Evidence of meeting #21 for Public Safety and National Security in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was firearm.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:50 p.m.
Bloc
Maria Mourani Bloc Ahuntsic, QC
Fine, thank you.
I have one final question for Mr. Dupuis. If memory serves me, we heard from Mr. Boisvenu on Tuesday. He told us that, in his opinion, the Registry is not a tool for prevention. What do you think?
4:50 p.m.
Minister of Public Safety, Government of Québec
I have to tell you, Mr. Chairman, that if certain members of the National Assembly could hear me today, they would say that I am far more disciplined here than I am there.
4:50 p.m.
Liberal
May 27th, 2010 / 4:50 p.m.
NDP
Joe Comartin NDP Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to all the witnesses for being here.
Ms. Fraser, perhaps I can start with you. You've left it open a little bit: have you looked at the registry at all since it's been with the RCMP?
4:50 p.m.
Auditor General of Canada, Office of the Auditor General of Canada
No, we have not.
4:50 p.m.
NDP
Joe Comartin NDP Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
All right.
There's been a figure thrown out by the RCMP that it was costing at the current rate, just for the long-gun registry, about $4.1 million. You found in your 2006 report--you did a breakdown between the licensing, the restricted weapons, handguns in particular, and the long-gun registry--some problems with the handgun registry as well as with the long-gun registry.
Have you at any time since 2006 done any analysis on that aspect of it--not on the financial costs but on the way it's being managed?
4:50 p.m.
Auditor General of Canada, Office of the Auditor General of Canada
No. The last audit work we did particularly on the firearms--the registry or the program as a whole--was the follow-up report of 2006.
4:50 p.m.
NDP
Joe Comartin NDP Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
Okay.
How long would it take you to do an assessment of the...in the same way as you did the initial study in 2002, was it, or 2003?
4:50 p.m.
Auditor General of Canada, Office of the Auditor General of Canada
In 2002 that audit was really related to the costs, and the disclosure of the increasing costs to Parliament. We did not do a lot of work on the actual operations of the program.
In 2006 we looked to see if the recording of the costs...and the allocation of the costs as well was an issue we looked at in 2006. We saw that had improved. We looked at the centre, because it was really a separate department that had been established, and at how the operations of that centre were operating. We found again that there had been improvement.
Generally a performance audit to look at that program would take us a year to a year and a half to do.
4:50 p.m.
NDP
Joe Comartin NDP Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
All right.
If I understand your mandate, the Minister of Public Safety could ask you to do that.
4:50 p.m.
Auditor General of Canada, Office of the Auditor General of Canada
The minister could ask us, the parliamentary committee could ask us, and we would have to assess whether we had the resources to do it...and, obviously, given the other audits that were under way.
For example, in the RCMP we are doing some follow-up work on other audits that we have done in the RCMP, but it is not specifically related to the Firearms Centre.
4:50 p.m.
NDP
Joe Comartin NDP Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
Okay.
Just to go back, in 2006 you found that it was satisfactory, the performance with regard to cost.
4:50 p.m.
Auditor General of Canada, Office of the Auditor General of Canada
Yes. We found that they had made good progress in assessing the costs and including...
One of the problems in 2002 was that they were only reporting direct costs. A lot of the indirect costs weren't being included. They had changed that. As well, the allocation between the licensing and the registering activities had also improved.
So we were satisfied at that point. There were a couple of, I guess, more technical issues around year-end costs that we raised at the time, but generally we were satisfied with the progress that had been made.
4:55 p.m.
NDP
Joe Comartin NDP Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
And at this point you have no intention long term to do another assessment.
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Auditor General of Canada, Office of the Auditor General of Canada
It is not in our plans currently, no.
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Auditor General of Canada, Office of the Auditor General of Canada
We plan ahead three years.
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NDP
4:55 p.m.
Minister of Public Safety, Government of Québec
Quebec has a population of seven million.
