Public Safety Committee on Nov. 3rd, 2009

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Okay, that's a good suggestion. We'll do clauses 8 and 9.

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Ajax—Pickering, ON]

So we would go to clauses 6 through 17, as an example, because there are no amendments.

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

There's an amendment to clause 10.

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Ajax—Pickering, ON]

I'm sorry. So perhaps we can just go to groups in between amendments.

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Clauses 8, 9, and 10 can be done together. We have a new clause 10.1.

[Dave MacKenzie, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

But that's not what we're talking about here, are we clear?

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Yes, we're clear. We're just going up to clause 10. We're going to have a new clause 10.1.

(Clauses 8 to 10 inclusive agreed to)

We will now move to new clause 10.1.

Mr. MacKenzie, please go ahead with amendment G-1.

[Dave MacKenzie, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

Mr. Chair, this is a technical amendment that has come from our officials. I believe it has been circulated in both official languages this morning, Mr. Ménard. I would ask the committee to approve it.

Can I speak to the amendment?

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Yes, go ahead. You can move it and speak to it.

[Dave MacKenzie, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

Okay. The amendment would ensure that RCMP officials at the national sex offender registry receive a copy of all registration orders directly from the court so they are apprised of all new orders. This is to correct an oversight in drafting. Currently, a copy of the order goes only to local police services and not registry officials. If this amendment is made, a consequential amendment would be required for the Sex Offender Information Registration Act at a proposed new clause 34.1.

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Okay. Is there any further discussion on that?

Monsieur Ménard, do you wish to discuss it?

[Serge Ménard, Bloc, Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC]

I do not understand.

I am looking for page 8.

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

I'll paraphrase what I think Mr. MacKenzie said.

There was an oversight in the legislation, and the information would have simply gone to the local police detachment rather than to the central registry of the RCMP. So this corrects that oversight, if I have understood that right.

[Serge Ménard, Bloc, Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC]

I have the amendment, but I can't find where it goes in the act.

I go to page 8....

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

I guess you would have to have the act in front of you, probably.

[Serge Ménard, Bloc, Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC]

....then I go to page 13, and there, the amendment says to add the following after subparagraph (iii), which I cannot find: “(iv) the Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.” I do not see subparagraphs (i), (ii) and (iii) in either clauses 10 or 11.

How can we add a subparagraph (iv) when subparagraphs (i) to (iii) don't exist?

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Okay.

[Dave MacKenzie, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

Chair, maybe the officials could explain it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Ms. Campbell, are you prepared to discuss this?

[Mary Campbell, Director General, Corrections and Criminal Justice Directorate, Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Yes, perhaps I could help out.

I'm not sure where you're looking, Mr. Ménard. If you're looking at Bill C-34, you are correct, it is a motion that would affect page 8 just after clause 10. It is of course not there, and this may be something the chair will be commenting on. It is an amendment to the Criminal Code provisions as they currently exist outside of Bill C-34.

The way it works right now, I'm told, is that the order is given to the local police force, who, of course, in turn forward it to RCMP officials. Out of an abundance of caution, this would simply ensure that it goes to both locations at the same time, to local police and to the RCMP officials at the registry. So it's no change in principle.

[Serge Ménard, Bloc, Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC]

Okay, I understand. I found it, thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Okay, that has been clarified. Is there any further discussion?

(Amendment agreed to)

(Clauses 11 to 17 inclusive agreed to)

(On clause 18)

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

We have an amendment NDP-3.

Mr. Davies, when you are ready, you can move that amendment and discuss it.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I move that amendment. Would you like me to explain it?

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Yes, please. Go ahead.