I just want to be very clear that I got mine in first, but Ms. Barnes has a similar one. We have been discussing this. Our procedure doesn't allow us to do a joint motion, but that was certainly our intent. We both feel strongly that this is a joint effort, and one that we should be pursuing.
Mr. Chair, perhaps for those who have not noticed what has gone on in the last few days, the Globe and Mail, in a series of articles, has raised a case in British Columbia affecting the witness protection program, the act, and the conduct really of the RCMP with regard to this specific case, which, in addition to the notoriety, can arguably be said to have put into question the manner in which the witness protection program has been used. The article basically set out a case of an individual who had manipulated the RCMP into believing that he in fact was an informant. They moved him up from an informant to a paid agent, and then they put him into the witness protection program, in spite of the fact that at the time he went into the witness protection program, or shortly thereafter, it became obvious that he had grossly misled the RCMP.
That alone would have given us a great deal of concern. What subsequently happened is this individual, while in the witness protection program, committed at least one murder and perhaps more. That part of it is not clear at this point. It really does call into question how the program is being used.
There was a second case a year or two ago, or maybe longer, in the province of Quebec. This involved an informant in the biker wars that went on there. It was a similar situation, where the individual, after being placed in the witness protection program, again under a shadow, I'll say, committed some violent crimes.
The motion basically is that as a committee we need to take a look at this, with regard to whether the act is being abused, but also--perhaps in terms of our role, more importantly--whether there are amendments that are required to the act in order to allow for its use more properly than what these two cases would seem to indicate.
I am moving the motion that we conduct a review of the act and the role of the RCMP.