Evidence of meeting #19 for Justice and Human Rights in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was money.
A recording is available from Parliament.
NDP
Joe Comartin NDP Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
I just want to follow up on the point you made, Mr. Minister, about the difficulty of doing an assessment of how much the legislation is going to cost your department. How much reliance can we put on the figure of $33.5 million? How accurate is it?
Conservative
Rob Nicholson Conservative Niagara Falls, ON
Again, any time you try to make an estimate and gauge future behaviour it is very difficult. I know, for instance, that the department tells me on a regular basis about the cost to victims of crime. I was testifying on auto theft. It's $1.2 billion. When you've already had the damage, when you've already had the suffering, and you've already had the theft, it's easier to put a figure on that, but it is much more difficult...
Again, I always ask what the cost is when people are not being detained and they continue to offend and they continue to create more victims.
So you're right. It's very difficult. You're right, we did put an estimate in there. Again, the department, working with Public Safety--again, I don't have direct control over these things--works very hard to try to come up with that as best they can.
NDP
Joe Comartin NDP Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
With regard to the Teslin Tlingit agreement, are we going to finally get it signed this year?
Conservative
Rob Nicholson Conservative Niagara Falls, ON
Again, these are continuing efforts I've made. I've met with representatives of that group. I've certainly encouraged...and again, any announcement that would be made would be made at the time that a new agreement would take place--
NDP
Joe Comartin NDP Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
I guess the concern I have, Minister, just quickly...
I know that my time is just about up—
NDP
Joe Comartin NDP Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
--but what seems to be happening, Minister, is that your department is going over the same area. I'm not pointing the finger at you. Perhaps I should be saying this to the Deputy Minister. You're going over the same area that's been gone over by at least one other department, if not two, and you are raising the same issues.
NDP
Conservative
Rob Nicholson Conservative Niagara Falls, ON
They're doing their best, and I'm proud to be associated with them.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Ed Fast
Members, we have the usual votes that have to be undertaken for the main estimates. You have before you the list.
I'm proposing we do it with one omnibus vote, except for the last one. Are you okay with that?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Ed Fast
Shall votes 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 50, less the amount voted in interim supply, carry?
NDP
Conservative
NDP
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Ed Fast
Okay, we'll do it on division.
JUSTICE
Department
Vote 1--Operating expenditures...........$258,688,000
Vote 5--Grants and contributions..........$386,880,000
Canadian Human Rights Commission
Vote 10--Program expenditures..........$20,110,000
Canadian Human Rights Tribunal
Vote 15--Program expenditures..........$4,116,000
Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs
Vote 20--Operating expenditures..........$8,055,000
Vote 25--Canadian Judicial Council--Operating expenditures..........$1,608,000
Courts Administration Service
Vote 30--Program expenditures..........$53,333,000
Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 35--Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions--Operating expenditures..........$142,862,000
Supreme Court of Canada
Vote 50--Program expenditures..........$21,632,000
(Votes 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 50 agreed to on division)
There's one more.
Shall the chair report votes 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 50 under Justice, less the amount voted in interim supply, to the House?
(Motion agreed to on division)
The meeting is adjourned.