Evidence of meeting #39 for Procedure and House Affairs in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was training.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:05 p.m.
Liberal
12:05 p.m.
Liberal
12:05 p.m.
Conservative
12:05 p.m.
Liberal
Anita Vandenbeld Liberal Ottawa West—Nepean, ON
Thank you very much.
Thank you for a thorough presentation, Mr. Speaker.
My question is about the part you mentioned in terms of the creation of a unique PPS culture. Obviously, in terms of security, this place is not the same doing security in any other federal building. This is a place of the people. It is a place that belongs to Canadians and therefore needs to be open to Canadians, and that needs to be weighed in terms of the security of those who work in this place but also in terms of accessibility.
I don't see anything here in terms of training for things such as cultural sensitivity. In this committee, in one of our previous reports, we recommended a gender-based safety audit. I'm not seeing anything on that or other gender awareness, or aboriginal reconciliation, or the fact that this is a very different place. I understood in some informal conversations that some consideration was being given to having the protective services officers undergo this kind of cultural awareness training.
12:10 p.m.
Liberal
12:10 p.m.
Superintendent Mike O'Beirne Acting Director and Officer in Charge of Operations, Parliamentary Protective Service
Thank you very much.
Following the creation of the PPS in June 2015, our efforts were certainly geared towards integrating at every possible turn and every possible opportunity. That has certainly developed in the training area. We developed an integrated training unit, in the very first instance, made up of our highly trained personnel who came from the three partners. With that, we of course identified the need to standardize the training across the PPS and to develop a training regimen.
To that end, a recruit program training course was developed. As for what that is, it's the new PPS standard. We've identified the needs of the precinct, the grounds, the Senate, the House of Commons, and the Library of Parliament, and we've standardized training to that end. Included in that, certainly, is the tactical or more kinetic training that one would expect from a security entity.
However, to respond to your question, ma'am, certainly efforts are under way right now to develop the cultural training and diversity training within the RP, our recruit program. We are looking at launching our third course, RP3, in the new year, and we are very proud of that. Included in that as well as a follow-up is certainly training with respect to the privileges and immunities of parliamentarians and then of course tying that into your original point about balancing the needs of security with the requirement of having an open and accessible Parliament.
12:10 p.m.
Conservative
12:10 p.m.
NDP
David Christopherson NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
It's a shame that we didn't get a chance to finish all of our PPS briefings before we did this. I'm not suggesting any skulduggery; it's just unfortunate that we weren't able to get the horse in front of the cart.
However, be that as it may, there has been some reference to this, Speaker, in some of your comments, but could you again touch on the issue of the integration between the two sides, the Senate and the Commons? What parts of that integration still remain to be done? I know that you've touched on it, but in summary, there were still some outstanding issues, I believe, in terms of that transition into one. Were there two collective agreements? There were some aspects where it is still not uniformly seamless yet. I wonder if you could touch on those for me.
12:10 p.m.
Supt Mike O'Beirne
Thank you.
You are correct. When the PPS was created and the Senate security, the House of Commons security, and the RCMP component came together, with that came two associations and one union, and those remain in place at this time. We're mindful of that as we move forward. However, we've put forth a motion to the PSLRB to look at merging into one. We see that as an operational benefit and as an operational requirement for moving various initiatives forward.
However, I will finish by saying, as I mentioned earlier, that we've concentrated our efforts on the integration of all partners at every turn. That includes our training unit, as I mentioned, and our integrated planning unit. If I can use an analogy, prior to the PPS, every entity was planning events with 33% of the information and 33% of the operation. We've eliminated all of that with an integrated planning unit that looks after everything that may happen on the Hill from a security perspective. Then, of course, there is an integrated intelligence unit, an intelligence-led entity. That assists us as well.
Certainly, that is awaiting disposition in front of the PSLRB, but we've put forth that motion.
12:15 p.m.
NDP
David Christopherson NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Good. Thank you.
Next is members' access. I've raised this on numerous occasions in numerous Parliaments. What I'm seeking is some assurance, on the record, ahead of time, that indeed there has been a higher recognition of the priority of ensuring that you plan for members getting to Centre Block, rather than finding situations where all of a sudden the green bus has to be stopped. I've seen members who have some short-term impairment having to walk across the front lawn because there was no preparation.
It's going to happen again. If it doesn't, I'll be the first one to sing alleluia at the end of this term, but I suspect it's going to come. What I'd like to hear up front, right now, before any events happen, is that this is being recognized as the priority that it should be, that we're not going to have incidents—other than something that happens that wasn't planned—and that there's going to be much better planning than there has been in the past for ensuring this, whether it's the President of the United States, the Pope, or whomever. Their security is an absolute priority, but there's also a constitutional priority to ensure that members can get to the House.
I would like to hear now, ahead of time, before we have any more visits, that this priority is being considered and recognized, and that those plans will be in place.
12:15 p.m.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Blake Richards
Just before you respond, Mr. Speaker, we're at 12:17 now. I have two other members on the list following this. Would you have the time to stay for those two, do you think, if we can keep them brief?
12:15 p.m.
Conservative
12:15 p.m.
NDP
David Christopherson NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
I have one more after this, and I'll keep it brief, Chair.
12:15 p.m.
Conservative
12:15 p.m.
Conservative
12:15 p.m.
Liberal
Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and through you to Mr. Christopherson, I want to assure you that I consider it a high priority that the privileges of members be respected at all times. Obviously, it's about their ability to do their work on behalf of their constituents. So many of the services we provide on Parliament Hill, that the House provides, are for that purpose, and that's why it's important that they be able to get around the Hill, to get to the House, and to get to Centre Block or back to their offices when need be. That has to be considered a priority at all times, so when there are visits, that needs to be part of the planning process.
12:15 p.m.
Liberal
Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS
I'd love to be able to say to you and to promise you that this kind of thing will never happen again, the kind of thing you describe. That probably would be an unwise promise for me to make, but I would certainly hope we wouldn't see that kind of problem. At the same time, we will have, I'm sure, visitors from time to time and security issues involved. As you point out, the key thing is to plan for those and to try to do as much as we can to avoid problems for members.
I'm going to ask Mr. O'Beirne to reinforce my message.
12:15 p.m.
Supt Mike O'Beirne
Certainly, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.
We incorporate measures and contingency plans into our operational plans at every opportunity. We do plan that. I can give you my assurances that they are incorporated into our planning cycle and our preparatory phases. When there is a large event, certainly, there are always the unforseen issues that may pop up, but I can assure you that we give them our full attention. If any issues do come up, they're rectified as quickly as possible.
