Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I'd like to also take the opportunity to thank the members of this committee for your kind invitation to have me appear before you today.
While this is not my first time before many of you, today marks my first committee appearance in my new role as president of the Queen's Privy Council and as the Minister of Emergency Preparedness.
Your study on Canada's security posture when it comes to Russia is an important one. I'm very pleased to have the opportunity to speak before you today and to discuss some of the ways in which Canada has been and continues to prepare itself to deal with any eventuality.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24 was a blow to the sovereignty of that nation and an immediate threat to all democracies around the world. The death toll of this conflict for the Ukrainian people is staggering. As of June 1, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has recorded over 4,000 civilians killed, including 267 children. Thousands more are recorded injured, and the UN acknowledges that the actual figures could very well be considerably higher.
We continue to join our allies in condemning Russia's unjustified and unprovoked actions. Our government, and particularly my cabinet colleagues, Minister Anand and Minister Joly, are working tirelessly to impose severe costs on Russia for their actions and to ensure that Ukraine has the tools and support it needs to continue the fight. Throughout this situation, we remain on the lookout for all potential Russian threat activity within Canada and affecting Canadians' interests around the world.
Canada is operating in an increasingly complex domestic and global threat environment. We are emerging from over two years of a global pandemic. The impact of climate change is accelerating, leading to more frequent and more severe natural disasters. As our national security agencies regularly caution, our country remains a target of foreign actors who seek to advance their interests to the detriment of Canadians and Canada.
Threats from countries like Russia can take on many forms. Espionage, cyber-attacks and various methods of foreign interference are only a few examples. Disinformation, which is a subject that I know is of great interest to this committee, is another. Federal national security agencies like CSIS, CSE and the RCMP continue to play a key role in deterring and dismantling many of these threats before they can cause harm to Canadians. I understand that Minister Mendicino has also been invited to appear before you on this study. I fully expect he'll be able to go into greater detail about the work of the agencies under his purview.
As the Minister of Emergency Preparedness, part of my responsibility is not only to prepare for future emergencies but to look at where we can proactively mitigate risks. In this country, we have adopted an “all hazards” approach to this work. If disaster does strike and threaten the safety of Canadians, one of the responsibilities of my office is to play a coordinating and convening role to support the Prime Minister and the cabinet through our immediate response.
In times of crisis, Canadians expect their governments to work together efficiently, expeditiously and effectively in order to ensure their safety and to address the situation at hand. One of the key ways in which the federal government coordinates during an emergency is through the federal emergency response plan, which I'll refer to hereafter as FERP. The federal government turns to the FERP when an emergency is so significant that it requires an integrated federal response. The FERP is intended to cover hazards of all kinds, including both domestic and international emergencies.
The FERP was last updated in 2011. As our threat environment continues to evolve, we must continually assess our response plans to ensure they remain relevant and effective. To that end, Mr. Chair, I've been given a mandate by the Prime Minister to look at the renewal of the federal emergency response plan.
The quick and accurate flow of information is also critical in an emergency. That is why I would also like to take an opportunity to recognize the important work of the government operations centre. In any active situation, the GOC's public servants play an essential role in monitoring, keeping all implicated partners informed and providing assistance in coordinating the response. It is a 24-7 responsibility. I take the opportunity to commend them for their extraordinary work, particularly over the past two years, when we've seen enormous requirements and demands upon them through the pandemic and through natural events such as the floods in British Columbia, the wildfires experienced right across this country, and many other similarly challenging events.
As we speak, Russian forces remain within Ukraine's borders. The harm they have already caused—the destruction of cities and the widespread loss of life—is something they must be held accountable for.
As a government, we remain committed to ensuring the safety of all Canadians. We will continue to work closely with our partners on mitigating risk, building resiliency and ensuring we are ready if and when an emergency occurs.
Mr. Chair, thank you for the opportunity to provide my opening remarks. I look forward to the committee's questions.
