Hon. Ratna Omidvar: Senator Gold, will you take a question, please?

Senator Omidvar: Senator Gold, I would have felt far more comfortable with this bill if it had first been preceded by the bill setting up the independent civilian oversight of the CBSA.

Do you have a comment on the timing of this?

Senator Omidvar: Senator Gold, in other words, until that bill is called into life, for Canadians who feel they have been unfairly targeted, their only recourse is to make a complaint to the CBSA, which will be handled internally by the CBSA. Is that correct?

Senator Omidvar: Senator Wells, in truth I should have asked this question to the sponsor of the bill but I missed my time. I am forgetting exactly what happened, but perhaps you can help me to understand this.

With these new added authorities to search based upon reasonable general concern, what does the bill say about oversight of the CBSA officers, or do we simply have to wait for the independent oversight bill that is expected sometime?

Hon. Ratna Omidvar: Would Honourable Senator Wells take another question?

Hon. Ratna Omidvar: Thank you, Senator Boniface, for your deep deconstruction of this bill. I appreciate that.

I may not have heard you correctly, but when you spoke of the new thresholds that this bill is bringing into play, I think I heard you say, “behaviour.” This is where I want to ask you a question, because assessment of behaviour is hugely subjective. How can we contract CBSA officers to appropriately judge behaviour and whether or not that is an expression of real concern or an expression of some mental health condition or other physical condition? I need clarity there.