Public Safety Committee on June 12th, 2017

Evidence of meeting #69 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 million.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Subject Matter of Supplementary Estimates (A) 2017-18: Votes 1a and 5a under Canada Border Services Agency, Vote 1a under Canadian Security Intelligence Service, Vote 1a under Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and Vote 1a under Security Intelligence Review Committee

Committee Business

MPs speaking

Also speaking

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

Jeff Yaworski Acting Director, Canadian Security Intelligence Service

Tina Namiesniowski Executive Vice-President, Canada Border Services Agency

Chantelle Bowers Deputy Executive Director and General Counsel, Security Intelligence Review Committee

5:05 p.m.

Executive Vice-President, Canada Border Services Agency

Tina Namiesniowski

We process people as they arrive, and we work with our colleagues at IRCC in terms of any additional work that's needed in support of their programs.

5:05 p.m.

Liberal

Pam Damoff Liberal Oakville North—Burlington, ON

Thank you.

5:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Rob Oliphant

Mr. Picard, do you have a question?

No? Okay.

Mr. Dubé, the floor is yours.

5:05 p.m.

NDP

Matthew Dubé NDP Beloeil—Chambly, QC

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Ms. Damoff asked the questions that I wanted to ask the CSIS representatives.

The last question I have is for SIRC. I just want to connect the comments you've made here and what I was reading just last year about the last budget and the possibility of losing something like 11 analysts because of how the budget had changed compared to 2015.

Am I correct, from what I am hearing now, that this is no longer the case—that you have the appropriate complement of staff and that you'll be able to retain them over a predictable and long term? As politicians, we often hear people say that they like predictable and long-term funding.

5:05 p.m.

Deputy Executive Director and General Counsel, Security Intelligence Review Committee

Chantelle Bowers

You're correct in that we have received, and we're very pleased to have received, “capacity funding”, as we call it, for the next three fiscal years. That means we've been able to hire people in a meaningful way for three years, but not in a permanent fashion. That answers your question in terms of the numbers.

We've been able to hire 10 people already, and we were hoping to hire up to 14 by the end of the fiscal year. Right now we've got an issue with space, so we're asking for that space.

5:05 p.m.

NDP

Matthew Dubé NDP Beloeil—Chambly, QC

That's all for me. Thank you.

5:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Rob Oliphant

Thank you, deputy and all the other officials who are with us today, and not only for today. I know that behind the numbers that end up in the supplementary (A)s is a whole lot of work. So thank you for bringing us your numbers, but also your work. We look forward to your supplementary (B)s.

We're just going to bring the meeting to a quick pause, and then go in camera for a quick committee business meeting.

[Proceedings continue in camera]