Public Safety Committee on Oct. 25th, 2023

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Pickering—Uxbridge, ON]

Mr. Chair, could I offer a suggestion?

I was asked to also make sure that this language gets clarified. Just to keep the meeting moving, perhaps we could just park NDP-6 to allow us all to get the materials in front of us, but just with the commitment to come back to it before we complete the study. I don't want us to suspend for a significant amount of time for getting documents. As long as we just have a commitment.... I think we all have the right intentions. We just want to make sure the language is right and makes sense.

Could we just park this with the commitment to come back to it?

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

I am advised that we can't park a single amendment. We have to park the whole clause. We can park clause 8 and come back to it.

Do we agree to park clause 8?

Mr. Julian.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

I would agree with that suggestion, because as we finished our last meeting there was an issue around whether CPC-5 and CPC-6 were impacted by the amendment that passed on NDP-6. I think the clause as a whole needs to be considered, including those two amendments, because when we come to clause 8, then hopefully we will have clarified all the impacts of the various amendments.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Has the committee agreed to park clause 8?

(Clause 8 allowed to stand)

(Clauses 9 to 11 inclusive agreed to)

(On clause 12)

This brings us to clause 12. First up for clause 12 is NDP-7.

We have Mr. Julian, if you please.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Yes, and this comes, as well, as part of the recommendations from Breaking Barriers Together. Currently, the bill, as read, basically gives the minister the option to “provide a copy of the report or summary to the Commissioner or President if the Minister considers it appropriate to do so.” NDP-7 would ensure that “The Minister must provide a copy of the report...to the Commissioner and the President on the same day as the Minister receives the report or summary.”

It's a matter of transparency, and it is also, I think, a principle that needs to carry through in this bill, so I'm humbly moving that amendment.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Okay, is there any further discussion? No.

All in favour of NDP-7?

(Amendment agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

(Clause 12 as amended agreed to on division)

(On clause 13)

We'll go now to clause 13, and first up is G-1 in the name of Ms. May.

Ms. May is online.

Can we invite you to turn on your camera?

Oh, it's G-1. I was confused. I stand corrected.

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

I know we're the Green Party, Mr. Chair, but ours are PV for Parti vert.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

We'll go with G-1, which is...not what I thought.

Go ahead, somebody.

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Pickering—Uxbridge, ON]

Sure. Thank you.

Again, thank you to the legislative clerk.

I move the amendment that will be in clause 13. We are proposing that “The Chairperson must, within six months”—not three months—“after the end of each fiscal year, submit to the Minister a report of the activities of the Commission under this Act”.

The rationale for this—just very quickly—is the timing. Perhaps the officials can explain it if I can't do so clearly. Essentially, currently the PCRC's annual report would be due back at the same time as the annual reports for the RCMP and the CBSA are also due. Therefore, that extension of time would allow for those reports to not go at the same time, so that they could incorporate anything. I don't know whether perhaps there's anything added. Essentially, it's just changing the timing so that it's not at the same time, so that the information can be incorporated if needed.

I don't know if Ms. Gibb wants to correct anything or to clarify that.

[Joanne Gibb, Senior Director, Strategic Operations and Policy Directorate, Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police]

I could just add a little more detail.

This clause, when you read it in line with subclause 72(1), which is that the RCMP and the CBSA have to report to the minister on how they've implemented the PCRC's recommendations.... If our reports go at the same time, the PCRC doesn't have the benefit in its annual report of actually being able to comment on the degree to which the agencies have implemented our recommendations. Extending it by three months would allow us time to take those reports, comment on them, look at them further and include them in our report to Parliament.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Mr. Shipley, you're first, and then it's Mr. Julian.

[Doug Shipley, Conservative, Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte, ON]

I agree. That cleared it up a bit, as I thought there was some confusion. I was going to ask for a straightening out of the timeline, so that makes more sense.

Is six months going to be enough time?

[Joanne Gibb]

We might have to work overtime, but we'll get it done.

[Doug Shipley, Conservative, Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte, ON]

Thank you. That's clear now.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Go ahead, Mr. Julian.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Thanks, Mr. Chair.

I support the amendment. I think it makes good sense.

What I'd like to do is subamend the proposed amendment to the bill by incorporating NDP-8, which specifies “March 31 each year”, as opposed to “after the end of each fiscal year”. That's for further clarity and transparency.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Mr. Julian, could you expand on that, so we know exactly what we're seeing here?

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Instead of reading, “after the end of each fiscal year”, it would read, “six months after March 31 each year”.

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Pickering—Uxbridge, ON]

But if ours is passed, then NDP.... There's a conflict.

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

Mr. Chair, I have a question about Mr. Julian's proposal. I don't think it would make a difference to the commission if we were to say “March 31”. Can the officials help me understand this?

[Joanne Gibb]

It amounts to the same thing, I believe.

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

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Go ahead, Mr. Julian.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

It was recommended by Breaking Barriers Together to provide for more transparency.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

NDP-8 just adds a line after this line. Is that what you're saying?