Public Safety Committee on Feb. 11th, 2009

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

I am not certain, but I'm pretty sure.

[Andrew Kania, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

Okay, will you undertake to advise the committee as to the date of your conversation with her, how long it lasted, and what was advised?

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

Well, I'll tell you that it was reasonably short. We discussed trade issues, border issues, and the importance of the relationship. We discussed a little bit of her history as Arizona governor. We discussed--

[Andrew Kania, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

The first question is will you undertake to advise us of the date you spoke with her?

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

Yes, I'll give you the date, but I'm also giving you what I can answer right now. You wanted to know what the content of the conversation was, and I'm telling you right now.

We discussed her past visit up here. She'd met with the Prime Minister when she was governor and she did a tour on these kinds of issues. She was in Toronto as well, so we talked about that a little bit. We talked a little bit about her speech at the Democratic national convention, where she said she hoped, as an Arizona governor, that the great tradition of Barry Goldwater would be continued. So we talked about some of these things.

[Andrew Kania, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

Did you provide any written submissions to her between January 30 and now?

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

I have not at this point, no, but I've just been passed a note from my very capable chief of staff that says our conversation actually took place on January 30.

[Andrew Kania, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

Have you provided any written submissions to any members of Congress or senators who might be able to influence the outcome of this report?

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

I don't think that's the type of report it is. It's a report that's being prepared by Department of Homeland Security staff. It's not a political document being prepared by Congress.

[Andrew Kania, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

So the Canadian government has not provided any written submissions with respect to this study at all?

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

I can tell you that our Canadian government agencies are in continual cooperation with the bodies that would be commenting--the American border services people, their law enforcement people. We work cooperatively; we have integrated border enforcement teams.

[Andrew Kania, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

The answer to the question--

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

Specific to that report, we are not writing the report for the Department of Homeland Security, no.

[Andrew Kania, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

There have been no written submissions whatsoever from the Canadian government. That's correct?

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

Not on the Homeland Security report, no.

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

You have 30 seconds.

[Andrew Kania, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

Is this report on the agenda between Prime Minister Harper and President Obama for his visit, and will it be?

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

We will find that agenda when it comes. We haven't seen the report. It hasn't even been prepared yet, so whether or not it will be on the agenda will likely depend on what appears in the report. But certainly the issue of security--

[Andrew Kania, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

Will you ask that it be put on the agenda?

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

--the issue of borders, the issue of trade, will be on the agenda.

[Andrew Kania, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

Since it comes two days beforehand, will you ask for it to go on the agenda?

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

We'll see what it is. Certainly the subject matters--borders, security, our relationship with the United States, trade--will all be on the agenda.

[Andrew Kania, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

Will you ask for this--

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

We'll have to move over to the Bloc Québécois now.

Ms. Mourani, go ahead.

[Maria Mourani, Bloc, Ahuntsic, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Good afternoon, Minister, and thank you for being here.

Thanks to all of you, gentlemen, for being here.

I would like to talk to you about Canada's Correctional Service. There was a report, of which I'm sure you are aware, published in October 2007, that provided a bit of a snapshot of the Correctional Service. The Correctional Service acknowledged, in a way, that there was an increase in the number of street gang members being held in federal penitentiaries, which is logical in view of the large numbers of arrests and sentences.

I also have information to the effect that there is only one super maximum security penitentiary in Canada and that, of course, it is in Quebec, and that there are no maximum security institutions in certain provinces. So when an inmate who is a member of a street gang commits violent acts at a penitentiary, you know his security rating increases. If that person has a medium security classification, for example, and he attacks another inmate or staff member, his security classification can therefore be increased to “maximum” or “super maximum”, depending whether or not there has been a homicide. So these street gang members can be transferred to other penitentiaries whose security classification becomes their own. However, there are no “maximum” or “super maximum” institutions in certain provinces. Members of street gangs are therefore transferred between provinces or between penitentiaries.

I don't think that's a very effective measure in the fight against street gangs because all it does is enable dangerous men to contact other members in other provinces and, thus, to expand their network across Canada.

The interprovincial transfer of inmates involving solely—and I mean solely—the members of street gangs or organized crime members is becoming a way for these individuals to create networks and links with other provinces and other members of gangs or organized crime belonging to other provinces in other penitentiaries.

First, have you taken an interest in this phenomenon? Second, since you are somewhat reworking the penitentiary system, will that be one of the considerations in managing members of street gangs at Canadian penitentiaries?