Evidence of meeting #3 for Public Safety and National Security in the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was million.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

John Ossowski  President, Canada Border Services Agency
Brenda Lucki  Commissioner, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Jennifer Oades  Chairperson, Parole Board of Canada
Commissioner Brian Brennan  Deputy Commissioner, Contract and Indigenous Policing, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Anne Kelly  Commissioner, Correctional Service of Canada
Monik Beauregard  Associate Deputy Minister , Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Jonathan Moor  Vice-President and Chief Financiel Officer, Finance and Corporate Management Branch, Canada Border Services Agency
Michelle Tessier  Deputy Director, Operations, Canadian Security Intelligence Service

10:25 a.m.

Liberal

Joël Lightbound Liberal Louis-Hébert, QC

Thank you very much. That answers my question.

Thank you also for the statistics. That was very interesting.

I now want to ask Mr. Moor of the Canada Border Services Agency about the Passenger Protect Program.

We know that in the past, there have been issues with this program. People were not allowed to board a plane if their name was similar to that of a person on the no fly list.

In the estimates presented, there is a $900,000 transfer to Transport Canada for the establishment of a centralized program under the Passenger Protect Program.

Mr. Moor, could you elaborate a little on how this money will be used to enhance the program?

10:25 a.m.

Jonathan Moor Vice-President and Chief Financiel Officer, Finance and Corporate Management Branch, Canada Border Services Agency

Thank you for your question.

I might pass it over to Public Safety, which owns the policy around the passenger protect program, but this transfer relates to the setting up of the call centre, which will deal with airlines when they have hits on the database.

It was given to us in the Treasury Board submission, and we are now passing it over to Transport Canada, which will be setting up the actual centre.

10:25 a.m.

Associate Deputy Minister , Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Monik Beauregard

I would like to add that we are working on the implementation of a new and enhanced passenger protect program with Public Safety Canada, Transport Canada and the CBSA. This could make travel easier for certain passengers with names similar to those of people on the no fly list.

This will be a partnership. Funds will be allocated for the implementation of information systems so that Transport Canada can establish an operations centre and Public Safety Canada can implement a mechanism that will assign a number to travellers who submit an application.

10:25 a.m.

Liberal

Joël Lightbound Liberal Louis-Hébert, QC

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Those were my only two questions. I know that my colleague, Ms. Damoff, also has some questions.

10:25 a.m.

Liberal

Pam Damoff Liberal Oakville North—Burlington, ON

I don't think I have time, do I?

10:25 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal John McKay

No. You have about 20 seconds. Thank you.

Mr. Morrison, you have five minutes.

10:25 a.m.

Conservative

Rob Morrison Conservative Kootenay—Columbia, BC

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I have a question for the RCMP, of course, not that it's any surprise. This is probably for the deputy commissioner as well.

I'm really happy to hear that you're putting $25 million into contract policing and $27 million into increasing Depot to 40 troops. What is the vacancy rate right now, the percentage, say in Alberta or Saskatchewan? I'm really interested in the rural policing side of this, and that's where I'm going to get to with my question.

10:30 a.m.

Commr Brenda Lucki

Absolutely. What I can say is that funding.... We've never been funded fully in our budget to be at 40 troops. It's always been at about 18, so every year we need a top-up to get to 40.

Regarding your question on vacancy rates, we have had an unprecedented lower vacancy rate, which we've worked hard on, because we can't control soft vacancies, as we call them. Last year, we ran at 1.5%. What I'm talking about is across Canada; I can't specifically speak to Alberta, but across Canada we went to 1.5%.

10:30 a.m.

Conservative

Rob Morrison Conservative Kootenay—Columbia, BC

Okay. The concerns I've heard are from Saskatchewan and some of the rural areas. Some of the concerns are about your amalgamation or closing of detachments and hubbing, where the last person left in the community is usually the RCMP officer.

I'm wondering, too.... It seems that a lot of the people being hired are being hired based on priorities in Ottawa. Maybe consideration should be given, especially when spending this kind of money—I'm keeping it financial here—to allowing the provinces to hire based on their priorities. That way, you'll hire individuals who want to reside in rural communities, whereas a lot of people aren't familiar with that.

10:30 a.m.

Commr Brenda Lucki

The way we process resources is that, absolutely, it's the province that decides how many resources they can afford. It's not Ottawa-centric, by any means. When a province can afford certain amounts of additional resources, it will make that request to Ottawa and we will fill that.

In regard to changing some of the service delivery models, it's not a cost-saving measure in many cases; it's to increase the service delivery in some of those areas, by a fly-in model or by hubbing, in order to maximize the resources in those areas.

10:30 a.m.

Conservative

Rob Morrison Conservative Kootenay—Columbia, BC

Sure, but my question again was, how about letting the provinces hire based on their priorities?

10:30 a.m.

Commr Brenda Lucki

They absolutely do.

10:30 a.m.

Conservative

Rob Morrison Conservative Kootenay—Columbia, BC

Do they?

10:30 a.m.

Commr Brenda Lucki

Yes, absolutely.

10:30 a.m.

Conservative

Rob Morrison Conservative Kootenay—Columbia, BC

So the Province of Saskatchewan will hire based on the priorities of the Province of Saskatchewan, not based on federal priorities.

10:30 a.m.

Commr Brenda Lucki

The cadets who go into the training academy are for the contract policing environment. As I said, the cadets will come in. They choose where they want to go. We try to accommodate that.

However, as for how many resources we can send back to each province, it is dependent on their budget. If they don't have the funds to allow for additional cadets, we can't simply give it to them.

10:30 a.m.

Conservative

Rob Morrison Conservative Kootenay—Columbia, BC

I understand that. Thanks very much.

I have one quick question for CSIS. I notice that you've asked for $7.2 million to improve core technical capabilities. Could you comment briefly on that, please?

10:30 a.m.

Michelle Tessier Deputy Director, Operations, Canadian Security Intelligence Service

Certainly, and thank you for the question.

I want to take the time to apologize on behalf of the director of CSIS, who fell ill. I'm his replacement today.

Basically, CSIS, of course, needs to stay modern in terms of its ability to do its work and to respond to its mandate. With that comes our ability to have the tools, techniques and technological solutions to be able to do that. That money is to help us in that domain and to keep us—

10:30 a.m.

Conservative

Rob Morrison Conservative Kootenay—Columbia, BC

Great.

10:30 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal John McKay

Keeping it financial here does show some progress.

10:30 a.m.

Conservative

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

Do I still have a minute?

10:30 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal John McKay

Yes, you still have a minute.

10:30 a.m.

Conservative

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

Ms. Tessier, I have a question for you.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service has already confirmed that Huawei's 5G was problematic in Canada. As far as you know, is Huawei equipment already in place for 5G through different companies?

10:30 a.m.

Deputy Director, Operations, Canadian Security Intelligence Service

Michelle Tessier

You will understand that I am not in a position to provide details. However, I can tell you that CSIS is working closely with partners of the Government of Canada to advise the government.

10:30 a.m.

Conservative

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

Thank you.