Mr. Speaker, of course all Canadians have the democratic right to express their point of view and to express dissent, but that must always be done within the parameters of the law. Violence in those circumstances is simply unacceptable.
House of Commons photoLost his last election, in 2019, with 34% of the vote.
Public Safety March 22nd, 2018
Mr. Speaker, of course all Canadians have the democratic right to express their point of view and to express dissent, but that must always be done within the parameters of the law. Violence in those circumstances is simply unacceptable.
Public Safety March 22nd, 2018
Mr. Speaker, the national security adviser is a public servant of long service to this country. He is a person who has served Canada, always, with honour and distinction.
I certainly hope, in the remarks directed by the members of the opposition, that they are not impugning the integrity of Mr. Jean.
Public Safety March 22nd, 2018
Mr. Speaker, I think the hon. gentleman is misreading his own motion.
The motion zeroes in on the question of the invitation. The member for Surrey Centre has accepted responsibility for putting forward the name. The name was a mistake. When the mistake was discovered, the invitation was rescinded.
In the motion, there is a reference to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. That explanation is completely consistent with the position taken by the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Public Safety March 22nd, 2018
Mr. Speaker, when we read the motion that is before the House today, it focuses upon the invitation that was issued with respect to Mr. Atwal. In fact, the facts with respect to that invitation are abundantly clear.
The name was put forward by the member for Surrey Centre. That was a mistake. When that mistake was discovered, the invitation was rescinded. By the way, that is entirely consistent in every respect with the remarks of the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Public Safety March 22nd, 2018
Mr. Speaker, the implications of the hon. gentleman's question in relation to Daniel Jean are truly unfortunate.
He is in fact a public servant of 30, 35 years duration. He has held every senior diplomatic and national security post in the Government of Canada. He has served this country with distinction his entire lifetime. His only motivation in the public service is defending the national interests of Canada.
Public Safety March 22nd, 2018
Mr. Speaker, the central issue raised in the motion that is before the House today has to do with the invitation that was extended to a certain individual.
The MP for Surrey Centre has taken responsibility for putting that name forward. When that mistake was discovered, the invitation was immediately rescinded. Those are the facts.
Public Safety March 21st, 2018
Mr. Speaker, public safety officers of all kinds, including particularly police officers, defend Canadians on the front lines in communities from coast to coast to coast. They deserve our unequivocal support and admiration for the work they do to keep Canadians safe. Of course, all members of this House support the RCMP in the important work they do for public safety.
Public Safety March 21st, 2018
Mr. Speaker, the point is that the travel documents have to be obtained. The hon. member cannot sort of skip over that step and pretend that it does not exist. We are working very diligently to get the travel documents and to work down the backlog. It is true, as I said yesterday, that this backlog peaked under the previous government, and we are working very hard to catch up.
Public Safety March 21st, 2018
Mr. Speaker, the issue is obviously one of being able to physically carry out the removal order. That means getting travel documents from other countries to facilitate the removal of the individual from Canada to that other country. We are using every conceivable leverage, among federal government departments, to obtain those documents. We are also consulting with international partners, including countries in the Five Eyes alliance, to make sure that we are using every tool domestically and internationally to get the travel documents, to get them—
Public Safety March 21st, 2018
Mr. Speaker, CBSA enforces removal orders as soon as that is physically possible and prioritizes, of course, the cases that involve security issues. An individual subject to a deportation order who poses a risk to the public can, in fact, be detained if that is necessary.
The issues generally involve the country of origin being unwilling to provide travel documents. CBSA is working with domestic and international partners, including the Five Eyes countries, to develop the best practices to secure those documents so that the removals can happen.