With a casino scheduled to open in Delta late next year, there are concerns over potential negative impacts, including money laundering. A report on money laundering in B.C. casinos maintained the disbanding of specialized RCMP units played a significant role in the crisis. What needs to be done on a federal level to address the issue?
Randy Anderson-Fennell - NDP
An NDP government would invest $20 million into a new RCMP anti-money laundering unit. This unit would be tasked with investigating and seizing the proceeds of real estate money laundering, and those funds would be funneled back into affordable housing. We would also support a national inquiry into money laundering, and create a national registry listing the names of those who use shell companies to hide their investments in real estate.
Tanya Corbet - Conservative
An Andrew Scheer-led Conservative government will launch a broad public inquiry into the full scope of money laundering in Canada, that will cost $20 million over two years, that will produce actionable recommendations for legislative and regulatory changes.
Craig DeCraene - Green
We plan to launch a federal public inquiry into what the RCMP and other federal agencies knew about money laundering in B.C. casinos and why they did not expose the growing corruption.
Angelina Ireland - People’s Party
The question of gambling is a social and political issue leaving many avenues for and against. Personally, I was never in favour of the casino project for Delta. The question of money laundering is part provincial and part federal jurisdiction. The legislative framework for criminal activity is the role of the federal government. My position around all criminal activities is the higher the penalties, the better. The RCMP should have an investigative role and specialized units should be trained and deployed.
Carla Qualtrough - Liberal
The Conservatives disbanded the RCMP Organized Crime Unit, sending a very clear signal that this was not a priority. Our Liberal government invested $70 million over five years to rebuild this capacity, and created the Anti-Money Laundering Action, Coordination and Enforcement Team. We also created a Money Laundering Centre of Expertise to strengthen capacity at the Canada Border Services Agency and the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada. More needs to be done.
Tony Bennett - independent
Federal initiatives to combat money laundering and corruption rooted in our casino industry require more CBSA Agents and Auditors to track and prepare evidence. To accompany these findings we need to find creative sources to fund their prosecution other than raising taxes, creating patriotic goodwill as a tax deduction with the CRA such that Ad Hoc Defense attorneys tasked with Prosecuting these criminals can write off costs instead of billing the taxpayer. If the nation’s top attorneys don't willingly volunteer their newly tax deductible expertise, I believe it is government's responsibility to find alternatives to incentivise lawyers who are desperately needed to prosecute these crimes for the good of our sovereignty, of our nation.
Amarit Bains - independent
Casinos have positive and negative impacts on communities. The Justice Department needs to have proper resources and funding to successfully prosecute complex money laundering charges. Millions of dollars have been wasted trying to address the problem. Money laundering is a complex and serious issue facing our country and therefore a public inquiry with a wide scope is warranted to capture all of it’s elements. An inquiry will provide an opportunity for the public to get information they might not otherwise receive through the media or their elected officials. An inquiry will provide answers and recommendations to effectively tackle money laundering in Canada.
