Protecting Victims From Sex Offenders Act  Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to speak on behalf of the New Democratic Party on the merits, and not, of Bill C-34, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and other Acts. As has been previously mentioned by other speakers, this bill amends a number of pieces of legislation, most notably the Sex Offender Information Registration Act, as well as the DNA data bank.

Public Safety  Mr. Speaker, three years ago the government promised it would deliver 2,500 police officers to Canadian streets. This has not happened, and worse, the Conservatives are now backtracking from their commitment. Members of the Canadian Association of Police Boards have been here three times to meet with government and share their concerns over this fact.

Tobacco Act  Madam Speaker, I am pleased to see this legislation advance in the House. I am particularly pleased that this follows the hard work of my colleague, the hon. member for Winnipeg North. I come from British Columbia, where we have one of the lowest rates of smoking in the country, one of the most health conscious populations in the country.

Public Safety  Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Federal Court issued a decision that reveals serious misconduct by CSIS and the ministers responsible for the security certificate process. The court found they repeatedly failed to disclose information that cast significant doubt on the case against Mohamed Harkat.

Public Safety  Mr. Speaker, it is a response like that which undermines our legal process. That man's life has been turned upside down and with clearly unreliable evidence. The court also called into question the validity of the security certificate itself against Mr. Harkat. This is not surprising.

Customs Act  Mr. Speaker, I will start with my hon. colleague's last question first. I think the answer is yes. CBSA officers will require additional training to ensure that they exercise their powers in a manner that is both effective and respectful of the rights of all people who are travelling through customs-controlled areas.

Customs Act  Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to thank the hon. member for Elmwood—Transcona for the wonderful work he does on behalf of his constituents, in particular, he is always concerned about the rights of individuals and consumers in our country. In short, it appears the bill would not change the powers of CBSA officers to question and search people through these amendments.

Customs Act  Mr. Speaker, I do not know what the current definition is. I do know the current act, which incorporates and uses the term customs-controlled areas, does not have a definition. This is an area of concern. As I mentioned, it is one of the concerns raised by the committee because the definition of that designation is left to the discretion of the minister.

Customs Act  Mr. Speaker, that is an astute observation. Indeed, there was concern raised by the committee about incorporation by reference and we questioned that. Incorporation by reference is a legal drafting tool. This tool allows for a regulation to include material contained in another document, without the necessity of reproducing that document word for word within the text of the regulation itself.

Customs Act  Mr. Speaker, I rise today with pride to support the bill on behalf of our caucus and our leader. The bill before us is Bill S-2, An Act to amend the Customs Act. We are very pleased to support the movement forward of the bill, because we have examined its provisions carefully, and although we have some small concerns, which I will itemize later in my speech, fundamentally it is a sound bill that will do much to both preserve security at our borders and enhance the movement of goods and people through those borders.

RCMP  Mr. Speaker, the government's decision to appeal the rights of RCMP officers to organize is a smack in the face to our national police force. On April 6 the Ontario Superior Court upheld their right to collective bargaining and said to deny it was unconstitutional. The Liberal Party denied RCMP officers their rights for 13 years and now the Conservative government is carrying on that unjust legacy.

RCMP  Mr. Speaker, we should let the RCMP officers protect themselves then. Yesterday, we saw yet another Canadian die after being tasered by RCMP officers in Brooks, Alberta. A major part of the problem is the continuing failure by the RCMP commissioner to issue clear and responsible policies on taser use by officers in the field.

Customs Act  Madam Speaker, New Democrats have been calling for improvements in border security and, in particular, the examination and interdiction of counterfeit, illegal and harmful goods from being imported to Canada for some time. We want to congratulate the government for bringing in the bill.

Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act  Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for her very well researched and delivered speech. She mentioned the urgency of dealing with climate change. I fully concur with her concern and perspective on that basis. I am wondering if she could tell the House what her thoughts would be on the best means of dealing with greenhouse gas emissions and whether she thinks that a carbon tax or a cap and trade system would be the best way to deal with that.

Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act  Madam Speaker, in my home province of British Columbia I know how important the coastlines are to the citizens and how deeply they care about maintaining the pristine nature of the waters up and down the coast. One of the many ways this concern is expressed is in ensuring that ships carrying toxic materials, such as oil tankers, are carefully regulated and, in fact, banned in many areas, so we do not run the risk of having terrible oil disasters, like what happened with the Exxon Valdez some years ago.