Mr. Garfield Dunlop (Simcoe North): My question today is for the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. In your platform document on page 24, the Liberals promised, "Additional support for police intelligence services to ensure that our various police forces can work together to protect all Ontarians." Other than firing key security advisers such as Major-General Lewis MacKenzie and retired RCMP commissioner Norman Inkster, can you tell us exactly what additional resources you have provided for counterterrorism?

Hon. Monte Kwinter (Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services): First of all I want to correct the member so that there's no doubt as to what happened. We did not fire the so-called security advisers; we just didn't renew their contracts. The reason we didn't renew their contracts is that they hadn't met for over a year. We felt that they were there because the former Solicitor General felt it got him a great deal of credit for having these people available, but they didn't do anything in the last year they were there. That is why their contracts were not renewed.

Mr. Dunlop: I actually asked you what other resources you provided, Minister.
Over the weekend, you learned what many of us have suspected since 9/11: that the threat of terrorism is indeed a reality. Last year, you tried to cut $1.76 million for counterterrorism from the Criminal Intelligence Service of Ontario budget, and have indicated to CISO that the $1.76-million cut will take effect by May 2007. Minister, considering the safety of all Ontarians, will you commit to the House today that you will not slash the counterterrorism budget by $1.76 million next May?

Hon. Mr. Kwinter: With all due respect, the member keeps raising things that might have happened, could have happened but didn't happen. There was no cut to CISO's budget -- none. All you have to do is ask those people who run it, and they will tell you that there has not been a cut. You're saying that at one time you saw something that said there may be a cut. Well, I have to deal in the real world, not in the make-believe world that you deal in. I can tell you there have been no cuts to CISO.
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