In this, the first of what will be annual statements to Parliament on organized crime, I want to give Parliamentarians and Canadians an understanding of the immense challenge we face. I also want to discuss the concrete measures this government and its partners are taking to combat organized crime. Organized crime is big business and it is bad business. It is a national problem that threatens public safety and erodes the social well-being of Canadians.
Organized crime is also a global problem.
The United Nations has recognized it as a priority for the next century and has called on its member-states to declare it public enemy number one. The economic cost of organized crime in Canada alone is measured in the billions of dollars annually. These can be losses suffered by legitimate businesses, tax payments evaded, and high law enforcement expenditures, to name but three. Untold illegal revenues are being made through the use of new technology colour copiers by counterfeiters. The elderly in Canada are also at risk, and we are committed to protecting them.