Countering Foreign Interference Act  moved for leave to introduce Bill C-70, An Act respecting countering foreign interference. (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Democratic Institutions  Mr. Speaker, we agree with Justice Hogue that there has been an increase in foreign state actors, hostile state actors seeking to interfere in the Canadian democratic process. Obviously that takes place at the riding level. We also noted Justice Hogue saying that this was the case for a very small number of constituencies and that she was not able to draw definitive conclusions as to the extent of that impact.

Democratic Institutions  Mr. Speaker, we think that Justice Hogue has done a very serious job in terms of understanding the extent and nature of foreign interference and helping Canadians understand also the tactics that foreign hostile state actors may use and how they seek to undermine the confidence of Canadians in democracy.

Democratic Institutions  Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, I disagree with what my colleague said. He knows full well that we are the first government to bring in measures to counter foreign interference and we have improved those measures. Following expert recommendations, we adjusted the measures to strengthen them further.

Democratic Institutions  Mr. Speaker, we obviously appreciate the enthusiasm of our colleague from Trois-Rivières. Still, he has some experience of how the parliamentary system works. He would not want me to talk about a bill on the Order Paper before it is introduced in the House. I would risk censure by the Speaker for violating members' privileges.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate our hon. colleague's question. I share her concern that the rights of all individuals must be respected. I think she will understand that there is a very small group of individuals, with perhaps violent criminal pasts or those who may be involved in terrorist activity, for whom releasing into the community would not be an acceptable option because of public safety.

Firearms  Mr. Speaker, I thank our colleague for the question. As she is well aware, the government fully supports a buy-back program for military-style firearms. However, I do not share her pessimism about the next federal election. The good news is that we are already working to develop a buy-back program that will be in place this year and next.

Firearms  Mr. Speaker, I will repeat once again that we absolutely intend to keep the commitment we made to Canadians to buy back these weapons that we banned. We will continue to work in a very specific way to ensure that the commitment we made a number of years ago to implement an effective buy-back program is kept.

Canada Border Services Agency  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. I was not aware of the facts of a particular case. If he is asking if we are in favour of that kind of waste, I think I share his opinion. The answer, of course, is no. I would be happy to talk to the Canada Border Services Agency to see if it is possible to find an alternative.

Canada Border Services Agency  Mr. Speaker, we absolutely will review the facts that my hon. colleague has presented. Obviously, I share his concern over this situation. As I said, I will be pleased to follow up with the Canada Border Services Agency. I look forward to it.

Canada Border Services Agency  Mr. Speaker, obviously, my Quebec Liberal caucus colleagues and I share the member's concern about the importance of the Port of Valleyfield. I intend to raise these important questions with the CBSA. We understand how important the port is for residents and for the region's economy.

Public Safety  Madam Speaker, there was a lot of good news in the budget, as the House knows. Some of the good news is that the government and my colleague the Minister of Justice are committed to making changes to the Criminal Code, specifically to target those who steal cars, as my colleague described so well.

Public Services and Procurement  Madam Speaker, my hon. colleague knows very well that the idea that the government has not been transparent is untrue. I know he wants to repeat that, but he knows very well that it not the case. We have worked with parliamentary committees. We have worked with the Auditor General.

Public Services and Procurement  Madam Speaker, allow me to repeat what I said in English a moment ago: My colleague knows that an internal investigation is being conducted by the Canada Border Services Agency. Its purpose is precisely to determine the amounts of money that may have been misused. We have to wait for the facts before demanding repayments.

Public Services and Procurement  Madam Speaker, the same question begets the same answer. We have said from the beginning that the government has welcomed the scrutiny of parliamentary committees. We have worked with the Auditor General and have implemented her recommendations. My colleague, the Minister of Public Services and Procurement, has changed the way that these contracts are awarded and the oversight provisions.