Evidence of meeting #20 for Public Safety and National Security in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was rcmp.
A recording is available from Parliament.
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
Francis Scarpaleggia Liberal Lac-Saint-Louis, QC
Well, I think the word “route” means that you have to go through the minister. Anyway, I won't pursue that too much.
But do other parliamentarians from other parties need to be present?
3:55 p.m.
Commissioner, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Well, you know, I don't know. I don't think so. I know the minister expressed some issue of fairness. I don't know what Senator Kenny—
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
Francis Scarpaleggia Liberal Lac-Saint-Louis, QC
But are you waiting for the minister to tell you (a) whether you can meet this parliamentarian and (b) whether members of other parties need to be present?
3:55 p.m.
Commissioner, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Am I waiting for him to tell me that?
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
Francis Scarpaleggia Liberal Lac-Saint-Louis, QC
Well, when someone makes a request, you say to them—you write back to Senator Kenny—”I'm sorry, I can't help you right now; you have to route your request through the minister.” So you're waiting to hear from the minister's office (a) whether you can meet Senator Kenny and (b) whether you should be meeting him in the presence of maybe Ms. Hoeppner, or Mr. Aspin, or Mr. Sandhu. Is that the way it works?
3:55 p.m.
Commissioner, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
I'd just as soon not meet with Senator Kenny, to be honest with you.
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
Francis Scarpaleggia Liberal Lac-Saint-Louis, QC
But he's an expert on security and his committee has produced I think 24 reports on security.
3:55 p.m.
Commissioner, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
No, I know that. I've met with Senator Kenny before.
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
Francis Scarpaleggia Liberal Lac-Saint-Louis, QC
I don't need to meet with you necessarily, but I think Senator Kenny should be meeting with you because he has something very specific to say on these issues because his committee has focused on the RCMP and on public security, and I think he's a very wise man when it comes to public security.
But I won't continue on that line, Mr. Chair.
I would like to ask you about the gun registry and the firearms reports that come from the RCMP. You know, it is a little fishy that the recent firearms report came out on December 16, on the last day Parliament was sitting, after second reading debate on—
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Candice Bergen Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB
Actually, we all left on December 15. The House rose.
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
Francis Scarpaleggia Liberal Lac-Saint-Louis, QC
Well, that is actually even fishier because it's right after Parliament stopped sitting. It's right after second—
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
I think Parliament had already recessed for the Christmas break, so I'll take that as a point of order, but I—
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
Francis Scarpaleggia Liberal Lac-Saint-Louis, QC
It's not central to my point. I apologize.
But the issue here is that it was released after second reading debate on Bill C-19. It was released after this committee finished amending Bill C-19. The same thing happened when Parliament was debating Ms. Hoeppner's bill, Bill C-391. I just find it odd that the reports are coming out later and later and they seem to be timed in a political fashion.
I'd like you to give us a bit of background on why it was released so late when it obviously was prepared a long time before, because it had former Commissioner Elliott's signature appended to it.
3:55 p.m.
Commissioner, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Okay. Well, here's what I can tell you. Of course, I was appointed in late November. The report showed up in my office on, I think, December 14. I think I signed a covering letter to it on December 15, and it was hand-carried to the Department of Public Safety on December 16.
So from my end—
3:55 p.m.
Commissioner, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
I think I held up my end pretty well there.