Rosane Doré Lefebvre

[Public Safety, February 26th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, we are not the ones introducing a flawed bill; it is the Conservatives. I am wondering what they are trying to hide when it comes to this bill.

Six young people left Quebec last month to go to Syria. The authorities believe that they joined jihadist groups. Everyone here shares in the pain of the parents and of the father who did everything he could to stop the children from going. Canadian communities and families now feel as though they have been left to fend for themselves.

President Obama has a real plan to fight radicalization in the United States. Why are the Conservatives doing nothing to help parents who are concerned about the radicalization of their children?

[Public Safety, February 25th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' lack of credibility can also be attributed to their doublespeak on the subject.

They say that they are concerned about Canadians' safety, but again yesterday, we learned that the law enforcement budget set out in the estimates was reduced by 25%. Moreover, $1.5 billion that was allocated to the RCMP was diverted for other purposes.

Rather than engaging in more rhetoric, why does the minister not invest where it counts when it comes time to keep Canadians safe?

[Public Safety, February 25th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' haste clearly shows that Canadians have reason to be distrustful of them.

A real study involving multiple meetings and key witnesses is necessary to ensure that we do not pass a bad bill. The consequences are too serious here. The minister is not even capable of explaining his bill to the House.

Why then is he trying to prevent us from thoroughly reviewing it in committee? What does he have to hide?

[Public Safety, February 24th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I also sincerely hope that we will be able to debate this at length in committee.

The government claims that the existing civilian oversight of secret services is sufficient. However, the spokesperson for the Security Intelligence Review Committee contradicted the minister yesterday when she said that the committee was just a limited, after-the-fact review body.

It seems quite logical to me. If the government wants to give more powers to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, we need better oversight of its activities

Why is the government refusing to adopt this common-sense approach?

[Public Safety, February 24th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, let us be clear.

We know that Bill C-51, in its current form, is flawed. The government, with the help of the Liberals, is fiddling with what we hold most dear: our rights and our safety.

After ramming through the bill at second reading, the government would like us to blindly pass Bill C-51 at committee.

Will the minister agree to listen to Canadians and ensure that former prime ministers and Supreme Court judges, who are asking us to be careful, will have the opportunity to explain why they deem that Bill C-51 goes much too far?

[Public Safety, February 23rd, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives should have consulted experts before introducing Bill C-51.

Canadians expect the government to defend our freedoms and values while keeping us safe. However, Bill C-51 completely misses the mark. The Conservatives are asking the RCMP to neglect some aspects of our security and are flatly refusing to use proven methods for combatting radicalization.

Why are the Conservatives so insistent on doing something that clearly does not work?

[Public Safety, February 23rd, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, the number of people opposed to the Conservatives' anti-terrorism bill is growing every day.

Former prime ministers, former Supreme Court judges, first nations leaders and security and privacy experts all believe that this bill is very problematic.

Given that it has many flaws, the NDP will move an amendment this evening to ensure that the bill does not proceed.

Will the Conservatives listen to reason and support this amendment?

[Public Safety, February 20th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, let us be serious. The tip line gets over 40,000 calls per year. These are cases of children being sexually exploited. We cannot ignore those tips. Investigators have to follow up and get those children out of those terrible situations as quickly as possible.

What is the minister's plan to keep all of our children safe?

[Public Safety, February 20th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, the government's focus on terrorism has sidelined other critical public safety priorities. Shockingly, even child pornography investigations are being systematically underfunded. Over the last five years, the RCMP withheld $10 million in funds from child exploitation projects. Why? Conservatives say it is to reduce the deficit.

Does the minister find it acceptable to balance the books by cutting back on resources set aside to stop child sexual exploitation?

[Laval's 50th Anniversary, February 20th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise in the House today to talk about an anniversary that is very special to the people of Laval: the City of Laval's 50th anniversary. In 1965, the 14 municipalities of Île Jésus decided to merge, creating the City of Laval. Fifty years later, Quebec's third-largest city is a diversified and prosperous economic centre, as well as a city of choice for young families and seniors.

Throughout the year, there will be all kinds of celebrations for everyone. In addition to major concerts, a number of citizen-led projects will highlight the unique heritage of each neighbourhood. Programming details are available at www.50ans.laval.ca.

I tip my hat to the Corporation des célébrations 2015 à Laval, the mayor of Laval, municipal elected representatives and individuals who proposed projects. Their dedication to celebrating Laval's 50th anniversary shows that together, we can accomplish great things. I wish everyone in Laval a happy 50th anniversary.