Our prayers continue for the Boston Marathon victims, survivors, their families and loved ones. On the heels of this tragic event, we learn of an alleged terrorist plot supported by al-Qaeda in Iran to attack Via Rail passenger trains here in Canada. Public Safety Minister Vic Toews maintains these incidents demonstrate the need for stronger anti-terrorism laws in Canada. On Monday, following the attack in Boston our Conservative government proceeded with Bill S-7, the Combatting Terrorism Act as the Order of the Day in the House of Commons.
This is one of the same legislative Acts that I worked on early in my tenure as your Member of Parliament when I served as Official Opposition Senior Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Critic. Shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, I helped write and supported the passage of the same provisions in Bill S-7. These special measures expired in 2007. Our government prepared Bill S-7 with these same measures and we have kept it on the Order Paper in Parliament ready to re-instate.
Bill S-7 provides for investigative hearings and preventive arrest when terrorist activity in Canada is suspected or occurs. It prohibits persons from leaving or attempting to leave Canada to commit terrorist acts. As well, it can require someone to testify before a judge at an investigative hearing or be imprisoned for refusing.
Whenever a terrorist act occurs, we need to take immediate action to protect Canadians by, for example, identifying and pursuing the perpetrators and learning if there are more assaults planned or underway. Such questions need to be answered as soon as possible. Bill S-7 provides the authority to deal with an act of terrorism in Canada in a timely manner and provides Canada’s law enforcement agencies the tools they need.
Our House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security, conducted the review and clause-by-clause study of Bill S-7 late last fall. As Chair, I reported S-7 back to the House in December 2012 – without amendments – after weeks of public hearings and expert witness testimony.
The Honourable Rob Nicholson, Minister of Justice told our committee, “It is important to note that individuals have the right to counsel throughout the process outlined in S-7. Statements made by an individual won’t be used against him or her in subsequent criminal proceedings. The two exceptions are, of course, if there was perjury or if the individual was contradicting the facts they’d already given.” This allows persons who may have crucial knowledge concerning an act of terrorism to come forward and either prevent a terrorist act, or provide timely information to apprehend the perpetrators, or prevent further terrorist acts. Our committee heard that the provisions in Bill S-7 have never been used by Canada.
Good government requires the right decisions to be made at the right time. It would be unfortunate to pass Bill S-7 into law after a terrorist attack in Canada. I support Bill S-7 being part of the law in Canada, and I pray that we never need to use it.
Kevin Sorenson, M.P., Crowfoot
Parliamentary Report
