Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Minister, I had a very productive meeting with members of the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers in October, and previously, a couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to visit both the Mountain medium security facility and the Kent maximum security facility in British Columbia, so I've not only had an on-the-ground tour with members of USJE but I've also had these productive meetings with the union representing correctional officers.
I know from those tours that even little things, such as an increased quality of food, can have a dramatic effect on how the inmate population behaves, but I did hear a lot from both unions that there are some significant safety concerns. I know from the virtual reality experience that the UCCO put on that it is a unique working environment. For both inmates and the members of the public service who service those institutions, we want to make sure they have a safe working environment.
I did ask Ms. Kelly about this, but I want to stay focused just on you. Staff have some very real concerns about a safe working environment. They also have very real concerns about how their salary grid is being matched to other members, such as the RCMP.
What I'd like to know from you, Minister, is this: How are you personally advocating for the members of the USJE and UCCO in making sure that their demands are met, given the unique challenges of their workspace?