Public Safety Committee on March 10th, 2009

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Okay, Mr. Oliphant.

[Rob Oliphant, Liberal, Don Valley West, ON]

I'll ask one. I want to ask about the cross-cultural round table on security and whether either of your agencies avail yourselves of either information from it or have been asked to provide experience to them?

[Barry MacKillop]

Yes, in fact Public Safety Canada leads that, so there is a group within Public Safety Canada that acts as the secretariat that calls the cross-cultural round table on security together. It supports that group and does provide and participate in the meetings in terms of sharing information and learning from each other and hearing from their experiences and what their concerns are in order to inform policy on public safety.

[Rob Oliphant, Liberal, Don Valley West, ON]

May I ask one last question on the IBETs? CSIS is not a formal partner in those. What is the relationship between CSIS and the IBETs?

[A/Commr Mike Cabana]

The relationship actually is through the NSCI, which is our national security component of the RCMP, which has a very close-working relationship with CSIS. NSCI is involved in the IBETs in terms of information exchange, and anything of a national security component that surfaces within IBET is immediately shared with them.

[Supt Warren Coons]

That's correct. We have representatives from IBET who are located in the national security criminal investigations component of the RCMP, and they're the ones who coordinate the sharing of national security information.

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Okay. Our last intervener is Mr. Norlock, please.

[Rick Norlock, Conservative, Northumberland—Quinte West, ON]

Thank you.

This is to the RCMP, to carry on with the questions.

What do you need to help you do your job? Would you not agree with me that the addition of an additional 1,600 personnel to the RCMP was a good start at improving the ability of the RCMP to do all the tasks that have been assigned to you, and through that directly to what you do, in that you have more resources to draw upon because there are 1,600 more people?

[A/Commr Mike Cabana]

There's no question--absolutely.

[Rick Norlock, Conservative, Northumberland—Quinte West, ON]

Would you also say that the addition to training capacity at Depot assisted too in getting those 1,600 people trained up to a better level?

[A/Commr Mike Cabana]

It did, greatly.

[Rick Norlock, Conservative, Northumberland—Quinte West, ON]

And would you agree that to attract the right kind of people, those the RCMP needs, the fact that as opposed to paying for it recruits are now paid for training adds to the attractiveness of the RCMP and leads in to your ability to do your job?

[A/Commr Mike Cabana]

Yes, sir.

[Rick Norlock, Conservative, Northumberland—Quinte West, ON]

Would it also be correct to say that additional resources, the extra funding for municipal and provincial police agencies to hire extra police officers, and the interrelationship you have with the Sûreté du Québec, the OPP, and other municipal police forces enhance their ability to help you to do your job?

[A/Commr Mike Cabana]

Yes.

[Rick Norlock, Conservative, Northumberland—Quinte West, ON]

Thank you.

I just wanted to ask those questions.

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Thank you.

I want to thank the witnesses very much. It sounds as though you may reappear at this committee sometime in the future; I'm not sure. We look forward to the information on supply again. We appreciate it very much.

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

Gary, before you hit the gavel, we have a couple of items before the committee. It would only take a couple of minutes. Maybe I can just read them now.

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

I'll dismiss the witnesses, because it would be an in camera thing.

I'll ask committee members to stick around. I'll officially end the meeting and then we'll deal with the issue.

Thank you very much.

This meeting stands adjourned.