Public Safety Committee on March 10th, 2009

[Andrew Kania, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

Mr. Cabana, you indicated that the RCMP contributed to that report, referring to Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano's report. Who asked you to contribute?

[A/Commr Mike Cabana]

If memory serves me right, the request did not come directly to us. I believe the request came in through Canada Border Services Agency. Exactly how the request came into Canada, I have no idea.

[Andrew Kania, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

You don't know how or when you were requested to contribute?

[Supt Warren Coons]

I believe Assistant Commissioner Cabana is correct that it came to us through the CBSA, but I believe they received that request through the Department of Homeland Security. If memory serves, it was in December sometime.

[Andrew Kania, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

How did you contribute? Did you have a written report?

[A/Commr Mike Cabana]

I'm not sure it would be a report. We had written documents. Input was provided to the CBSA response to the tasking that they had received.

[Andrew Kania, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

So you provided something to the CBSA?

[A/Commr Mike Cabana]

That's correct. We contributed to the preparation of a report that was being prepared by the Canada Border Services Agency.

[Andrew Kania, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

So who authored the report that you provided to them?

[A/Commr Mike Cabana]

It was someone from within the border integrity program of the RCMP.

[Andrew Kania, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

Do you happen to know the name of the individual and the date of the report?

[A/Commr Mike Cabana]

I don't have the date of the report. The individual was Inspector Mike Furey.

[Andrew Kania, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

Is it something that exists that you could provide to the committee?

[A/Commr Mike Cabana]

Yes.

[Andrew Kania, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

Will you do that?

[A/Commr Mike Cabana]

Yes, I'll undertake to find it. As I said, it's not a report; it's input into the preparation of a report.

[Andrew Kania, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

That's okay. Please provide whatever documentation there is that was contributed.

[A/Commr Mike Cabana]

Certainly.

[Andrew Kania, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

You indicated you were asked to prepare information in order to have an up-to-date progress report. Do you know what I'm referring to?

[A/Commr Mike Cabana]

No.

[Andrew Kania, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

In response to Mr. Oliphant, you indicated that in terms of securing an open border, Canada's national security policy, and getting up-to-date reports, you had contributed to a potential update report on the national security plan. Who asked you to do that, when, and can we see what you contributed?

[A/Commr Mike Cabana]

The request for contribution--again this is from memory--did not come directly to my program. It came in through another RCMP program. Again, it was contribution toward preparation of a document.

[Andrew Kania, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

So did a written request for an update come to you?

[A/Commr Mike Cabana]

I assume that, but I don't know. I can't answer that.

[Andrew Kania, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

Can you provide us with whatever might exist in requests made of you, and what you submitted in response to update them?