Human Resources Committee on Oct. 26th, 2010

[Don Head]

No, sir. I have enough challenges running a correctional system, as opposed to a collection agency.

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Overall, you're doing an excellent job, Mr. Head; I will make that point. I don't really want to see you in the collections business. I do want to see the federal government doing something about this, but take it off your shoulders.

That's it. Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Candice Bergen]

Great.

Mr. Komarnicki, do you have a quick follow-up?

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

I just have one question.

Of course, section 78 doesn't deduct a whole lot in any event, but if an inmate wanted to circumvent section 78, he would simply have the moneys deposited to a credit union or bank account.

[Don Head]

Yes. The quick and easy way to circumvent the system—I'm not sure why I would be telling this in public to encourage them—is to have—

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

But it's obvious.

[Don Head]

Yes, it is.

It's to have the money deposited in the community and have somebody else who has access to the account then make a gift deposit, which then goes in the savings account, not the current account.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

It became obvious during the course of your testimony.

Thank you.

[Don Head]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Candice Bergen]

Good. Thank you so much.

Do you have...?

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

That's not accurate. That's policy; that's not the legislation.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

But that's the effect of it, Mr. Comartin.

[The Chair, Conservative, Candice Bergen]

Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen, we're not going to debate right now.

We'll thank the witnesses for being here and for the information they have provided. We will suspend this meeting for five minutes and then come back in camera.

[Proceedings continue in camera]