Justice Committee on Nov. 27th, 2007

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

I'm not asking you to speculate, Mr. Minister, with regard to the outcome of that proceeding. I'm trying—

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

Maybe I shouldn't have used the word “speculate”. I don't comment on extradition matters, as you know. And the matter is before the court on Friday, so I believe—and I'm sure—it's inappropriate to start commenting one way or the other.

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

I see you've just been passed a note. I don't know whether that's additional information in response to any of my questions.

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

No.

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

I always anticipate, Mr. Minister, that we get better answers—this is nothing personal with you, but the detailed answers oftentimes come better—from the people who are sitting in the audience.

Just to pursue this to this degree, and stepping aside from the specific Schreiber case, generally when a decision like that has to be made—responding to the request for extradition from a foreign jurisdiction—does cost enter into it? Either in terms of keeping the person or releasing the person, does cost enter into it at all?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

I won't comment on that, Mr. Comartin.

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Mr. Nicholson, you indicated there was a youth justice review. Who is conducting that review?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

No decision has been made on that, Mr. Comartin. But again, since you've raised the matter with me, if you or any of your colleagues have any suggestions as to how to proceed on that, I would be very interested in hearing from you.

I intend to get this launched in the new year, just so you know. And I indicated as well to my colleagues at the recent Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers Responsible for Justice and Public Safety meeting in Winnipeg that I would be proceeding on this matter. I have asked them for their input as well.

Any suggestions as to how we should go about that would be well received by me.

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

In terms of your preliminary thinking on it, it's not going to be a parliamentary committee doing it? It will be somewhat broader than that?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

I'm not going to close off any possibilities at this time. My initial focus, as you probably guessed, is the bill we have before Parliament right now, which I want to get passed. But again, I'm open to suggestions, and I will make that decision in the new year.

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

How much more time do I have, Mr. Chair?

[The Chair, Conservative, Art Hanger]

One question.

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

With regard to the Director of Public Prosecutions, I have been a bit disturbed--and I want to be critical here--that you haven't put that name before Parliament up to this point. I had expected it would have been brought before Parliament--if Parliament hadn't been prorogued--as soon as we got back in September, and then I would have expected it when we did get back in October.

Is there some reason we haven't seen it?

And quite frankly, I'm concerned, Mr. Minister, about morale within the department, so I think it's crucial we get on to it.

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

I think morale is good, quite frankly. It's a huge undertaking to set up a completely different section like that, separate from the Department of Justice, and I think it's a positive step forward. The feedback I have received up to this point is that it's working very well.

And we have an acting Director of Public Prosecutions who I believe is appearing before you--Mr. Chairman, am I correct on that?--maybe even later on this week, I'm not sure. In any case, that individual will be before you.

But I hear your representations with respect to finding a permanent individual, and we'll make that decision in due course.

[The Chair, Conservative, Art Hanger]

Thank you, Mr. Comartin.

Mr. Calkins.

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Wetaskiwin, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I certainly appreciate you being here, Minister.

I don't know if you know or not, but we were talking about the agenda you brought forward, and just on behalf of my constituents in the constituency of Wetaskiwin, I can say I know they're very pleased and very happy with the law and order agenda that's being brought forward by our government. I know I'm certainly speaking on behalf of most of my constituents if I pass on my thanks to you from them.

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

Mr. Calkins, please pass on to them how much I appreciate that support. That feedback we've been getting on this has been great.

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Wetaskiwin, AB]

Minister, it was interesting, today the agenda on the order paper in the House started off with Bill C-2, and it was moving on to Bill C-25 and Bill C-26. We were expecting to debate those things in the House today, but unfortunately the Bloc brought in a concurrence motion and is blocking and stymying that debate.

I know it's a frustrating thing for my constituents and for many people who want to see the law and order agenda move forward. It's certainly a disappointment that it's not being moved forward today in the House.

I'll just give you a little bit of context for my questions on aboriginal justice. Hobbema is in my constituency, and of course there are a lot of issues in the Hobbema First Nation, in the four bands there.

I'm just curious about the perspective you brought up about the aboriginal justice and some of the youth crime prevention strategies. I understand that the mandate for the aboriginal justice strategy ended March 31, 2007. I notice from the supplementary estimates that the Department of Justice is requesting $3.69 million for the aboriginal justice strategy, and that's in addition to the $14.5 million over two years from Budget 2007.

I'm wondering if you can explain to me why that amount is needed, where it's going, and what importance and relevance that aboriginal justice strategy has.

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

Thank you very much for those comments and for your comments concerning our crime-fighting agenda.

You indicated, to begin with, that you're getting good response and good feedback from your constituents, and I can tell you that everywhere I go in this country I'm getting positive feedback from individuals who are having a look at what we're doing, and for the most part they're applauding these actions.

You talked about getting it through the House of Commons and the Senate. I know you will do--and I think we all should do--everything possible to try to move these pieces of legislation, legislation that I believe Canadians want and that will be good for this country. I understand that these bills have to be studied and that there have to be speeches, but nobody wants to see things get delayed. I hope nobody wants to see them get delayed, so I appreciate all your efforts.

I see the member for St. Catharines, and I know he was chair of the legislative committee that looked into the Tackling Violent Crime Act. He, along with his colleagues from all sides, did an excellent job in getting that through. I appreciate his leadership on this as well, and I'm sure the people of St. Catharines are very appreciative of his efforts.

You asked me about the aboriginal justice strategy as well. I got into it a little bit, I believe, with Monsieur Ménard's question with respect to the aboriginal justice strategy, or perhaps it came from someone in the Liberal Party. One of the things I found attractive about it is that the feedback we have received indicates that individuals who get involved with this are less than half as likely to reoffend as those who do not participate in a program of this nature.

You can have many programs, but as my colleague, Stockwell Day, will tell you, you have to show results; you want to know you're making a difference. I appreciate that sometimes that's very difficult to measure, but from the information I have received with respect to the aboriginal justice system and from the feedback I've had, people are pleased with it, and it is working.

I underline the fact as well that we have a constitutional responsibility with respect to aboriginal people, so there is an added onus on the Government of Canada to take steps to assist aboriginal people who unfortunately, in some cases, get involved with the criminal justice system. As you quite correctly pointed out, there is money in these supplemental estimates for the program, which is of course why we're here, and enhanced funding over the two years was announced, as you pointed out, in Budget 2007. In my opinion, this is money well spent. This has my complete support, and I believe the members of this committee are in favour of it as well. It's a good-news item and it's something that works.

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Wetaskiwin, AB]

I appreciate that feedback. Just so you know, and for the committee's information, there's quite a youth crime prevention initiative happening at the four bands in Hobbema right now. It is led by two members of the RCMP. They have a cadet program in which they have almost 1,000 young people enlisted, and it's going gangbusters. I know some help is certainly needed there to continue with that program.

There is also the Pe Sakastew, which is a healing circle. It's a restorative justice facility there that I know through Stockwell Day's department as well. Certainly there are some really positive things happening there, and I know that advocates of restorative justice certainly want to move in that direction. Members of the community I talked to, chiefs and members of councils and elders in the community there, appreciate the crime and justice agenda that we're bringing forward, because our first priority, of course, has to be to keep the community safe. If somebody's not ready to start the healing process, we have to make sure that those who are law-abiding citizens in those communities are safe.

I noticed also that there is, in the estimates--I'm just changing gears a little bit here--$2.589 million for funding through the supplementary estimates to support the Air India inquiry. I noticed that the PCO, Foreign Affairs, Public Safety, and CSIS are also requesting funds through the supps. I'm just wondering if you could, switching gears for a second, explain the involvement with the Air India inquiry and what is necessitating the supplementary estimates request.

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

The Department of Justice is very involved, obviously, with the Air India inquiry. We have individuals who are right there and they do many things, including assisting in trying to assemble documents, get documents, and get information for the inquiry. It's an ongoing responsibility, and quite frankly a very important one.

I believe there should have been a public inquiry a long time ago on this. I applauded the decision by this government to move ahead with that Air India inquiry. I think it sends the right message out to all those hundreds and thousands of people who have become victims of that terrible tragedy. Yes, as you pointed out, in the supplementary estimates there's a request for an additional $2.59 million, and that goes to the department to assist them in the legal services and in the maintaining of their legal team at the inquiry. It's something that is needed, that's doing good work, and that needed to be done. Yes, there are ongoing expenses that are required. Mr. Comartin got into this a little bit about these ongoing inquiries. So yes, of course, I'm here to ask for the support in passing those supplementary estimates, and this is a component of that. I think it's a worthwhile expenditure.

[The Chair, Conservative, Art Hanger]

Thank you, Mr. Calkins.

Ms. Barnes.

[Sue Barnes, Liberal, London West, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

It's been about a year now that you've had this position as justice minister. I'm just wondering if in that year you've had any chance to meet with the aboriginal court workers, Minister.

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

I have not met directly with them, no.

[Sue Barnes, Liberal, London West, ON]

I would encourage you to do so because I think their perspective on how well the system is working and aboriginal justice might be a little less rosy than your own. Every time I have met with them I have found that they are overworked; they are doing excellent work, but they need more and more resources, and they have huge issues. I would encourage you to have a hands-on approach to this area, if your government does intend, and I will take you at your word, to assist in this area. The people I met with desperately needed more resources. I would encourage you to put this on your agenda. I hope you will follow up there.