The Jack and Mae Nathanson Centre for the Study of Organized Crime and Corruption Notes For an Address by The Hon. Thank you for those kind words of introduction, and thank you, Ladies and Gentlemen, for giving me the opportunity to take part in this evening's opening of the Jack and Mae Nathanson Centre for the Study of Organized Crime and Corruption. At one time, for many, organized crime would not have been a broad enough, or perhaps even a serious enough issue to bring together a group such as this to mark the creation of a prestigious academic facility like the Nathanson Centre in the setting of a major Canadian university. Times have changed.
Organized crime is a major national and international issue.
Canadians are talking about organized crime. We have, of course, been concerned about organized crime for many, many years. But what we face today is quite different from what Canadians saw in the '30s, '50s or the 1970s. Organized crime knows no borders, and those of us responsible for upholding law and order in Canada have learned never to underestimate the sophistication and reach of the modern criminal enterprise. And we have learned, and continue to learn, that with the exception perhaps of motivation, there are no constants in the character, method or mind of the criminal entrepreneur.