Evidence of meeting #3 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 million.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Commissioner, Correctional Service Canada
We're working through this year to have our long-term accommodation plan complete, because we're looking out to the year 2018. So over the course of this fiscal year we hope to complete our long-term accommodation.
Liberal
Mark Holland Liberal Ajax—Pickering, ON
Mr. Rigby, would you concur with both Justices O'Connor and Iacobucci and with various House committees and Senate committees that have stated the imperative importance of having independent oversight of the Canada Border Services Agency? Would you agree with that?
President, Canada Border Services Agency
You stray into an area that basically represents advice that I give my minister, so I'll have to decline to answer directly.
But if I may perhaps in part respond to your question, the vast majority of the complaints that are brought against the Canada Border Services Agency go to issues of service and whether or not people received, in their view, appropriate service. We are doing everything we can to ensure that there's an independent or separate examination of those complaints within the agency.
Liberal
Mark Holland Liberal Ajax—Pickering, ON
On the issue of the border closing and ongoing border issues in Cornwall and problems with Akwesasne, I know the minister—and I didn't have a chance to bring this up with him—has refused to meet with the mayor. He hasn't gone to visit the location. Most in Cornwall are obviously pretty upset about this. Can you itemize for me what specific actions the department is taking, what concrete measures are being taken to try to resolve this issue and bring the parties to a conclusion?
Conservative
President, Canada Border Services Agency
We have been pursuing discussions basically on three tracks.
We're in constant communication with the City of Cornwall, obviously, and I am well aware of the concerns that the mayor has there and I'm doing my best to respond to them. We are in ongoing dialogue with the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne in an attempt to resolve the issues they had that originally prompted us to leave the island, and we have had continuing discussions with our counterparts in the United States to see whether or not there might be opportunities to seek a resolution in cooperation with them.
Bloc
Maria Mourani Bloc Ahuntsic, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I wanted to ask Mr. Sweeney whether the RCMP agrees with the minister and what he told us earlier about the removal of long guns from the firearms registry.
D/Commr William Sweeney
The RCMP performs three functions as it relates to firearms legislation. One, we're entrusted to administer the registry, and we do that as effectively as we possibly can. We enforce the law as it is defined by Parliament. The third of course is we provide advice to the government with respect to issues of law that are under consideration.
I think the minister was absolutely right that there is a wide divergence of opinion with respect to the efficacy of the firearms registry. That divergence of opinion, as has been stated by other members of this committee, includes members of the police community. We are currently working with the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police to present to our cabinet committee a position paper with respect to whether or not parliamentarians should consider information that is compelling that the registry promotes officer and public safety. I personally believe it does, and we're hoping that parliamentarians will take that into account when they debate this very important topic.
Bloc
Maria Mourani Bloc Ahuntsic, QC
I want to understand what you are saying. I do not understand. Are you for or against? My question is very simple. Is the RCMP, like the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, in favour of keeping the registry? Or is it that you have not made a decision and that you are going to send a report?
D/Commr William Sweeney
No. I believe that there is compelling evidence that the registry promotes officer and public safety. That's a personal opinion. I believe that there will be an opportunity for the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police to present to a cabinet committee that evidence.
Bloc
Maria Mourani Bloc Ahuntsic, QC
Thank you. I apologize, but I did not understand, perhaps because of the translation.
I am going to address my next question to everyone because I do not know who to address it to specifically. I have already asked Mr. Rigby.
Who is in charge of the no-fly list?
President, Canada Border Services Agency
I believe I recall our conversation, and it would be the Department of Transport.
Bloc
Maria Mourani Bloc Ahuntsic, QC
The Department of Transport is responsible for preparing a list of the people who are not to get on a plane, even though it is a security matter. Is that right? I do not suppose any of you know whether there are minors on that list.
Deputy Minister, Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Mr. Chair, I have no information about the list itself. Actually, I do not think that the public has access to that information.
Bloc
Maria Mourani Bloc Ahuntsic, QC
So it is very likely that minors are on that list and we will never know. Is that right? Yet, when this no-fly list came into effect, we were to be reported to each year. The goal was not to find out the names of the people on the list, but whether there were minors on it. What really interests me is finding out whether 12-year-old children cannot get on a plane with their parents because their names or their faces are a bit different.
Deputy Minister, Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Mr. Chair, I suggest that the question be addressed directly to the Department of Transport.
Bloc
Bloc
Maria Mourani Bloc Ahuntsic, QC
Could Mr. Myles Kirvan provide us with the details of the budget for prevention and of the DNA in writing? As to the $14 million, I would like to know what goes to Quebec, Ontario, the RCMP, whether it is an additional budget and whether it will fill the current gaps. It is all fine and dandy to have a law demanding DNA samples, but then we must be able to pay the labs so that they provide the samples in a timely manner. I do not want you to answer right now; I simply want you to send me the information in writing.
Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
I would like to clarify something. Previously, I said there were agreements between the federal government and the provinces and territories.
Just to be more precise, the agreement with the Province of Quebec is the same as the agreement with the Province of Ontario, whereby the federal government pays $2.3 million per year to assist the Government of Quebec or the Government of Ontario with their own labs. The agreement for the Province of Quebec has not yet been signed by Quebec for this fiscal year. It's there. We've discussed it with them. The federal government commitment is there.
Conservative
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Head, it's a pleasure to see you here again. Our committee heard repeatedly from your ministry and experts that up to 80% of inmates in the federal system suffer from substance abuse issues or addictions. We have seen millions of dollars allocated by the government over the last few years targeted at interdiction policies, but we don't seem to see that much treatment.
I can tell you that, touring the prisons as we did, the anecdotal evidence we get is that there are insufficient treatment resources. I'm just wondering if you would concur with that and if you see any plans in the upcoming year to add treatment.
