Declaration of Emergency Committee on Sept. 29th, 2022

[Larry Brookson]

As the acting director, it's my role in leading the organization to ensure that parliamentarians, staffers and members of the public have a safe place to come to work. It's also my job to look at what's happening, particularly on the exterior, and to ensure that a proper posture is in place to ensure the safety of parliamentarians.

As I've said before, during those days of the occupation I had some concerns about safety, particularly that of our parliamentarians crossing Wellington Street and coming up to West Block. I was happy in the end that nothing major came to play, but it's one of those things that I can't.... I will always have to err on the side of caution when it comes to protecting Parliament.

[Yasir Naqvi, Liberal, Ottawa Centre, ON]

I'll pose this question to all three of you. Perhaps all of you can answer this question in my limited time.

In your experience and the experience of the Parliamentary Protective Service or its predecessors, have you ever seen a protest of the magnitude and the nature that we witnessed in January and February of this year?

[Patrick McDonell]

No.

[Larry Brookson]

No.

[Julie Lacroix]

No.

[Yasir Naqvi, Liberal, Ottawa Centre, ON]

So it was quite a unique event. How concerned were you for the safety of PPS officers, who are responsible for keeping all of us and the staff safe?

[Larry Brookson]

Every day I had that concern about the safety of my protection officers.

[Yasir Naqvi, Liberal, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Was that a live issue that was discussed among the leadership?

[Larry Brookson]

Every advancement we do in delivering the mandate takes everything into consideration, including the safety of our protection officers and staff.

[Yasir Naqvi, Liberal, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Brookson, in your comments you mentioned that the mandate of PPS is to protect members, staff and visitors. Let me focus on visitors. Were you concerned for the safety of visitors who usually frequent Parliament Hill?

[Larry Brookson]

During that time of the occupation, there were moments when we had to close down access for certain moments. There was never a closure that was extended for an indefinite period of time. It was a finite period of time, just until the concern that I may or may not have had at that moment was alleviated.

[Yasir Naqvi, Liberal, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Where there visitors who were visiting Parliament Hill during that period?

[Larry Brookson]

I'm not aware of any visitors who were attending Parliament during that time.

[Yasir Naqvi, Liberal, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Did you have reports filed by members and staff of harassment and intimidation during the occupation?

[Larry Brookson]

I'll defer that to Mr. McDonell, because that's where the complaints or notifications of that would have come in.

[Yasir Naqvi, Liberal, Ottawa Centre, ON]

From staff as well?

[Patrick McDonell]

Yes. We had lots of complaints from staff—so many that they stopped filing them; they'd just speak with their manager.

[The Joint Chair, NDP, Matthew Green]

Thank you. That is the time.

We will now go to Monsieur Fortin for five minutes.

[The Joint Chair, Bloc, Rhéal Fortin]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I thank all three of you for being with us. Your testimony is important, considering the purpose of our proceedings.

During these events, all three of you had important security-related duties on Parliament Hill. Yet I understand that you began holding discussions about this event a week or two before the Wellington Street blockade took place.

Is that correct?

[Larry Brookson]

Yes, you are right.

[The Joint Chair, Bloc, Rhéal Fortin]

Thank you.

When you had this security concern, did you discuss it with representatives from the Prime Minister's office?

[Larry Brookson]

No.

[The Joint Chair, Bloc, Rhéal Fortin]

You did not discuss this at any time.

[Larry Brookson]

No.

[The Joint Chair, Bloc, Rhéal Fortin]

With whom did your discussions on security issues take place?