunity to speak at the third reading of Bill S-2.
The significance of this bill cannot be overstated. It will help police prevent and investigate sex offences by having access to more complete information about convicted sex offenders. The result is quite simply that we can better protect our children, youth and adults.
Our government is committed to keeping Canadians safe and secure, and the legislation before us today is a crucial step forward in helping us meet that commitment. Most importantly, we want to give police the information and tools they need in order to do their jobs more effectively. This is an issue that affects all Canadians, young and old, in big cities or rural centres. We are all looking for a system that better protects communities against crimes of a sexual nature.
It is obvious from the support this legislation has received from hon. members that this is a priority for all of us. Together we are making a statement that the status quo is no longer acceptable and that the national sex offender registry must be strengthened.
We are saying that we are committed to both preventing sexual crimes and ensuring that police are aware of all convicted sex offenders in our communities so that they can carry out their investigative work more effectively.
Since coming into power in 2006, our government has made it a key priority to protect our citizens. We have acted decisively to crack down on crime and to ensure the safety and security of our neighbourhoods and communities.
In the 2010 Speech from the Throne, we told Canadians we would take action to protect the most vulnerable in our communities, and that is exactly what we will accomplish with Bill S-2.
The support we have seen for Bill S-2 from all hon. members shows that we all want the same thing: a Canada that is safer for everyone. That is certainly the message we have received from Canadians who have raised important questions about whether certain provisions of the justice system are as effective as they can be.
Canadians have also asked why we have a national sex offender registry that does not include all sex offenders and why we have a registry that, frankly, does not offer greater protection for the most vulnerable among us, our children.
Bill S-2 continues our work to address the concerns of Canadians by amending the Sex Offender Information Registration Act and the Criminal Code to provide Canadians with a national sex offender registry and a national DNA databank that will more effectively offer Canadians that kind of security. It responds to the concerns and recommendations from victims' groups and from our partners in the provinces and territories with whom we have consulted extensively on how we can make the registry truly effective.
The bill also responds to the concerns and recommendations of law enforcement agencies. It includes amendments put forward by both the government and the opposition that further address shortcomings in the existing legislation.
First and foremost, Bill S-2 will ensure that every person convicted of a sexual offence is added to the national sex offender registry automatically and that every person added to the registry will also be required to provide a DNA sample to the national DNA databank.
At present, convicted sex offenders are added to the registry only after an application is made by the Crown. This leaves open the possibility that offenders can challenge the application and, if successful, their names would not be included in the registry.
By making the registration of sex offenders automatically, Bill S-2 eliminates the chance that police may not have knowledge of all convicted sex offenders.
This legislation will also transform the national sex offender registry into a proactive tool for law enforcement agencies. As it exists now, police can access information in the registry only after a sexual crime has been committed in order to help them investigate who may be responsible. This is certainly useful in bringing offenders to justice, but it does little to prevent crime.
With these changes in place, for example, if police see suspicious activity at a community centre, a shopping mall or a school yard, they will be able to access the registry in order to prevent a potential crime of a sexual nature. They will be able to find out whether the person involved is a registered sex offender and obtain other information to assist them in their work.
Since this bill was first introduced in the House, several other amendments have been made to strengthen the legislation. For example, officials will be authorized to include new information in the database, such as a registered sex offender's method of operating in relation to the offence. This would provide police with valuable information regarding how a sex offender carried out his or her crime and any unique aspects in this regard, which could help them identify potential suspects in a case more quickly and effectively.
Another change is a provision regarding vehicle registration information. I am sure we have all heard or seen reports of threatened or actual sex offences where the police have little to go on beyond a vague description of the vehicle involved, such as a white car with four doors or a dark brown van.
We have also seen how a detailed description of the vehicle used by an offender can lead to a quick arrest. With this change in place, registered sex offenders will be required to report the make, model, year, body type and colour of any vehicle registered in their names and any other vehicles that they may use on a regular basis, such as a company car or truck.
Bill S-2 also includes a provision that would allow travel notifications to police in other jurisdictions when a registered sex offender is travelling through or to their area. This is particularly important with respect to high-risk sex offenders.
This also includes the notification of police in other countries, in keeping with our international responsibility with regard to sex tourism and the protection of our children abroad. In this regard, Bill S-2 also includes provisions to include in the national sex offender registry individuals who have been convicted of sex offences abroad and then returned to Canada. These measures requiring proper sharing of information are significant improvements over the existing legislation. They would further ensure the registry is truly useful in protecting public safety.
Bill S-2 is an important piece of legislation, and the time has come to pass this bill and show Canadians that we are serious about ensuring their safety. This bill would ensure all sex offenders who should be on the national sex offender registry are on the registry, and it would provide police with the information they need to protect our children and other valuable members of our society from sex offences before they occur.
Bill S-2 is a thorough and effective response to legitimate concerns and recommendations that have been expressed by police, by victims' rights groups, by our provincial and territorial partners and by Canadians. I ask all hon. members to unanimously support Bill S-2 and help our government fulfill this pledge to Canadians to protect our most vulnerable from harm.
Air India December 3rd, 2010
Mr. Speaker, meaningful solutions to complex problems take time and great effort.
This government has done what no previous government has done, recognizing this as an attack on Canadians that should never have happened. We are committed to fixing the security gaps that allowed this terrible act of terror to occur in the first place.
Mr. Speaker, the vast majority of Canadians pay all taxes owing. In turn, Canadians expect the CRA to ensure that everyone pays their taxes, something we take very seriously. The CRA uses audits, education, research, international collaboration and public information to combat international tax evasion and find tax cheaters.
We encourage Canadians to disclose all their income. We are telling taxpayers, “Come to us before we come to you”. The consequences of tax evasion are serious.
We will continue to focus on addressing non-compliance. Canadians expect the CRA to ensure a level playing field for everyone and this government supports the CRA in this endeavour.
Mr. Speaker, combatting aggressive international tax planning is a priority for the Canada Revenue Agency. Since this government came to power, we have stepped up our emphasis on such activities.
To combat tax havens and other forms of aggressive tax planning, the CRA continuously adapts its approach to meet a changing socio-economic environment. To do this, the CRA takes on initiatives that may sometimes lead to fluctuations in its workforce and funding over time. As well, changes in workforce reporting criteria sometimes result in perceived fluctuations when in fact our workforce has not changed.
Our agility in adapting to changes in society and the economy is crucial in the fight against tax cheating. Unpaid taxes mean fewer funds for health care, child tax benefits, employment insurance and pensions. The CRA aggressively pursues international tax avoidance and evasion, including individuals who hide their incomes in offshore accounts and fail to report it.
The government has committed an additional $30 million annually since 2005-06 to address aggressive tax planning. The CRA has increased audit coverage of aggressive international tax planning with concrete results. Last year, the CRA uncovered over $1.9 billion in unpaid federal tax from Canadians involved in aggressive tax planning.
The CRA works with its international partners in many forums such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the Joint International Tax Shelter Information Centre. As a result, the CRA uncovers more individuals hiding income to avoid taxes. We have 87 tax treaties. We also have many tax information exchange agreements with countries that assist us in combatting tax evasion.
The CRA operates 11 centre of expertise across Canada, where audit professionals focus on uncovering aggressive international tax planning. Our work on aggressive tax planning is having a major impact. For example, in 2006-07, the CRA reassessed about 14,600 individuals and identified $1.4 billion in additional taxes. In 2007-08 we reassessed over 20,000 individuals who participated in unacceptable tax shelter gifting arrangements, resulting in over $335 million in taxes. In 2008-09 we audited over 35,600 Canadians who tried to avoid paying taxes. These audits identified nearly $1.5 billion in taxes.
The CRA has revoked the registration of 39 charities for participating in abusive tax shelters. When the CRA uncovers cases of tax evasion, the individual or business involved is required to pay all taxes owing, plus interest and penalties. If convicted, individuals could spend up to five years in jail and pay court-imposed fines of up to 200% of the tax they sought to evade. This is on top of the taxes, interest and penalties they would owe from the CRA's reassessment.
Mr. Speaker, before I complete the rest of my response, I would like to congratulate my colleague across the aisle. He has taken part in Movember month, and my understanding is this is the last we will see of him with a moustache. He has raised $7,000 for a very worthwhile charity. I congratulate him.
Mr. Speaker, our government has complete confidence in the CNSC. We have no doubt that the CNSC decision will safeguard the health, safety, and security of Canadians.
Thirty thousand Canadians are employed in Canada's nuclear industry, many of them in highly skilled, well-paying jobs.
Our government is a strong supporter of this industry, which has operated safely in Canada for more than 50 years, providing much of our electricity supply.
In all of our activities, our first priority is always the health and safety of Canadians. In the CNSC, we have a strong and independent regulator that plays a vital role in overseeing this priority at nuclear sites across the country.
We want to help Canada's nuclear industry succeed in its ultimate goal of providing a reliable, safe, and emissions-free source of power at home and worldwide. This goal is--
Mr. Speaker, as members know, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, Canada's nuclear regulator, has received an application from Bruce Power for a licence to transport 16 steam generators to Sweden in order to recycle 90% of the metal.
I am told that the application clearly indicates the generators can be safely transported and that all steps are being taken to ensure the shipment poses no risks to the public or the environment. The contaminated material is entirely contained within the generators, which have been sealed.
As well, I understand the level of radioactivity sealed inside each of the generators is extremely low.
Still, concerns have been expressed. As a government that is committed to ensuring the protection of the public, the workers, and the environment, we understand that these concerns must be taken seriously and be addressed.
That is why the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, a quasi-judicial administrative tribunal, held, and streamed via webcast, its public hearings that were held on September 28 and 29 to consider Bruce Power's application. The commission heard from 77 members of the public.
The CNSC commissioners also heard from their own experts, both in terms of their assessment of the Bruce application and their response to issues raised by intervenors.
Following the September hearings, and after careful analyses, the commissioners requested that CNSC staff undertake an additional analysis of a few specific issues, which was in turn sent to the participants, inviting them to provide further comments by November 22, 2010. The commission is continuing its deliberations on the application.
Our government has confidence in the decisions of the CNSC as an independent regulator. The commission has a long and distinguished track record in making objective science- and risk-based decisions.
In fact, a recent independent assessment conducted on the International Atomic Energy Agency determined that CNSC does an effective job in carrying out its role.
I want to remind my hon. colleague that CNSC is an arm's-length regulator. This means that we must allow it to make this decision, which will ensure the safeguard of the health, safety, and security of Canadians.
The government recognizes how important the nuclear industry is to Canada and Canadians. The industry creates thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic activity.
We are committed to strengthening Canada's nuclear advantage and ensuring that nuclear generation remains a viable option for emissions-free power at home and worldwide. As part of that, we are committed to responsible, effective, and efficient regulation of the industry. The nuclear industry is a carefully regulated industrial sector.
We have a strong and modern legislative framework in place, including the Nuclear Safety and Control Act, the Nuclear Fuel Waste Act, and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. The CNSC will only license nuclear facilities and activities that are environmentally responsible and safe.
We will also continue to move forward on the policy initiatives to build public confidence in the industry and position it for growth. For instance, we are moving forward with the modernization of our nuclear liability legislation.
We will continue to monitor the activities of the Nuclear Waste Management Organization as it moves forward on long-term management of Canada's spent nuclear fuel.
We will also advance our own long-term waste management strategies, which are the Port Hope area initiative and the nuclear legacy liabilities program.
We want a nuclear industry that is strong, clean, and safe, and the CNSC will continue to pay a vital role in achieving this.
Madam Speaker, I would say to my colleague across the way that there were more than 20,000 security partners involved. They included members of the Ontario Provincial Police, Toronto Police Service, Peel Regional Police, the Town of Huntsville, the District Municipality of Muskoka and the Township of Lake of Bays.
The reimbursement of these expenses falls under the security cost framework policy, which covers incremental and justifiable security-related costs incurred by provincial and municipal security partners.
These security partners have until December 1, 2010, to submit their final claim to Public Safety Canada, which manages and administers the policy. Provincial and municipal security partners have advised that they are in the process of compiling all invoices of suppliers as well as all personnel costs involved, and an independent third party will audit those before they are paid.