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.

Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act  Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his astute comments on the bill. Canadians are united in their desire to see a high level of diplomacy and negotiation conducted among all nations that touch on the Arctic. I believe there are five competing jurisdictions and we all understand the need for co-operation in this interconnected world in which we live.

Canada Consumer Product Safety Act  Mr. Speaker, the public is hungry for reliable product safety information and a law that will get unsafe products off the shelves, if not keep them from being sold in the first place. Parents especially want safe toys. Ninety consumer products, many used by children, were recalled last year and already thirty-seven more this year.

Committees of the House  Mr. Speaker, I move that the fifth report of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration presented on Wednesday, March 11, be concurred in. New Democrats are pleased and proud to move concurrence to this motion that would place a moratorium on the deportation of people to Sri Lanka.

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, a few days ago representatives of the Canadian Teachers' Federation visited me in my office in Parliament. They talked to me about poverty in students and children, particularly young children aged 5 to 11. They reminded me that the House passed a resolution in 1989 to eliminate child poverty by the year 2000.

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, I fundamentally agree with what the hon. member has said. The gist of the New Democrat position has been and continues to be that we take a comprehensive approach to this very complex problem. Prevention is the key aspect that is always missing from the current government's position on crime.

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, I do not know that I did say, or would say, the government has spent nothing on prevention, or is not committed to any prevention. What I said was its attention to prevention is weak and insufficient, and I would urge the government to do more. I point out that we passed a motion in the House, democratically, that urged the government to increase EI benefits to 60% of wages, and the government has refused to implement that.

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support this bill at third reading. Bill C-14 proposes to amend the Criminal Code in several important ways. It facilitates the prosecution of gang related and organized crime and it makes our communities safer by introducing several new initiatives.

Chinese Canadian Community  Mr. Speaker, a number of prominent leaders in the Chinese community will be gathering in East Vancouver tomorrow. Their purpose is to recognize the noble history of Chinese Canadians, note their incredible contributions to our nation, and discuss current issues facing their communities.

Canada-Peru Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act  Madam Speaker, the free trade agreement was first signed in 1988, so we have had 20 years to measure some of the effects of that. I remember the debate distinctly at that time. One of the promises made about free trade was that it would bring prosperity and an elevated standard of living for everybody.

Public Safety  Mr. Speaker, members of the Canadian Police Association are feeling betrayed by the Conservative government. Why? It is because the Conservatives have failed to live up to their three-year-old promise to put 2,500 more police officers into Canada's communities. The government created an ineffective program with no mechanism to ensure that funding actually ends up hiring new officers.

Public Safety  No, Mr. Speaker, it is the minister's job to ensure that money gets in their hands. Vancouver has the lowest ratio of police to population and Vancouverites are living in fear of gang violence. Because of the government's negligence, cities like Vancouver have yet to see $1 to recruit and deploy more front line officers in our communities.