Bill C-303

An Act to amend the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act

Sponsor

Introduced as a private member’s bill. (These don’t often become law.)

Status

Outside the Order of Precedence (a private member's bill that hasn't yet won the draw that determines which private member's bills can be debated), as of Nov. 1, 2022

Subscribe to a feed (what's a feed?) of speeches and votes in the House related to Bill C-303.

Summary

This is from the published bill.

This enactment amends the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act to clarify the scope of the directions that the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness can issue to the Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and to require that all directions be issued in writing. It also provides for reporting and publishing requirements with respect to those directions.

Elsewhere

All sorts of information on this bill is available at LEGISinfo, an excellent resource from Parliament. You can also read the full text of the bill.

Bill numbers are reused for different bills each new session. Perhaps you were looking for one of these other C-303s:

C-303 (2021) National Health Data Strategy Act

C-303 (2016) An Act respecting the repeal of the Acts enacted by the Anti-terrorism Act, 2015 and amending or repealing certain provisions enacted by that Act

C-303 (2013) An Act to amend the Food and Drugs Act (trans fatty acids)

C-303 (2011) An Act to amend the Food and Drugs Act (trans fatty acids)

Royal Canadian Mounted Police ActRoutine Proceedings

November 1st, 2022 / 10 a.m.

NDP

Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-303, An Act to amend the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act.

Mr. Speaker, allow me to briefly explain the why, what and how of this bill.

We have all seen the allegations of political interference with regard to the RCMP. I think a big reason for that is the way the RCMP Act is currently written. Currently, subsection 5(1) of the RCMP Act provides for the appointment of a commissioner “who, under the direction of the Minister, has the control and management of the Force”. This archaic provision has been and continues to be a recipe for lack of clarity and controversy.

The bill I am introducing today would amend the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act to clarify the scope of the directions that the Minister of Public Safety and the Minister of Emergency Preparedness can issue to the commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Specifically, the minister shall not issue direction in respect to the following: any operational decisions, any matters respecting law enforcement decisions in a specific case, such as those relating to investigations, arrests and prosecutions, and any matter that would interfere with the commissioner's powers or authority. It would also require that all directions be issued in writing, tabled in Parliament and published in the Canada Gazette.

I would like to thank my colleague, the member for Hamilton Centre, for seconding this bill. I urge all parliamentarians to support this legislative initiative so that we have clarity of direction for the RCMP.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)