Public Safety Committee on May 5th, 2015

[The Chair, Conservative, Daryl Kramp]

Thank you very much.

Mr. Garrison.

[Randall Garrison, NDP, Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC]

Of course, we did not have notice that this motion was coming from Mr. Easter today, but I do fully support everything he had to say about it.

I guess I'm disappointed to see what seems to be a bit like a game of dodge ball on the government's side saying, we'll either have him appear here or here or here. And what we have in front of us is the motion that would actually guarantee that the issue of public safety is addressed in the committee that is responsible for it.

I fully support Mr. Easter's motion and I'd be very disappointed if the government chooses to try to deflect this by implying that he could appear somewhere else. This is in fact the appropriate committee for that report and I would look forward to having him before us so we can discuss his conclusions.

[The Chair, Conservative, Daryl Kramp]

Mr. Falk.

[Ted Falk, Conservative, Provencher, MB]

I too am a member of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, and the Auditor General just released the spring report like he typically does, and he has eight chapters.

As a government we get to choose two chapters, the NDP gets to choose a chapter, and the Liberal Party gets to choose a chapter, and that's the committee that studies reports that the Auditor General produces. I would encourage Mr. Easter to encourage his colleague on that committee to maybe request to study this report as their allotment of reports.

[The Chair, Conservative, Daryl Kramp]

Thank you very much.

Mr. Easter.

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

Mr. Chair, as a last point, I expect, before we go to a vote, this is clearly and absolutely the committee that should deal with the Auditor General's report as it relates to Correctional Services of Canada. How many people, I wonder, on the public accounts committee have been dealing with these correctional issues as we have with the committee? How many inmates have they talked to? Have they been within any prison systems? Do they understand the scenarios within those prison systems, the rehabilitation programs, the parole boards, as we have gained experience doing as public safety committee members?

Clearly, the only committee that can really raise the hard questions with the Auditor General that need to be raised are the members of this committee. There may be some on public accounts, but that's why the Auditor General breaks his report into several sections. He just doesn't give a report overall on government business. He gives a report in the areas of jurisdiction that he's looking in to find specific programs.

I would suggest to government members on this committee that if they vote against bringing the Auditor General before this committee when it is a report dealing with this committee's issues, then they are being irresponsible in terms of their responsibility to Canadians on the issue of public safety.

That's where I stand. I would hope that the members of the government...because some hard questions need to be asked. I don't agree with everything the Auditor General says in here, by the way. We do need to ask some hard questions in terms of the analysis. But the end result of the report is really worrisome in that Canadians' public safety is being put at risk because of this government's strategy on how it handles the correctional service system of Canada. It's very important that we hear the Auditor General at this committee.

[The Chair, Conservative, Daryl Kramp]

Thanks very much, Mr. Easter.

Yes, Ms. James.

[Roxanne James, Conservative, Scarborough Centre, ON]

I have just a couple of points.

First of all, thank you to my colleague, Mr. Falk, for his comments on the purpose of the public accounts committee with respect to the Auditor General and the sections of that report. I think Mr. Easter knows full well that any member can substitute in at any committee they so choose, providing that their own committee members give them that opportunity.

I'm sure your colleague on public accounts would provide you with that opportunity if that were the section you chose to study.

Further, with regard to this motion, this Thursday we actually have the minister coming here as well as Don Head from Correctional Service of Canada. Some of those questions that Mr. Easter is concerned about could certainly be directed at that particular committee meeting. After that we potentially have legislation coming before this committee.

On the suggestion made by my two colleagues, that the actual public accounts committee study that section, I think that is the appropriate place for it to be directed.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Daryl Kramp]

Thank you very much.

Seeing no further debate, I will call the vote on the motion by Mr. Easter.

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

I'd like a recorded vote.

(Motion negatived: nays 5; yeas 4 [See Minutes of Proceedings])

[The Chair, Conservative, Daryl Kramp]

Thank you very much.

Colleagues, the chair will ask for your indulgence for just a couple of seconds. Obviously we have the estimates on Thursday.

The chair is also seeking counsel from the committee to take a look at committee business. We need to know where we're going forward after that. We have potential legislation coming as well. The chair would suggest at this time maybe taking a few minutes at the end of the meeting on Thursday to put committee business on the agenda for whatever time the committee feels is appropriate.

Would 10 minutes, as an example, be a fair suggestion at this point? All in favour?

Fine. Thank you very much.

We are adjourned.