Thank you, Chair.
Evidence of meeting #19 for Justice and Human Rights in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was respect.
A video is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #19 for Justice and Human Rights in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was respect.
A video is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Anthony Housefather
Thank you very much, Minister Wilson-Raybould, for joining us this morning. We much appreciate it.
Liberal
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Anthony Housefather
I'd like to thank and welcome our next round of witnesses.
I note that we've been joined by Elizabeth Hendy, the director general of the programs branch in the policy sector of the Department of Justice, and Brian Saunders.
Brian, I can't remember for the life of me what your title is.
Brian Saunders Director of Public Prosecutions, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Public Prosecution Service of Canada
I am director of public prosecutions.
Liberal
George Dolhai Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Public Prosecution Service of Canada
I am the deputy director.
Kathleen Roussel Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Public Prosecution Service of Canada
I am the other deputy director.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Anthony Housefather
Excellent. I prefer “the other deputy director”. That's an excellent way to explain it.
Ladies and gentlemen, given the circumstances, at 10 o'clock both Mr. Cooper and Mr. Rankin need to be in the House, so what I thought we would try to do is to hold one round of questions and see whether that is sufficient for everyone, and then vote on the estimates so that we can get our members to the House on time.
The first round here goes to the Conservatives. I'm not sure who will be asking the questions.
Mr. Falk?
Conservative
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Anthony Housefather
You don't have any questions?
Let's go to the Liberals.
Mr. Fraser.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Anthony Housefather
Let me just ask whether there are members present who have questions, and I'll just go to you.
Mr. Rankin.
NDP
Murray Rankin NDP Victoria, BC
Not very good ones, but....
You were here, I know, when Mr. Cooper asked questions about the judicial appointment crisis facing some of our jurisdictions. I want to ask about a different problem; that is the specific claims tribunal and the administrative tribunal support service.
We've been hearing from the Assembly of First Nations that tribunals such as the specific claims tribunal are suffering from a shortage of judges, just like so many of our superior courts across the country, and yet the voted estimates for the administrative tribunal support services show a $3.4 million decrease due to the sunsetting of funds for that very tribunal.
Are the measures we see in these estimates sufficient to solve the current problems with judicial appointments, and if not, what other action are you taking to correct these issues?
Deputy Minister of Justice and Deputy Attorney General of Canada, Department of Justice
Mr. Chairman, I believe Marie-France Pelletier, from ATSSC, will be able to answer that question.
Marie-France Pelletier Chief Administrator, Administrative Tribunals Support Service of Canada
In relation to the funding decrease for the Administrative Tribunal Support Service of Canada, or ATSSC as we call it for short, there is a decrease in funding that is related to sunsetting of funds for the specific claims tribunal.
However, the supplementary estimates (A) were recently tabled, and they contain the amount to secure the funding for this fiscal year, so in the supplementary estimates (A) you will see the amounts for the funding for the specific claims tribunal.
NDP
Murray Rankin NDP Victoria, BC
In light of what you've just said about the supplemental estimates, there is a $3.4 million decrease of funds for the specific claims tribunal, and the AFN has been very concerned about the lack of judges.
I don't have that number in front of me, but you're saying that the supplementals are going to address that perceived problem, are you?
Chief Administrator, Administrative Tribunals Support Service of Canada
They will address the issue of funding for this fiscal year for the specific claims tribunal, at a level similar to or the same as before.
Now, in relation to judicial appointments for that tribunal, the ATSSC is not directly involved in the judicial appointment process or in any appointment process to any of our tribunals; however, this funding, should appointments come forward, ought to allow us to properly address it.
Deputy Minister of Justice and Deputy Attorney General of Canada, Department of Justice
Just briefly, I can say on behalf of the minister that in respect to the earlier question on judicial appointments—as you know, the appointments to the specific claims tribunal are a bit different because they are of sitting judges—the minister is equally seized with the importance of ensuring that the specific claims tribunal vacancies are addressed and has taken steps to try to ensure that.
