Public Safety Committee on Nov. 2nd, 2020

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

I’m having the same thing, so we’ll just stop the clock for a second. Mr. Kurek asked a question; Minister Blair tried to respond, and then we had some overlay of the translation. I’m going to go back one minute and allow Minister Blair to respond to Mr. Kurek’s question.

You have a minute, sir.

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

Thank you very much.

We’ve been restoring a lot of the cuts that were made by a previous government and we've been making investments and ensuring that our border service officers and the police have the resources and the tools they need to interdict the illicit supply of drugs, guns and other contraband material that’s coming in.

You talked about counterfeit, and related to it is money laundering, Mr. Kurek. As I think you should be aware, we used to have 12 integrated proceeds of crime units with RCMP officers with extraordinary expertise. I used to work with them. Economic crime investigators.... Unfortunately, in 2013, a decision was made to close all 12 of those offices. I’ve been working very closely with the commissioner to restore their federal policing capacity, but it takes time to bring that expertise back after it was slashed.

[Damien Kurek, Conservative, Battle River—Crowfoot, AB]

Sure. Okay—

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Mr. Kurek, that exhausts your time. I'm sorry.

[Damien Kurek, Conservative, Battle River—Crowfoot, AB]

I had a great last question, but I'll save it for another round.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

You're just going to have to add that zinger somewhere else.

Madam Khera, you have the final five minutes.

I propose that we then take a two-minute break and then have another several rounds of questions with the minister.

Madam Khera, you have five minutes, please.

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you, Minister, for being here. I have two quick questions.

Minister, if I may ask, the last time you were here we were talking about our study on systemic racism and policing, particularly within the RCMP. You certainly acknowledged that there is systemic racism within the RCMP and things that needed to be addressed, yet we continue to see disappointing situations involving the RCMP's involvement with indigenous communities.

Can you comment on tangible measures being taken within your mandate since our last meeting to address these ongoing shortcomings of the RCMP?

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

Certainly, we've been working very closely with the commissioner on a number of things that the commissioner and the RCMP have been doing directly in response.

Actually, if I may, Mr. Chair, I'm going to ask the commissioner to talk about some of the steps that she's been taking, because the RCMP have been working to address concerns that were raised by the committee in our last meeting.

[Commr Brenda Lucki]

Thank you, Minister.

Some of the things that we've been looking at, obviously, have been to update our de-escalation and crisis intervention training and recertifying that training annually. I've been leading a discussion with the various police chiefs across the country on our intervention model.

We've created two task forces. One will be looking at a standardized framework for intervention. The second one is in response to mental health or wellness calls. That is, again, to share best practices and to find the best ways to deal with such calls, because they are obviously on the increase. We are looking at our datasets. We've recently put many of those statistics on our website, such as the use of physical intervention on our calls for service, and we added employee diversity.

We're looking at anti-racism training—to be mandatory—but it will be slightly delayed because we are going to co-develop that anti-racism training with the people who are most impacted by that and getting a lot of input to create that training. But in the meantime, we have rolled out cultural and humility training, and all senior managers have taken it. It's rolled out to all employees, and it will be mandatory for each and every employee.

We are looking at race-based data and, of course, you've heard of our rollout looking at body-worn cameras. Right now, we are implementing those body-worn cameras in Nunavut. We're testing them, and they will be out soon in Nunavut, but we are doing a request for information so that we can get the most modern technology in those cameras across the country.

We have established an Office for RCMP-Indigenous Co-Development, Collaboration and Accountability that will reach into the communities.

Of course, we're continuing to implement our national and divisional reconciliation strategies. We want to increase the use of restorative justice, especially with a focus on pre-charge restorative justice. We want to advance equity, diversity and inclusion within our organization as well, and we've completed an equity and diversity inclusion strategy.

We also are looking at strengthening timelines for public complaint processes and updating our cadet training program to reflect all of these changes, including adding in the “blanket exercise”, as well as a trauma-informed approach to dealing with victims.

We've created a missing persons module that is specifically targeted at the subject of the missing indigenous women file, so the cadets will learn not only about the actual file and how to investigate, but also about the cultural sensitivities that go with those people most impacted by such crimes.

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

Thank you, Commissioner.

Minister, if I may, I know that we've recently extended the Canada-U.S. border closure until November 30, and I think that's the right thing to do, as I've certainly heard from my constituents. As well, there's a need for it to be closed, since we're in the midst of a second way of this pandemic. Can you perhaps update us on the situation as it stands? What you can forecast for border closures, with winter and the holidays approaching, to keep Canadians safe?

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Be very brief, please.

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

Yes, very briefly, but it's a very important question.

I'm happy to be able to report to the committee we have now returned to a 2019 level of commercial traffic. I think that's a strong indicator of a rebounding economy, but it was also a very important part of the border restrictions that we put in place to maintain the flow of essential goods and services and essential workers back and forth across that border.

However, on the restrictions that we have put in place for non-essential travel, given the situation particularly in the United States, but even with the surge we're experiencing in many parts of Canada, we believe that those border restrictions on non-essential travel have been effective in slowing down the spread of COVID, and they will remain in place as long as necessary to protect the health and safety of Canadians.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Thank you, Madam Khera.

I'm going to suspend for two minutes while people take various forms of a health break. We are going to recommence in two minutes with Mr. Van Popta for five minutes.

I have yet to be advised as to the next Liberal questioner, so if somebody could communicate with the clerk, the clerk in turn will communicate with me and then we'll know who the next Liberal questioner is.

With that, the meeting is suspended for two minutes.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

We're back with Mr. Van Popta, for five minutes.

[An hon. member]

On a point of order, Mr. Chair, I'm having a hard time hearing you. I don't know if anyone else is as well.

[A voice]

I think it's because he doesn't have his headphones on.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

That could be. It's always a better thing to have your headphones on than not and also better to be able to press the mute button than not.

What has happened to Mr. Van Popta?

[Tako Van Popta, Conservative, Langley—Aldergrove, BC]

I'm ready to go. I'm sorry. I just forgot to turn my mike on.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Okay. We're getting technologically challenged here.

[Tako Van Popta, Conservative, Langley—Aldergrove, BC]

You have five minutes, Mr. Van Popta.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister Blair, for joining us, and thank you to all of the other witnesses for taking the time to join us this evening.

Mr. Minister, you said in your opening remarks that your ministry pivoted to a COVID response when the World Health Organization declared this to be a pandemic. I want to ask you a question related to that. Were you made aware of the cancellation of the health pandemic early warning system that had been in place in Canada since the 1990s and had put Canada in a good position to defend against the SARS and the H1N1 outbreaks?

Sadly, it was cancelled six months before the COVID-19 pandemic. Was that your decision, Minister?

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

No, it wasn't, Mr. Van Popta. In fact, that is not part of my ministerial responsibilities.

But I can tell you that there was a lot of information that we were receiving and we were tracking very carefully, beginning even in December with the emergence of that illness in China at the time. We continue to receive regular updates, but I don't have any direct knowledge of that organization you referenced.

[Tako Van Popta, Conservative, Langley—Aldergrove, BC]

Well, certainly, Mr. Minister, that would seem to fall within your mandate, which I'm reading from your mandate letter: “As Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, you will lead the Government's work in ensuring that Canadians are kept safe from a range of threats”.

Certainly, a worldwide pandemic, the worst in a hundred years, would seem to fit that. Surely the Minister of Health consulted with you.

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

I work very closely with the Minister of Health on a number of issues, but my responsibility is overseeing the national security establishment in Canada, and of course public health is the responsibility of the Minister of Health. I might suggest that you would direct your questions in that regard to her.

[Tako Van Popta, Conservative, Langley—Aldergrove, BC]

Thank you.

Mr. Minister, were you aware that the Chinese Communist Party was using the United Front workers to siphon medical supplies out of Canada into China? Certainly, if we had had the global warning system, we would have detected that and would have been in a better position.

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

What I can tell you is that we recognize and monitor very carefully all activities of what can sometimes be referred to as “hostile state actors” as they pertain to the safety and the security of Canadian interests. The national security establishment is absolutely diligent in their responsibility to monitor that information and to take the steps necessary to protect Canadian interests.

I'm privileged to be joined today by our director of CSIS, who might be able to provide you with additional information as to the activities they undertake to keep Canadians safe.