Public Safety Committee on Feb. 15th, 2022

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

Thank you, Chair.

I want to again reiterate my support for Mr. MacGregor's motion. I think it's very important and very timely. I want to thank him also for his clarification as to what his intent of this study would be, and that is to come to a better understanding of how we as a Canadian society got to this point where we need to call on the Emergencies Act to give the government extraordinary powers.

I'm with Mr. Lloyd; people in my riding are shocked that we came to this point. How is it that we came to that point? This is not going to be a study into the operations of how the police are going to be doing their work going forward but to come to a better understanding of why we are in a situation where Canada, a G7 country, has to call upon itself extraordinary powers under the Emergencies Act, which has never been used before, at least not since the days when it was called the War Measures Act.

At that time, it definitely was a national security crisis. This time, we see the police doing the work that they're supposed to be doing. There was a demonstration at Pacific Highway crossing, which is right next door to my riding. There were a lot of trucks and people there, but in the meantime, it's cleared up. It's the same thing with what's going on in Windsor and what's going on in Coutts, Alberta. The police are doing their work.

What's going on in the government's mind, the minds of the people on the Liberal side of this House, that they had to call this extraordinary power upon themselves for the government to deal with this as an emergency, when it seems that the police are doing their work? To the extent that they're not, we need to understand why not.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Jim Carr]

Mr. Shipley, I understand that you have your hand up in the room.

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

Thank you, Chair.

I want to applaud Mr. MacGregor for bringing this forward today. We've all mentioned on this side of the table today—and I'm sure it has to be happening to my Liberal colleagues too, that their emails and phones are just bursting with questions about what's going on right now. I know ours are. Last weekend alone we had over 700 emails on Saturday and Sunday asking questions about this tumultuous time that Canada is in right now. I've never seen our country so divided. Quite frankly, the members from the government side themselves are divided. We're seeing questions over there: What's going on? Where are we going? Where are we heading? It's disturbing. The fact that some people want to put this off bothers me, and I find that disturbing. Let's get some answers. Let's get them as soon as we possibly can.

I think Mr. MacGregor's motion to bring in the Minister of Public Safety, and the department officials under him, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Canada Border Services Agency and the OPP will at least help us start to get some answers for our constituents. The residents of Canada, the people who are calling and emailing me, want, need and desire answers. We need to get those so we can provide those to our residents.

I wholeheartedly applaud Mr. MacGregor for his motion at this time. I'm glad it says “as soon as possible”. I hope that is quickly. I look forward to the coming days and to questioning these important witnesses who will be before us and to getting some great insight and some information so our residents will understand how we got here and how we're going to resolve this. Let's all hope we don't get here again.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Jim Carr]

Mr. Chiang, I see your hand up. The floor is yours.

[Paul Chiang, Liberal, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I would like to move an amendment to include the Ottawa Police Service in our study.

Mr. Chair?

[The Chair, Liberal, Jim Carr]

Yes, I hear you.

[Paul Chiang, Liberal, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Jim Carr]

Ms. Damoff.

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

I'm sorry, Chair, but my hand was up on the main motion.

[The Chair, Liberal, Jim Carr]

Okay.

We've just had a subsequent amendment to the motion by Mr. Chiang.

Clerk, are we ready for a recorded vote on the amended motion? Could you just remind members of the committee exactly what they'll be voting on now?

[The Clerk]

Yes, Mr. Chair.

The question is on the amendment moved by Mr. Chiang.

May I proceed?

[The Chair, Liberal, Jim Carr]

You may proceed.

[The Clerk]

Mr. Chair, we have Mr. Van Popta, who wants to speak to the amendment, I believe.

[The Chair, Liberal, Jim Carr]

Go ahead, Mr. Van Popta.

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

I want to thank Mr. Chiang, who put forward that motion to add the Ottawa police. I think that would add more value to the study we're hoping to put forward. Hopefully the main motion will pass.

We see other cities that have banished the protests. Again, I think we need to come to a better understanding of what the issues were here in Ottawa with the Ottawa police. Were they not fully resourced? Did they not anticipate the challenges this would bring forward? What was going on or what were the failures that led to their being unable to prevent this from becoming what it is, which we see here in the precinct area today?

I would definitely support the amendment to add the Ottawa police.

Thanks.

[The Chair, Liberal, Jim Carr]

Are there other hands up in the room, Clerk?

[The Clerk]

Mr. Chair, Mr. Blois would like to speak next.

[Kody Blois, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Mr. Chair, very quickly, I'm a new member to this committee, subbing in, of course, for Mr. Noormohamed right now. I understand that there are witnesses who are seeking to give testimony on gun violence in the country. I think it's imperative that we move to vote.

I will support Mr. Chiang. I think it's important that we have this protocol, but I've seen some members seemingly prolonging this. Let's get right to a vote and let's get those witnesses in so we can hear their testimony.

[The Chair, Liberal, Jim Carr]

Are there any other hands up before we move to the vote?

Okay, Clerk. Take the recorded vote, please, on Mr. Chiang's amendment.

(Amendment agreed to: yeas 11; nays 0 [See Minutes of Proceedings])

Thank you.

Clerk, please proceed with the vote on the main motion as amended

(Motion as amended agreed to: yeas 6; nays 5 [See Minutes of Proceedings])

The motion passes. Thank you very much.

We're now at a point where we—

[The Clerk]

Mr. Chair—

[The Chair, Liberal, Jim Carr]

Yes.

[The Clerk]

—there's a point of order in the room by Mr. Van Popta.

[The Chair, Liberal, Jim Carr]

Go ahead, Mr. Van Popta.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to my colleagues for voting yes on this very important motion for this study. I think it's a very important study.

I propose that we meet over the break week because of the time constraints, just to accommodate everybody's schedule, if possible, Mr. Chair, if you think that's an agreeable solution.

[The Chair, Liberal, Jim Carr]

I don't think now is the time to discuss that, but I'll take the point and we'll look at that possibility.

Meanwhile, we're at a point in this agenda where we have to suspend—very briefly, I hope, Clerk—to accommodate the sound checks for the next witnesses.

We will suspend and resume—I'm hoping—in five minutes.

Madam Damoff, do you have a point of order? I see that your is hand up.