Minister, thank you so much for coming, along with your esteemed colleagues.
I want to highlight that according to these main estimates, the total funding sought for Public Safety Canada this fiscal year is $432.7 million, which is an increase of $18.1 million over the previous year, and that this net spending increase of the total departmental authorities is due to an increase in grants of $8.4 million as well as an increase in contributions of $21 million, which is offset by net decreases in operating costs of $11.3 million.
I want to highlight that and ask you some questions around it. As a member of Parliament from Vancouver South, where we have seen some shootings—in my area, in our neck of the woods....
And in B.C. as you know, we have some concerns; I'll be asking you some questions about that a little later.
But I wanted to highlight that it appears there's an increase in funding for community programs, such as $7.9 million in grants for the ex gratia payments to the families of the victims of Air India; an increase of $7.4 million to the delivery of preventions and interventions aimed at reducing youth violence and youth gangs and a number of other safer communities initiatives; a contribution to combat child sexual exploitation and human trafficking, which is a big issue for the Vancouver area as well.
I wanted to commend the department on this work and specifically on this work in having programs and services and grants out in the community, where some of these crimes and issues are taking place. Kudos to you for that.
Specifically I have questions around the fact that...we seem to be now on track and are hearing the people where...in B.C., we've had some concerns over disciplinary limitations within the RCMP.
Minister, can you address that for us?