Public Safety Committee on July 24th, 2020

[Dwayne Zacharie]

That's a huge question. It's an excellent question.

I think, definitely, specialized training is probably in the cards for the future. I mean, let's be realistic about things. We have to make a huge change here in this country. We have to start providing services that our communities and our people need. We need to have big changes. Without developing the trust from the people we serve, we're not going to get anywhere. All of this stuff is tied into everything that we do every single day.

When I do make my submission, I'll be sure to have all of that stuff incorporated into the answer. Yes, there are huge, huge implications here. Specialized training, I feel, is definitely the way to go.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Thank you, Madame Damoff.

We have one minute for Madame Michaud, and then one minute for Mr. Harris.

[Kristina Michaud, Bloc, Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Ms. Goba, I am going to give you the opportunity to complete your previous answer to my colleague Mr. Vidal's question in one minute.

After all these meetings, this work, we will be tabling a report in Parliament for the government. After we submit the report, what concrete steps do you expect the government to take to address systemic racism?

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

That was directed to you, Ms. Goba.

[Ruth Goba]

Okay. I'm not getting any interpretation. I am sorry. I don't speak French. I'm not getting the interpretation.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

There's a little icon at the bottom of your screen with a world icon. It goes bilingual, English and French. If you open that, it should be on English. Then you'll get translation.

[Ruth Goba]

Oh, I see. Yes, okay.

I'm sorry. I didn't get the interpretation. I'm very sorry about that.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Okay.

I'm sorry, Kristina. I'm not going to ask her to answer that question.

[Kristina Michaud, Bloc, Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC]

All right, that's okay.

[Ruth Goba]

I apologize.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Well, that's all right.

The final question goes to Mr. Harris, for one minute.

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

Thank you, Chair.

It's hard to ask a question and get it answered in a minute, but I do want to say to my friend Brian Sauvé that I appreciate his presence here today.

We understand that your members have a tough road ahead, particularly, as was discussed, when going into small rural communities, often with a two-person detachment. These are issues we are very concerned about, as we have talked about before. You said you had a concern about how independent assessments of use of force by other resources are done. I wonder if you could send us your thoughts on that. It was an important thing that you brought to our attention when we met.

I just want to thank you for appearing. I wish you and your organization well in your negotiations coming up.

[Brian Sauvé]

Thank you, Mr. Harris.

Yes, we'll put something together for you, with respect to a number of topics discussed today, and get it in to the committee. Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Okay, I want to thank colleagues and our witnesses for coming together.

The reason I'm rushing things along on a Friday afternoon, and we're already 15 minutes over time, is that in order to put this together, it takes an enormous number of resources, primarily people resources. There are people here who have worked heroically in order to be able to put these two days together. For those of you who get a chance to send them a note, I think that would be appropriate, and for those who want to send a virtual applause, you're more than welcome. I think that would be more than appropriate.

We just seem to be going from extraordinary panel to extraordinary panel to extraordinary panel, and this has been in that vein. I want to thank the witnesses for their presence here. Your contribution to this study is very impressive. It will be very useful, and it will be incorporated into our ultimate report and recommendations.

With that, I want to wish colleagues a good weekend and ask you to also take note that on Friday the subcommittee is meeting. That notice has gone out because of the efficiency of our clerk, so I look forward to virtually meeting with our subcommittee colleagues. We will then chart a path forward for the rest of this study.

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Yes, Madame Damoff.

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

We're not meeting for a week. I wonder if all the parties could give some thought to whether they have additional witnesses they want to submit, so that we don't delay any further. Perhaps we could be thinking about that now.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

The other thing I'd like you to think about is that I hate cutting people off, but it seems like all I do is cut people off. We may have to look at the time allocations and the panelling allocation as well.

If you could communicate those things to your relevant party person, I would appreciate it, and then we will have a very useful subcommittee meeting.

Again, thank you so much and have a good and safe weekend.