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.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Robert Paulson  Commissioner, Royal Canadian Mounted Police

4:25 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson

You still have 40 seconds, if you want a final comment.

4:25 p.m.

NDP

Marie-Claude Morin NDP Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC

No, it's okay; I do not have any other questions.

Thank you very much, Mr. Paulson, for having answered our questions.

4:25 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson

Mr. Garrison, very quickly, just to summarize.

4:25 p.m.

NDP

Randall Garrison NDP Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC

What I was going to raise as a point of order, I'll just raise now.

Since we extended the invitation to Mr. Paulson, we had hoped we might have him for two hours. Can we, as well as ending with our thanks, end with the understanding that we might like him to come back in the future to talk to us at greater length?

In his comment on relations with the minister, he was saying he was trying to stay out of things political, but there may be things we wish to study in the future at the committee, like street gangs or service to victims, and we might like to draw on his expertise. So I just hope we could end with that understanding.

4:25 p.m.

Commissioner, Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Commr Robert Paulson

If I could, Mr. Chair...?

4:25 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson

Yes, go ahead, Commissioner.

4:25 p.m.

Commissioner, Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Commr Robert Paulson

Just to go back to the opening comments earlier, to what I think Mr. Norlock was saying, I think there's a great opportunity to be able to give.... I want to have the matters that our officers deal with day in and day out shared with folks such as yourself. I think that's the fundamental strategy: it's to open it up. But I'm happy to come back or have my staff come back.

4:25 p.m.

NDP

Randall Garrison NDP Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC

Thank you.

4:25 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson

Thank you very much.

That pretty well concludes our meeting. I do again want to congratulate you on the appointment as our commissioner. I have seen many different commissioners, many different individuals, appear here in the role you have. Certainly we wish you all the best and that you will, with honour, work through your role there as our commissioner. We just know you will.

Thank you for the experience that you've had in this position. Good luck in working with the rest of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in continuing to make it a strong police force that all Canadians are proud of. Thank you very much, sir, and thank you for being here before our committee.

We're going to recess momentarily. We'll suspend and then come back in five minutes.

That will give you a chance to shake the commissioner's hand if you so choose, and then we'll come back into committee business.

[Proceedings continue in camera]