Roxanne James

[Public Safety, March 13th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, the international jihadist movement has declared war on Canada and its allies, countries like Canada that believe in openness and tolerance. We see this again and again in the news. We have seen recent attacks here in Canada, Paris, in Copenhagen and Australia.

Let me talk about the reasons why we brought forward Bill C-51. Our national security agencies have identified serious gaps in the existing legislation that they need to better protect Canadians. That is what this government is doing. We brought forward common-sense measures and I certainly hope that the NDP will eventually get on our side.

[Public Safety, March 13th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, yes, we are aware of some of these reports. However, I cannot comment on operational matters of national security.

I would like to remind the House that the threat of terrorism, the international jihadi movement against Canada, is real. We just have to look at the news. Day after day we are hearing of more instances of people who have allegedly left Canada to join ISIL, to fight for ISIL beliefs. Canadians know that it is this government that is bringing forward legislation to better protect Canadians.

[Justice, March 13th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, since 2006, our government has introduced more than 30 tough-on-crime measures.

Through these measures, we have made significant accomplishments in three key areas: tackling crime by holding violent criminals accountable for those crimes, giving victims of crime a stronger voice, and increasing the efficiency of the justice system.

As promised in the 2013 Speech from the Throne, this week we further built upon this success with the introduction of the life means life act. This legislation will ensure that those convicted of the most heinous murders will breathe their last breath behind bars. Providing for life sentences without parole is essential to express society's denunciation of the worst criminals.

Canadians knows that our government will always put the rights of victims before the rights of criminals.

[Public Safety, March 10th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, the comments from the member for Saanich—Gulf Islands are very concerning. In fact, just today she indicated and said that we are engaging in torture. She also said that we are engaging in extraordinary rendition. In fact, earlier, she even tabled a petition in this place disputing a tragedy that took place in the United States on 9/11.

I will say this as clearly as possible, as the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness did earlier today: protesters are not the target of this legislation, but terrorists are.

Thirty years ago when the CSIS Act was first enacted, those opposed to security measures made precisely the same arguments, the same claims that the member opposite is making today. The advent of CSIS did not end democracy in Canada, as some had predicted. In fact, I would argue it made Canadians demonstrably safer. The same is going to be true of the legislation that we are discussing here today.

[Public Safety, March 10th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, before I answer some of the categorically false assertions made by the member for Saanich—Gulf Islands, I would like to remind this House of what might seem to be a very obvious statement.

The international jihadist movement has declared war on Canada and its allies; countries that believe in openness and tolerance. These terrorists hate our society and the values that it represents. We only need to look at recent events in France, Australia, Denmark and right here in Canada to know that there is no country that is immune to terrorism. That is why our Conservative government brought forward the anti-terrorism act, 2015. This legislation includes concrete measures that would protect Canadians against jihadi terrorists who seek to destroy the very principles that make Canada the best country in the world in which to live.

The member has raised concerns regarding information sharing, which is part 1 of the bill. Information sharing is absolutely essential. We think Canadians would expect that, if one branch of government has information pertaining to national security, this branch of government should be able to relay that information to another branch of government.

I think that most Canadians think that is actually already taking place. In fact, to be honest, before I was elected, I thought it was also taking place. However, that is simply not the case. We heard it again today in committee from our two ministers, from the RCMP and from CSIS, that this is absolutely not the case today. There are legislative gaps, and this bill is meant to fill those gaps from some of the concerns that our security agencies have indicated.

In fact, this legislation has adequate safeguards built in to protect the privacy of Canadians. We are not going to privilege the rights of terrorists over the rights of law-abiding Canadians.

I would remind members that the CSIS Act expressly forbids the investigation of lawful advocacy, protests, or dissent, which is a prohibition from which CSIS has never deviated. In fact, CSIS has a 30-year history of compliance with the law.

I would also remind members that it is the jihadist terrorists who seek to take away our freedoms and not the security agencies that are here to protect us.

Canadians understand that personal freedoms and security go hand in hand. Canadians expect the government to do both, to protect both, and that is precisely what we are doing in this legislation.

I would like to conclude my remarks tonight by quoting Dr. Barry Cooper, a research fellow at the Canada Defence and Foreign Affairs Institute, who said recently that:

So let us state the obvious: Bill C-51 is aimed at violent Islamic jihadi terrorists, and those are the persons against whom its provisions are to be enforced. The reasons are clear enough provided one makes reference to facts and events of the real world, today.... Unlike their critics, the authors of Bill C-51 are sensible enough to have recognized the danger.

[Public Safety, March 9th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, again, Canadians would expect, if they do not already think, that when one branch of government has information pertinent to national security, it will be able to and is currently sharing that information. That is simply not the case. It is one of the gaps that was identified. It is one of the measures that is included in Bill C-51.

Let us talk about some other activities that warrant information sharing. They include proliferation of nuclear, chemical, radiological or biological weapons; interference with critical infrastructure; and interference with global information infrastructure as defined in the National Defence Act.

This legislation already has adequate safeguards built in to protect Canadians' privacy. It is why we brought forward the measures that Canadians expected.

[Public Safety, March 9th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, information sharing is absolutely essential. Canadians would expect that if one branch of government had information pertinent to national security, it would be able to share the information with other branches of government.

When we talk about activities that would warrant information sharing, I am just going to list a few: espionage, sabotage, covert foreign influence activities and terrorism.

The legislation, Bill C-51, which is coming to committee tomorrow, has adequate safeguards built in to protect the privacy of Canadians. We are not going to privilege the rights of terrorists over the rights of Canadians with this bill.

[Public Safety, February 27th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, when we think back to October 22, I think most of us in this room today can recall the events that took place here in Parliament and just out front on the streets, as well.

We are very thankful for the work that was done by all the various levels of policing agencies, whether it was the Ottawa police or the RCMP or, of course, our security right here inside Parliament.

I will take that question under advisement to the minister.

[Public Safety, February 27th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, recently we have seen attacks in Copenhagen, in Paris, in Australia, and in Canada, right here in this Parliament on October 22 of last year. That is why our government is standing shoulder to shoulder with our allies fighting a global fight against terrorism and why we are conducting air strikes in Iraq.

ISIL is a terrorist scourge. We are degrading what it is trying to do in that region. It has also put Canada on a list of countries to carry out jihadist attacks against. That is why we brought forward Bill C-51. I am looking forward to hearing from each of those 50 witnesses.

[Public Safety, February 27th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, the member is correct. During this week, during committee filibuster by the NDP debating how many witnesses we should hear from, we heard stories just like this of many Canadians who have gone overseas to engage or join ISIL.

There are measures in the bill that would give our national security agencies the ability to intervene and to disrupt terrorist travel. We also have measures in the bill that would change the passenger protect program and allow no-board orders to be issued in the very instances that the member is talking about.