Mr. Speaker, I find it surprising that the member would be criticizing the decisions of the government when his party voted against increases to the CBSA. Our government increased front-line officers by 26% since we have come into office.
House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2011, with 71% of the vote.
Public Safety April 24th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I find it surprising that the member would be criticizing the decisions of the government when his party voted against increases to the CBSA. Our government increased front-line officers by 26% since we have come into office.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police April 24th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, as I indicated several months ago on this file, we are extremely concerned about the troubling reports of sexual harassment in the RCMP. That is why we took the steps we did. We asked the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP to investigate allegations of systemic failure to deal appropriately with sexual harassment within the force.
It is imperative, as I have indicated, that RCMP officers be in a position to conduct their jobs in keeping Canadians safe without concern about harassment. I am very pleased that the commissioner has taken this issue very seriously.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police April 24th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the member on her new position.
Like all Canadians, I am extremely troubled by these reports. I indicated this several months ago in the House already. RCMP members must be free to face the daily challenges of protecting our streets and communities without the fear of harassment or intimidation. That is why, in consultation with the commissioner, I have referred this matter to the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP.
As there is pending litigation as well at this time, it would be inappropriate to comment further.
Public Safety April 23rd, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I am puzzled. First of all, the critic says there is no plan. Then the other member gets up and says we are constructing 2,700 new cells. In fact, they cannot even get their stories straight. Do they want prisons? Do they not want prisons?
All we know is that the NDP wants prisoners out on the street. We want them safe and secure, protecting Canadians.
Public Safety April 23rd, 2012
Mr. Speaker, what irony coming from the NDP that wants to release all these prisoners right onto the street. Why are they worried about prisoners in prisons?
Canadians gave our government a strong mandate to keep our streets and communities safe. The thrust of our legislation is ensuring that we keep dangerous and repeat offenders behind bars where they belong.
We are not creating new criminals, merely stopping the revolving door. We have not and will not build any new prisons. In fact, due to a lack of new prisoners, we are closing prisons to save taxpayer money.
Public Safety March 29th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I can indicate our Conservative government does not support treating law-abiding hunters, farmers and sports shooters as criminals. That member in fact has specifically targeted those law-abiding Canadians.
Our government has said that we will repeal the long gun registry and focus on those who actually commit crimes. That is what our government stands for.
Foreign Affairs March 28th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, Omar Ahmed Khadr has pleaded guilty to very serious charges in the United States, including the murder of a medic. At this time, Canada has not received a formal application for transfer. If an application were received, it would be determined in accordance with the law. No decisions have been made at this time.
Let me be clear. Canada has not made a request for Omar Ahmed Khadr to be returned.
Syria March 27th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, due to the conditions in Syria at the hands of the dictatorial regime, the Canada Border Services Agency placed an administrative deferral of removal on Syria on March 15. That means we will not be removing anyone to Syria unless the individual is a danger to Canadian society.
Canadians can rest assured that our government will continue to enforce the law and ensure that our streets and communities are safe from foreign criminals and terrorists, even those from Syria.
Questions on the Order Paper March 26th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, in response to (a), today, telecommunications service providers, TSPs, may provide authorities, without a warrant, with basic subscriber information under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act. The problem is that there is no consistency across the country in how service providers respond to these requests: sometimes they respond in a timely manner, but often they respond only after considerable delays, if at all.
Specifically, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s National Child Exploitation Coordination Centre in Ottawa, in 2010 the average response time for a basic subscriber information, BSI, request was 13 days, and only 72.5% of requests were fulfilled.
One TSP only responds to BSI requests on Fridays, regardless of when the requests are submitted.
Another TSP only accepts BSI requests via email, which can be problematic in emergencies.
In December 2010, New Brunswick RCMP began to investigate the distribution of child pornography. Police suspected an individual who was using a TSP that had historically not shared information with police. As a result, local police applied for a court order. There was a substantial delay and by this time the case had gone cold as the suspect had stopped his activities. Due to this delay, abuse could have been prevented at an earlier date, as it was later discovered that this suspect had been abusing two young boys to create child pornography. Several months later, the suspect resumed his online activity. This time the TSP was cooperative with police requests. The suspect was charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.
In 2007, the RCMP assisted with an international investigation in which suspects located in Canada were attempting to defraud American corporations of approximately $100 million. The investigation required police to find the individuals who were committing these fraudulent activities. The suspects were constantly on the move and police needed the immediate support of the TSPs to determine the location of these networks. However, the service providers would not provide police with the basic subscriber information they needed. Because of the lack of cooperation from the TSPs, it took eight full-time technical investigators five days to finally locate and arrest the suspects. The suspects successfully defrauded victims of $15 million. Had police been provided with the information when it was requested, the value of the fraud would have been reduced considerably and police resources would have been used more effectively.
A child was abducted in British Columbia in 2011. An amber alert was broadcast and, fortunately, the suspect returned the child. However, the suspect was not apprehended and his location remained unknown. Through further investigation, police obtained an Internet protocol or IP address associated with the suspect. Police contacted the TSP directly and were advised that it was against policy to provide subscriber information related to an IP address without a production order. Police advised the TSP that the suspect had already abducted one child and that other children could possibly be at risk. The TSP decided to provide the information and the suspect was located and apprehended less than 24 hours after police received the information.
In response to (b), the Minister of Public Safety has not made any public statements concerning the Canadian Association of Police Chiefs’ request for the submission of cases where the refusal to provide information has hindered an investigation.
Citizenship and Immigration March 26th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to inform the member that our government has provided significant support to Thailand to help combat the scourge of human smuggling. Through the anti-crime capacity building program, we will help Thailand to stop being used as a conduit for human smuggling by criminals and terrorists. This builds upon the important measures in the protecting Canada's immigration system act.
Our message is clear to criminals and terrorists considering human smuggling operations: do not do it.