Public Safety Committee on Feb. 25th, 2019

Evidence of meeting #150 for Public Safety and National Security in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was safe.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2018-19: Vote 1b under Correctional Service of Canada, Vote 5b under Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Votes 1b, 5b and 10b under Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Interim Estimates 2019-20: Votes 1 and 5 under Canada Border Services Agency, Vote 1 under Canadian Security Intelligence Service, Vote 1 under Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Votes 1 and 5 under Correctional Service of Canada, Votes 1 and 5 under Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Vote 1 under Office of the Correctional Investigator of Canada, Vote 1 under Parole Board of Canada, Votes 1, 5 and 10 under Royal Canadian Mounted

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Gilles Michaud Deputy Commissioner, Federal Policing, Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Ruby Sahota Brampton North, Lib.

Malcolm Brown Deputy Minister, Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Jim Eglinski Yellowhead, CPC

David Vigneault Director, Canadian Security Intelligence Service

Jennifer Oades Chairperson, Parole Board of Canada

Bill Blair Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction

Tina Namiesniowski Executive Vice-President, Canada Border Services Agency

5:20 p.m.

Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction

Bill Blair

Yes, we know that in a number of different jurisdictions, other jurisdictions, the clarity of beneficial ownership can be very helpful to our financial institutions to maintain their integrity and for law enforcement conducting investigations.

We recognize there is work that can be done to improve that. There have been discussions already with our provincial and territorial partners, because they also have a role in that. The issue has been well identified. It's part of the discussion we've been having most recently with British Columbia, but all of the provinces and territories are involved in this discussion. It's a concern that is well understood and there are ongoing discussions on how best to deal with it.

5:20 p.m.

Liberal

Michel Picard Liberal Montarville, QC

One of my favourite units was the IMETs unit. Last year, there were a number of initiatives where we were talking about how to recruit new skilled persons, new talent, and do business differently. What is the evolution since last year with respect to how the IMETs unit is working on this financial crime business?

5:20 p.m.

Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction

Bill Blair

I'm aware of the acronym, but for everyone else, it's the integrated market enforcement teams, which were established by the RCMP. The complexity of financial crime does require a set of skills and sometimes things that are not necessarily taught at Depot or in other police academies and do require a higher level of skill.

Again, I'm reluctant.... I wouldn't presume to speak for our officials. I will tell you that it's very clear to me that they understand the need for a broad range of skills in these very complex investigations, and some of the successes they've achieved most recently in those investigations I think are evidence of that commitment.

5:25 p.m.

Liberal

Michel Picard Liberal Montarville, QC

With respect to the border, when it comes to the asylum seekers, we talk a lot about the number of persons getting in, but we have never established the comparison with how many get out. They don't all stay in Canada. Can you talk about the real impact, in fact, of those asylum seekers after a while? Not everyone stays in the country.

February 25th, 2019 / 5:25 p.m.

Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction

Bill Blair

I can tell you that the important work.... It's primarily the responsibility of CBSA to conduct removals. Once a person has been determined not to be eligible and has exhausted the available appeals processes and due processes in our law, they are subject to removal. I believe that in 2017-18 the CBSA removed approximately 8,000 people, and they've set their own goal for themselves to increase that to 10,000. They've redeployed some resources to effect that.

What we have seen is that because of the length of the processes, our legal processes of determining eligibility, we're only now beginning to see people who have come into the country irregularly beginning in 2017 actually subject to removals, but there has also been a greater concentration on ensuring that we expedite the determinations for those who enter irregularly.

Again, there are a number of issues that we are addressing in order to facilitate the timely removal of those who are not eligible to stay, which includes working with countries to ensure that travel documents are issued in a timely way, for example. Again, CBSA has been working on the efficiencies with those removals and making real progress.

5:25 p.m.

Liberal

Michel Picard Liberal Montarville, QC

Thank you.

5:25 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal John McKay

Thank you.

That brings us to the close of our questioning. On behalf of the committee, I want to thank Minister Blair and his colleagues for their presentation.

As I indicated earlier to you, colleagues, I'm going to be calling the votes on the supplementary and interim estimates.

The first vote is on the supplementary estimates. I believe you have copies. It's a vote on Correctional Service of Canada, vote 1b; Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, vote 5b; and Royal Canadian Mounted Police, votes 1b, 5b, and 10b, as referred to the committee on January 28.

CORRECTIONAL SERVICE OF CANADA

Vote 1b—Operating expenditures, grants and contributions..........$6,556,326

(Vote 1b agreed to on division)

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

Vote 5b—Grants and contributions..........$1

(Vote 5b agreed to on division)

ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE

Vote 1b—Operating expenditures..........$10,174,531

Vote 5b—Capital expenditures..........$1,738,000

Vote 10b—Grants and contributions..........$9,900,000

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

Shall the chair report that to the House?

5:25 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

5:25 p.m.

An hon. member

On division.

5:25 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal John McKay

On interim estimates, there are quite a number of other votes, all of which you have in front of you. If you wish, I can read them all, but I'm assuming that all of you can read. Shall the interim estimates pass?

CANADA BORDER SERVICES AGENCY

Vote 1—Operating expenditures..........$387,553,464

Vote 5—Capital expenditures..........$31,182,156

(Votes 1 and 5 agreed to on division)

CANADIAN SECURITY INTELLIGENCE SERVICE

Vote 1—Program expenditures..........$133,898,201