Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to my colleague's speech. He said that the borders are strong and secure. One does not introduce a bill to strengthen borders that are already strong and secure. What my colleague is saying is illogical.
I would like to share with him some findings from independent observers. The Office of the Auditor General has pointed out that delays, a shortage of officers and a lack of performance evaluations at the Canada Border Services Agency are undermining the effectiveness of border controls. Meanwhile, the Customs and Immigration Union notes that Canada has never had so little capacity to control its borders.
I do not know what my colleague is basing his claim on, when he says that our borders are strong and secure, because others are clearly saying something completely different. In addition, the Customs and Immigration Union is calling for between 2,000 and 3,000 new officers to be hired. The government has announced the hiring of 1,000 officers, but it did not specify when that would happen. The government also said that there have already been two press conferences on the subject and that this will be included in the upcoming budget.
I would like my colleague to tell the public the truth and stop repeating things to try to lull us into complacency.