Public Accounts Committee on Feb. 29th, 2024

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

We'll turn now to Mr. Masse.

You have the floor, please

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'm quite frankly disappointed that we didn't get to hear more from Mr. Weber. He represents thousands of workers who every single day put their lives on the line. He can't sit through this setting here, and at the same time we've just missed incredibly important testimony.

The CBSA union, right now, is short 2,000 to 3,000 workers alone, and I really think we've missed an important opportunity. Most recently, they were left out of the summit with regard to auto theft at the Montreal port—not even invited. Mr. Weber has really excellent testimony about the pattern of what's taken place.

Over the years since I've been a member of Parliament, we had CBSA in the Windsor region borrowing bulletproof vests. It's gotten to the point right now in Montreal that they just took equipment out of Windsor to scan for stolen automobiles because they haven't fixed the ones in Montreal that are broken. We're not going to hear other testimony that I'm sure Mr. Weber would have had. He's also identified that with the ArriveCAN app, we could have used the money for hiring staff.

During COVID, training did not go on, so we're short 800 workers from that alone and we were already short. There's been a habitual problem with Conservative and Liberal governments not even settling the negotiations on contracts with the men and women at the border. That's been ongoing for decades. They finish a contract and have to go back into negotiations because it takes years to get done. Unfortunately, we're not going to hear that testimony today. Perhaps we will in the future. It's so political.

I remember going to Vancouver when I was trying to protect the detector dog program that the Conservatives were cutting at that time. Yes, they cut the detector dog program. I was supposed to tour the Vancouver port, and all of a sudden there was a phone call somewhere, some place, and I was not allowed to go into the Vancouver port by the port authority. They rescinded my invitation once it was learned that I was going there. The union took me all around the perimeter and so forth anyway, and we learned about the loss of the detector dogs. It would take three hours to clear a freighter, and now it can take three weeks. We've had subsequent—

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

Mr. Masse, I appreciate your frustration, but I'm going to gently nudge you back to the motion at hand. It is my intention to have Mr. Weber back, because like you, I represent a border community and I want to hear from him and his members.

I'll nudge you back to the motion at hand.

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

That's fair enough. I'll wrap up soon.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is an important issue for me. I know you're a border person as well.

Going back to the main motion, OGGO is looking at this as well. I don't think it's the best practice to summon someone before they've actually been invited to appear. I'm not going to—

[John Nater, Conservative, Perth—Wellington, ON]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair. I know this isn't typically a procedural point of order, but I would note it has been officially announced that former prime minister Brian Mulroney has passed away.

[An hon. members]

Oh, no.

[John Nater, Conservative, Perth—Wellington, ON]

I think all members would offer their condolences to the former prime minister's family.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

Absolutely. Thank you, Mr. Nater, for that update.

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Chair, at this point, if that's the case, I think we should consider adjournment, out of respect for the Mulroney family. Those are my thoughts on that matter.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

Give me one second, please.

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

I'll leave it out there for people to decide. I'm done. I'm fine.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

We're going to proceed to a vote to adjourn the meeting.

[Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, Bloc, Terrebonne, QC]

Are we going to adjourn or suspend?

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

It's my intention to adjourn the meeting.

(Motion agreed to: yeas 11; nays 0)

Thank you.

Before I drop the gavel, I have a couple of notices.

You have all likely received the update that the Auditor General will be tabling reports on March 19 when we come back after the recess. There will be a two-hour lock-up starting at 7 a.m., and then the Auditor will come in to take questions from all parliamentarians in an ad hoc set-up. Her reports will be tabled at approximately 10 a.m., and it's my intention that morning to have a meeting beginning at 10:05, so the Auditor's first comments on her report will be presented to this committee. That will last only about an hour that morning.

We're going to meet next week. I'm going to lay it out now the dates so you can prepare your calendars and your substitutions. We're going to meet Tuesday mid- to late afternoon. That will allow members who live close to come in that day. That's the afternoon of Tuesday, March 5, and then the mornings of both March 6 and 7 at 10 a.m. You will have the notices of those meetings shortly. I just wanted to highlight that to everyone so you're at least able to prepare your calendars.

On that note, this meeting is adjourned.