Public Safety Committee on May 10th, 2018

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Thank you, madam.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Mr. Motz, go ahead.

[Glen Motz, Conservative, Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Brown, you're probably the most suitable to answer this question, given your role.

In the estimates, CSIS is seeking $2.4 million more for illegal immigration reviews. I'm just wondering about the nature of CSIS's work related to illegal border crossers. Do they recognize the potential threat of having an open border for anyone who can get a travel permit to the U.S., or is this an acknowledgement that CSIS needs significantly more resources to properly investigate questionable individuals?

[Malcolm Brown]

I'll turn to my colleague from CSIS, Charles Lowson, who can answer your question.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Be very brief, please.

[Charles Lowson, Acting Deputy Director, Operations, Canadian Security Intelligence Service]

CSIS is involved in the security screening aspects of the illegal migration flow, but most of the questions have rightly been directed to my colleagues from CBSA and the RCMP, because they are the ones at the border dealing with the people as they come in. As has been clearly articulated, nobody about whom there are any security-related concerns is allowed to come in until those concerns have been resolved.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Thank you, Mr. Motz.

Mr. Spengemann, go ahead for the final five minutes, please.

[Sven Spengemann, Liberal, Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON]

Mr. Chair, thank you very much.

My first question is for Mr. Brown.

Mr. Brown, we had an exchange with the minister on the memorial grant program. There was a residual question that we didn't have time to get an answer to, which was on the breakdown between funds allocated to the grants themselves and funds allocated to the administration. I am wondering whether you have that number or, if not, whether you could provide it to the committee.

[Malcolm Brown]

I do. The administration costs are up to $1.8 million. The vast majority or a significant portion of that will be funds provided to the third party supplier who will run the program for us, except for the final decision, which will rest with the department.

[Sven Spengemann, Liberal, Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON]

Thank you very much for that.

My next question echoes the interest on the part of my colleagues Mr. Davies and Mr. Fragiskatos in the area of cybersecurity.

I represent a city, Mississauga, that has some 73 Fortune 500 companies, many of which are data-intensive and data-centric. There is increasing interest on the part of companies in knowing what the government is doing on cybersecurity.

Is the protection of data held by insurance companies and banks a public safety/national security issue?

[Malcolm Brown]

That's an interesting question. I suppose it depends on who chooses to try to access that data and for what purposes. It can also be a criminal question that is associated with my friend the commissioner, as well as local law enforcement. It depends.

[Sven Spengemann, Liberal, Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON]

But when we're talking about the formulation of a comprehensive national cybersecurity strategy, it would definitely be within these parameters.

[Malcolm Brown]

Absolutely.

[Sven Spengemann, Liberal, Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON]

Could you update the committee on your vision of how that strategy is unfolding? You mentioned in commentary to colleagues that there is a five-year plan. There is a cybercrime coordination unit. What would have to be done from the public safety side, in terms of infrastructure and human resources, to put these kinds of protective mechanisms in place? Where are we with respect to closing those gaps?

[Malcolm Brown]

Relatively speaking, Canada is quite well positioned in terms of the cybersecurity posture of the Government of Canada. The reality of an enterprise-wide protection system that works very closely with CSE means that most of my international colleagues wish they were in a similar circumstance as Canada. We have more work to do at other levels of government and the private sector. Within the private sector, different sectors are more seized with the issue and are investing more heavily.

I'm not going to pick winners and losers here, because I don't think it's constructive to highlight where there may be vulnerabilities, but I will say that the government announced in the budget a significant investment, $700-odd million, for cybersecurity more generally, and I think that there will be an awful lot more detail about that coming forward in the relatively near future.

[Sven Spengemann, Liberal, Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON]

Are there any processes under way at the moment that are pulling in the stakeholders and voices that should be part of that conversation?

[Malcolm Brown]

The cybersecurity strategy review that took place over the last two years was quite extensive and had input from hundreds of participants. We also have a critical infrastructure forum that has all the critical infrastructure sectors represented by the private sector and by government. They are actively engaged in these issues, and the stakeholders will be actively engaged as the government rolls out the next steps.

[Sven Spengemann, Liberal, Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON]

Thank you very much for that.

Mr. Chair, my final question is for Commissioner Lucki.

It's not fair, because there are only 30 seconds remaining, but I want you to give the committee a taste of your vision for the RCMP's work outside of our borders in the areas of post-conflict reconstruction, policing, and the UN peacekeeping mission work that would fall within the ambit of our defence.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

You have 15 seconds.

[Commr Brenda Lucki]

We're doing a lot of work, for instance, in Ukraine, helping them to police in a more democratic society. They've already come to the RCMP training academy three or four times, including the state secretary and judges. They have come to Regina and worked with judges in Saskatchewan, so there's been a lot of good work.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Thank you, Mr. Spengemann.

That almost brings to an end the work of the committee on the main estimates.

On behalf of the committee, I want to thank each and every one of you for your work and your contribution to the functioning of our society.

Colleagues, we have 16 votes. First of all, I want to seek unanimous consent to group them.

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

We're voting on the main estimates in front of you.

CANADA BORDER SERVICES AGENCY

Vote 1—Operating expenditures..........$1,442,043,878

Vote 5—Capital expenditures..........$197,930,474

(Votes 1 and 5 agreed to on division)

CANADIAN SECURITY INTELLIGENCE SERVICE

Vote 1—Program expenditures..........$521,451,792

(Vote 1 agreed to on division)

CIVILIAN REVIEW AND COMPLAINTS COMMISSION FOR THE ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE

Vote 1—Program expenditures..........$9,667,981

(Vote 1 agreed to on division)

CORRECTIONAL SERVICE OF CANADA

Vote 1—Operating expenditures, grants and contributions..........$2,026,625,710

Vote 5—Capital expenditures..........$189,141,724

(Votes 1 and 5 agreed to on division)

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

Vote 1—Operating expenditures..........$138,311,494

Vote 5—Grants and contributions..........$1,007,864,906

(Votes 1 and 5 agreed to on division)

OFFICE OF THE CORRECTIONAL INVESTIGATOR OF CANADA

Vote 1—Program expenditures..........$4,129,824

(Vote 1 agreed to on division)

PAROLE BOARD OF CANADA

Vote 1—Program expenditures..........$42,457,608

(Vote 1 agreed to on division)

ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE

Vote 1—Operating expenditures..........$2,531,606,533

Vote 5—Capital expenditures..........$289,535,957

Vote 10—Grants and contributions..........$253,673,483

(Votes 1, 5, and 10 agreed to on division)

ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE EXTERNAL REVIEW COMMITTEE

Vote 1—Program expenditures..........$2,872,348

(Vote 1 agreed to on division)

SECRETARIAT OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY AND INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE OF PARLIAMENTARIANS

Vote 1—Program expenditures..........$3,294,747

(Vote 1 agreed to on division)

SECURITY INTELLIGENCE REVIEW COMMITTEE

Vote 1—Program expenditures..........$4,607,497

(Vote 1 agreed to on division)

Shall I report the main estimates to the House?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[An hon. member]

On division.