Mr. Speaker, the member has expressed a concern that is shared by more and more people about the lack of due process. I can certainly reiterate that in looking at the bill, we have to scrutinize and examine what processes are in place. We have to examine whether or not through the bill there will actually be an improvement in terms of transparency and accountability.
We are talking about agencies that have very broad powers. If through the creation of this new department we end up with a situation where it becomes an enclave of government that becomes mysterious, secretive, with closed doors and it is all shrouded in security and emergency preparedness, we should have a major concern.
The bill presents an opportunity with the creation of the department to actually improve processes to ensure that people's rights are not violated. It provides an opportunity to ensure that there is accountability to the minister within the department but also to the public and ultimately to the Canadian people.
The bill provides a danger to further entrench some of the problems that I outlined in my comments. That is why the NDP looks at the bill with the idea that there are some very good aspects to it, but also with some skepticism. We need to examine it from the point of view of the public interest and the public good in terms of making sure that security does not become a coverall for actually violating people's basic rights.