House of Commons photoLost his last election, in 2019, with 34% of the vote.
Public Safety February 9th, 2017
Mr. Speaker, I think the microphone was cut off before the hon. member could hear the end of my previous answer. Number one, we encourage anyone facing this situation to appeal through the normal processes, but number two, draw the circumstances and the facts with complete details to my attention and I will take those cases up with the U.S. administration.
Public Safety February 9th, 2017
Mr. Speaker, proper and appropriate treatment for all people from Canada seeking to enter the United States or any other country is a priority for this government.
Canadian citizenship and travel documents need to be respected. In this particular case, the office of the member for Brossard—Saint-Lambert has been in touch with the Canadian citizen who made this complaint. When we get full details of the circumstances, I will both encourage her to apply for the redress process, but also—
Public Safety February 8th, 2017
Mr. Speaker, the CBSA officers who are on duty at the 120 border crossing points that provide entry into Canada are well trained. They are professionals in what they do. They protect Canada in a front-line way. They process, quite literally, hundreds of thousands of potential travellers every day. They handle $2.5 billion in trade going both ways across our border every day. Canadians can count on their professionalism.
Public Safety February 8th, 2017
Mr. Speaker, we take the credibility and integrity of Canadian travel documents with great seriousness. A well-functioning border is essential to Canada's security and to our prosperity.
Alerts and notices pertaining to fraudulent documents are regularly distributed to border services officers and Canada Border Services Agency personnel to ensure that every traveller arriving in Canada has the right to enter in a legal and properly documented fashion, and if the documentation is not correct, then the entry is refused. We want to ensure the integrity of our border.
Public Safety February 6th, 2017
Mr. Speaker, what the hon. member does not seem to acknowledge is that NEXUS, on both sides of the border, is a discretionary program, entirely under the control of one government or the other, depending on which country they are in.
We are in the process of making sure, to the very best of our ability and capacity, that Canadians are treated fairly in all circumstances. Canadians themselves do have the benefit of the appeal procedure. They should avail themselves of that. However, they can be sure that their government is fighting for them too.
Public Safety February 6th, 2017
Mr. Speaker, all Canadian citizens with a valid Canadian passport should be treated at the border in the same way as before the executive order. It is our passport, not our NEXUS card, that establishes our status. NEXUS is a discretionary program to expedite processing. Each country has the right to withdraw the privilege. There are about 1.5 million people with NEXUS privileges. About 200 have been affected by the U.S. revocation. To the best of CBSA's information, none of them are Canadian citizens. We are working with our American counterparts to make sure that all Canadians are treated fairly.
Public Safety February 6th, 2017
Mr. Speaker, we all grieve with our fellow Quebec City Muslim citizens.
We are extending to March 31 the deadline for our security infrastructure program, which helps communities protect against hate-motivated crimes. This is on top of other enhancements to the program to cover a greater variety of security measures and to make it more widely accessible.
Most important, we must all continue working together to foster respect, solidarity, cohesion, and inclusion. There is no licence for hate in Canada.
Public Safety February 3rd, 2017
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has been very clear. Canadians expect this government to do two things equally well, first, to develop a good working relationship with our largest trading partner, and, second, to safeguard the values, the rights, and the privileges of Canadians. We will do both.
Public Safety February 3rd, 2017
Mr. Speaker, when I had the opportunity to speak to my new U.S. counterpart earlier this week, Secretary Kelly, I had the opportunity to discuss some of the elements of the executive order with him. I specifically raised the issue of the reference in the executive order to biometric screening and asked for further clarification from the United States with respect to that matter. Obviously, it is something that it is looking at toward the future, and we want to be completely informed about what it has in mind.
Public Safety February 3rd, 2017
Mr. Speaker, it was very clear right at the very beginning that a Canadian citizen, whatever their other national connections might be, with a Canadian passport has the same access to the United States that they have always had.
With respect to the NEXUS card, that is a special trusted traveller provision over and above the passport. We want to make sure that Canadians entitled to a NEXUS card, which is discretionary on both sides of the border, are in fact treated properly and fairly.