Procedure and House Affairs Committee on May 17th, 2022

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

I asked you, Mr. Bell, on purpose, because I really wanted to understand that.... Certainly, from my perspective, the challenge in this study is that MPs actually cross through OPS jurisdiction when they travel from their offices, which are predominantly on Wellington and Sparks streets, to get to Parliament Hill. Those tended to be the moments within the occupation when many of those MPs felt less than secure. That's why I was asking you.

Mr. Duheme, maybe I'll ask you a similar question but more related to ministers, specifically the Prime Minister. I know that there were trucks parked along Wellington Street just metres away from the Prime Minister's office. Certainly, this must have posed risks for you in terms of your mandate. Would you agree with that?

[D/Commr Michael Duheme]

I would agree with that, Madam Chair.

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

Does Wellington Street, being in another police jurisdiction, create challenges in these types of unprecedented situations for you to, in fact, fulfill your mandate?

[D/Commr Michael Duheme]

That's correct, Madam Chair.

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

Thank you.

How can we prevent those types of...? I understand that we're talking here about an unprecedented situation. I'm certainly not trying to pit any police agency against another. We're really working together to try to see how we can prevent this from happening again and make sure that our Parliament can function. I understand that Mr. Bell's responsibility is predominantly for the citizens of Ottawa. The responsibility of Mr. Duheme and the PPS is to ensure that MPs can get to and from their workplace and be secure.

Mr. Duheme, could you tell me how we could prevent this from happening? Would expanding the parliamentary precinct remove some of those vulnerabilities?

[D/Commr Michael Duheme]

I look forward to the review from the committee, but I do believe that if you expand it, it will have an impact on the main buildings on Wellington that we attend on a regular basis with the Prime Minister.

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

Thank you.

I'll hand the rest of my time to my colleague Mr. Naqvi.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bardish Chagger]

You have 30 seconds.

[Yasir Naqvi, Liberal, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Chief Bell, if vehicles are prohibited from Wellington Street, does that enhance the security along Wellington Street?

[Chief Steve Bell]

Madam Chair, it enhances the security from any sort of risk or threat that could be borne by a vehicle, so I would say yes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bardish Chagger]

Excellent.

Ms. Gaudreau, you have the floor for one minute.

[Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

We now know that it was in the first week that all of this was orchestrated, that steps could have been taken beforehand, that the RCMP was responsible for all of this, that they had a direct link to the minister in question, the Speaker of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Commons, and that there was cause for concern for the safety of parliamentarians.

Let us put aside what was happening on the street. Mr. Duheme, given section 79.54 of the Parliament of Canada Act, which talks about the safety of parliamentarians, how is it that we did not intervene beforehand, regardless of the rules of Ottawa or the province of Ontario?

[D/Commr Michael Duheme]

Madam Chair, what type of intervention are we talking about?

[Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

I am talking about expending all the energy needed to ensure that parliamentarians were safe near the parliamentary precinct.

[D/Commr Michael Duheme]

Very well.

In fact, we were in close communication with the director of the Parliamentary Protective Service, who in turn was in communication with the Sergeant‑at‑Arms, who also has a responsibility. Memos were sent to all the employees of the parliamentary precinct and to the elected representatives. In view of its mandate in relation to the latter, the RCMP had recommended that people go to two central points in order to ensure a police escort in an unmarked vehicle to Parliament. Some people complied with this recommendation, while others decided to go to the various buildings themselves.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bardish Chagger]

Thank you very much.

Ms. Blaney, would you like a quick question?

[Rachel Blaney]

I would, Madam Chair, and if I could, I'll direct it to Chief Bell.

One of the things I'm curious about is that, if the precinct is increased and that jurisdiction is increased, who would support small businesses, which I know suffered tremendously through this during the occupation. Who would attend those...? PPS is only in charge of Hill staff and MPs and stuff, so who would support the businesses in the jurisdiction if it were expanded?

[Chief Steve Bell]

Madam Chair—and I think it's an important distinction—if the parliamentary precinct would be expanded under the current framework of the PPS, that would be for security reasons only. It would be a security posture similar to what's provided on the Hill now, expanded to an outside area. We would still remain the police of jurisdiction. We would still be responsive to any sort of Criminal Code incidents. It would continue to need to be a partnership between us and PPS as we moved ahead.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bardish Chagger]

Excellent. Thank you so much.

On behalf of all committee members, I would like to thank all the witnesses for your time with us today.

I thank you for your presence and for the information you have given us.

Please know that we welcome submissions, so if there is other information you would like committee members to consider, we would not limit any opportunity to write to us. Please do, through the clerk, provide us any information.

With that, I will suspend the committee for a couple of seconds while we switch over to the next panel.

Thank you. Keep well and safe, everyone.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bardish Chagger]

I would like to resume the meeting.

For the second part of our meeting, Minister Mendicino and Minister Tassi are here, appearing with officials.

To keep our meeting rolling quickly, I will now pass the floor over to Minister Tassi for up to five minutes.

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Thanks, Madam Chair.

I'm happy to be here today with two of my officials. Paul Thompson is my DM, and Rob Wright is an ADM.

Thanks for inviting us here today. I fully appreciate the importance of this committee's study on expanding the federal jurisdiction for the operational security of the parliamentary precinct.

Before we begin, I'd like to acknowledge that we are meeting on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin people.

As Minister of Public Services and Procurement, I am proud to be leading the restoration work on the precinct. Through this enormous undertaking, we are restoring one of the most important heritage sites in Canada. We are creating a modern workplace for parliamentarians while moving us towards carbon neutrality and climate resiliency. Our goal, working hand in hand with Parliament, is to restore, modernize and preserve the heart of Canada's democracy, and to ensure that it can be enjoyed by all Canadians for many years to come.

Madam Chair, the precinct itself goes beyond Parliament Hill and includes the three city blocks facing the Hill, extending from Elgin Street to Bank Street. It also includes the Senate of Canada Building, with Wellington Street and Sparks Street running through and defining the precinct.

In addition to Parliament, the precinct is the home of the office of the Prime Minister and the Privy Council, and the future indigenous peoples space. The Supreme Court is its next-door neighbour. Suffice it to say, this is one of the most significant spaces in our country. It cradles our democratic institutions, and it is where Canadians come to celebrate, mourn, reflect and express their democratic voices.

As you can imagine, the precinct is a complex environment involving many stakeholders with varying and overlapping areas of accountability.

As custodian for the parliamentary and judicial precincts, Public Services and Procurement Canada is responsible for their operations and for securing the authorities and funding to do so. My department also has an important role to play, not only in the planning and delivery of accommodations but also in helping to operationalize security requirements, which are determined by partners.

Within my portfolio, the National Capital Commission has jurisdiction over federal land use and design, and it is responsible for the visitor experience along Confederation Boulevard. Finally, the City of Ottawa holds responsibility for all municipal infrastructure, including city streets.

When it comes to security, Madam Chair, the landscape is no less complex, as my colleague, Minister Mendicino, will soon describe.

As you well know, recent illegal protests have illustrated the challenges that come with multiple players and jurisdictional barriers. They laid bare issues of ownership and control, security and governance, which, particularly during the early part of the protests, undermined a coordinated and coherent response.

But these issues are not new, and the complexities they bring reach far beyond security. In fact, more than a decade ago, the Auditor General reported that the complex governance and the lack of clarity pertaining to the roles and responsibilities for the parliamentary precinct posed a significant risk for the implementation of the long-term vision and plan. The Auditor General is currently undertaking a follow-up audit that is to be tabled in Parliament in 2023.

Although we have achieved much over the past decade, including a strong record of delivering projects, many of the same risks remain. In fact, I'd say they have increased. Not only has the global threat and risk level continued to evolve, but the complexion of the precinct has changed. Within the next decade, approximately 50% of all parliamentary offices will be located on the other side of Wellington Street, meaning Wellington will no longer serve as a border for Parliament but will, instead, run right through its core.

With a new sense of urgency to address security in the precinct, there is an opportunity to deal with the long-standing issues around governance more broadly.

My department sees significant benefit in working with Parliament, the City of Ottawa and other key stakeholders to help clarify accountabilities, simplify the operational context and streamline decision-making to create a more safe, secure and accessible parliamentary precinct. Of course, one of our main objectives is to ensure access of the precinct to visitors.

When we look at any issue, including security, we need to make sure that we consider how it affects all facets of our long-term vision and plan, ensuring we have solutions that work for local residents and all Canadians so that they can continue to take pride in their national capital.

From my perspective, the key to putting a plan together that will result in real change will be collaboration and coordination, or to simplify it into one word, partnership.

Parliament can count on Public Services and Procurement Canada as a partner in this important endeavour, and I'd be happy to discuss our work on this front.

I look forward to your questions, and I look forward to working with this committee.

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bardish Chagger]

Thank you, Minister Tassi.

Minister Mendicino, you have the floor.

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I will begin by thanking all the committee members for their study and their good work on this important issue.

We are also joined by the deputy commissioner of the RCMP, Michael Duheme, who you now know very well.

The government supports the committee's work to study the operational security of the parliamentary precinct, including sections of Wellington and Sparks streets, as my colleague Minister Tassi just alluded to. We look forward to your findings and recommendations.

In my brief this morning, I’ll speak about the Parliamentary Protective Service, or PPS as it is well known to all of us, and to the illegal blockades that we witnessed during January and February of this year.

Colleagues, as you know, the PPS is mandated to provide integrated physical security through the parliamentary precinct and the grounds of Parliament Hill. It was created following the security challenges that followed the terrorist incident in October 2014.

Shortly after its creation, my office signed an MOU with co-signatories: the commissioner of the RCMP, the Speaker of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Commons. The goal of that MOU was to ensure a clear distinction of authorities and responsibilities.

Today the PPS is comprised of personnel from the former Senate protective service, the former House of Commons security services and, as legislated, the director is a member of the RCMP. The PPS is a separate entity from other law enforcement partners, and it takes direction from the House of Commons and the Senate. This brings me to our most recent security challenge.

Colleagues, in January and February of this year in Ottawa and at various locations across the country, we witnessed illegal blockades that disrupted the lives of countless Canadians. They harmed our economy and endangered our public safety.

During the movement’s early stages, we saw a gain in momentum across the country, with a significant increase in disruptions in Ottawa, just outside from where we’re gathered today. Thousands were incited at our borders, legislatures, monuments and right here in front of Parliament Hill. Wellington Street was overrun by blockaders entrenching themselves with structures and propane tanks. As you recall, the Rideau Centre was shut down, and small businesses were shuttered. The 911 service in Ottawa was flooded with calls.

All of this lasted nearly a month in Ottawa. Before, during and after the illegal blockades in our nation’s capital, the Ottawa Police Service was and is the police of jurisdiction. However, the RCMP was fully engaged with the OPS, the Ontario Provincial Police and other law enforcement partners, as well as the PPS, through the RCMP’s national capital region command centre. This allowed for real-time operational coordination among all partners. The RCMP, OPP and OPS also established an integrated command centre to develop and oversee a joint enforcement plan under the leadership of the OPS.

All of these actions brought a safe end to the illegal blockades, restored order and ensured the safety and security of Canadians. During the blockades, I think we're all aware of the extraordinary service of the PPS in maintaining its operational and physical security in protecting parliamentarians, parliamentary staff, employees and visitors to the precinct and to Parliament Hill.

I would pause to note that I think many of us saw the reports of those illegal blockaders who were deliberately and consciously trying to overwhelm the job that the PPS was doing, pressing beyond barricades and pressing beyond PPS. Indeed, that was a very alarming example of the way in which public safety was undermined. I do want to take a moment to thank the members of the PPS, the RCMP and indeed all law enforcement for the extraordinary work they did in restoring public safety.

I eagerly await the finding of the joint parliamentary committee on the declaration of emergency and the public inquiry into the Emergencies Act that is being led by Justice Paul Rouleau.

With that, Madam Chair, I want to reaffirm that the government looks forward to the committee’s findings and recommendations, and we want to thank you for your time and careful attention to this issue.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bardish Chagger]

Minister Mendicino, that was very succinct and very welcome.

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

You asked me to be fast, Madam Chair, so I was on the fast clock.