Public Safety Committee on June 3rd, 2019

[Ruby Sahota, Liberal, Brampton North, ON]

Is this kind of funding the first of its kind from the federal government to the provinces?

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

Public Safety and our government last year brought forward a significant investment in guns and gangs initiatives, and there was also recognition and acknowledgement, after we talked with the provinces and municipal and indigenous police services, that there was important work that needed to be done. When we began making investments, we made sure there was money to flow through the provinces to those municipal and indigenous police services, as well as our federal authorities in the RCMP, CBSA and others, because the guns and gangs issue is a very real concern right across the country. We've seen a significant increase in gun violence and gun murders in our country. Much of that is directly related to drugs and gang activity, so we're making significant investments to support those efforts.

[Ruby Sahota, Liberal, Brampton North, ON]

From my experience in just these last few years of paying attention and monitoring, because issues now tend to come to the members of Parliament, I've seen that as the weather gets better and the summer comes along, in general there's an increase in criminal activity in Brampton.

Is there a different approach or are different allocations of funding budgeted for certain months? Can you speak from your past experience as to why that is?

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

Those operational decisions regarding how to allocate their resources and use these new resources are really the responsibility of police services and their leaders under the direction of their boards and their municipalities, and they are made very much in collaboration with the provincial authority.

There are also very significant partnerships that exist right across this country among law enforcement. For example, there are a number of important initiatives led by the RCMP in what we call combined forces special enforcement units. As an example, we have the integrated national security enforcement teams and others in which all police services will participate. I should mention, because they are quite relevant to my mandate, the integrated border enforcement teams, which are usually led by the federal agency but in which other police services participate as well. These types of initiatives are supported by the funding that we provide.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Thank you, Ms. Sahota.

Mr. Motz, you have five minutes.

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

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you, witnesses, for being here.

Minister, last week you said assault-style rifles are military weapons “designed to hunt people”. I don't know what you refer to as an assault-style rifle, but I suspect you're referring to automatic rifles, automatic firearms, and you know that those firearms have been prohibited in this country since 1976. Could you tell us exactly what firearms you're referring to in that statement?

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

We've had a number of discussions. As I said, I've travelled across the country, Mr. Motz.

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

Exactly what firearms are you referring to specifically with that statement?

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

They are firearms that were designed for a military purpose, firearms that—

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

I don't know what that means. With that statement, to me, you're referring to, in reality, modern hunting rifles, modern sporting rifles. The very fact that you made that statement.... I find it extremely offensive. I find it misguided. I find it misinformed, and you're misleading the Canadian public with that. Again, what firearms are you referring to specifically?

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Mr. Motz, let Mr. Blair answer.

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

I'm sorry you were offended, but I was thinking about—

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

Canadian licensed firearm owners are offended by this statement.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Mr. Motz, let Mr. Blair answer the question.

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

I was thinking about the firearm that was used to kill three Mounties in Moncton. That was a firearm that was designed for military use. It was originally created and used by the military. It was a weapon that was used by that individual to hunt three police officers.

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

What was it? What was the rifle? What was the firearm?

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

I believe it was an M14. I was also thinking about the weapons that were used to kill the two officers in Fredericton and two private citizens. I was also thinking about the weapon that was used to kill 14 women at École Polytechnique—

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

You referred to the AR-15—

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

—and the weapon that was used to kill worshippers in the mosque in Quebec.

These were all weapons that were not designed as hunting weapons. They were designed for soldiers, soldiers who—

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

You've identified the AR-15 specifically, Mr. Minister. You've identified it. Do you know whether the AR-15 has ever been used in a crime committed in Canada?

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

The AR-15.... Again, I have mentioned some of the other.... The AR-15 is the number one weapon used—

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

—a drive-by shooting in 2004, and no one was injured.

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

On a point of order, Mr. Chair, we're just not getting the answers to these questions.

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

He needs to answer the question. He doesn't need to dance around the issue.

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

The AR-15 is the weapon that was used to kill a whole bunch of little kids at Sandy Hook. It was also used to murder 50 people in Christchurch—