Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
This amendment would require the Attorney General to consult annually with the relevant federal and provincial ministers and agencies about the implementation of the NCR regime. The Attorney General would also be required to table an annual report on these consultations.
Mr. Chairman, one of my biggest concerns with Bill C-54 is that we might well run out of space in provincial treatment facilities. As witnesses testified, overcrowding not only impacts on treatment, but it also reduces public safety which, after all, is a paramount consideration underpinning this legislation. Moreover, overcrowding also raises serious charter concerns. Particularly also, as I've noted, NCR-accused have not been found guilty of any offence.
As such, to ensure that the NCR regime is being implemented effectively, consultation with the provinces are necessary and ought to be mandated in statute. We ought not to create burdens on the provinces without assistance, and thus this mechanism helps to ensure that capacity and resources to implement the system are in place and working.
I might add, Mr. Chair, and I close with this, that effectively, this amendment seeks to secure the very objective that the legislation itself seeks.