Public Safety Committee on Feb. 15th, 2024

[The Chair, Liberal, Heath MacDonald]

Maybe that was a poor choice of words.

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB]

I think there's kind of an understanding, at least among the majority of the committee, that we want to do two auto theft days next week and then we would start using extended hours in March on Bill C-26. That's my understanding.

I just don't want to get surprised when the notice comes out, Mr. Chair, and we have a huge extended February meeting coming out of nowhere when it's not very clear that the committee has agreed to that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Heath MacDonald]

I think the chair has heard everybody's opinions, and I will take them into consideration when I sit down with the clerk.

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB]

You know that when we don't feel as though we're being consulted or listened to, we have the penchant to act in certain ways.

[The Chair, Liberal, Heath MacDonald]

That's your prerogative, Mr. Lloyd.

[Ron McKinnon, Liberal, Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam, BC]

Mr. Chair, one thing we need to consider in our deliberations is that the legislative clerk will need time to go through the amendments. I think he'll need probably a couple of days.

[The Chair, Liberal, Heath MacDonald]

Mr. Shipley, go ahead, please.

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

Thank you, Chair.

Just quickly, since we're talking a little bit about the auto theft, we hadn't discussed which ministers would be attending for those hearings. We would like to suggest that the justice minister, the public safety minister and the transportation minister could all be invited if everybody on the committee agreed that those three ministers would be important to hear from on this important issue.

I think everybody would probably agree with that, Chair.

[Ron McKinnon, Liberal, Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam, BC]

We can invite ministers, but we don't necessarily know if they're available, right?

[The Chair, Liberal, Heath MacDonald]

Ms. O'Connell, go ahead.

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

Thanks.

I think it's best not to make decisions on the fly. There was a motion that the committee agreed to, and we should stick to the details of that motion, and then, coming from that, if there are additional witnesses to be invited, the committee can do that. Just suggesting it here on the fly is not adhering to the motion that was passed unanimously by this committee.

I think that's the appropriate mechanism rather than just adding witnesses as members see fit when we've already gone over the time for committee. There's a process for this.

[The Chair, Liberal, Heath MacDonald]

Mr. Motz, go ahead.

[Glen Motz, Conservative, Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB]

Thank you, Chair.

Just so we're clear, amendments are due on February 26. For February 26 and 29, the recommendation is to have the auto theft study. That is what the majority of the opposition side has come up with. Then on Monday, March 18 we would begin clause-by-clause of Bill C-26 with the idea that on that particular day, Monday the 18th if possible, we would extend those hours for a reasonable time depending on resources. I think that would be very reasonable, to begin Bill C-26 on that date.

[The Chair, Liberal, Heath MacDonald]

Thank you, Mr. Motz.

Mr. Julian, go ahead, please.

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

I'm presuming that we have a deadline of Monday for auto theft witnesses?

[The Chair, Liberal, Heath MacDonald]

I think you've already submitted them.

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

Thank you. I would suggest that if there were additional witnesses, they could be submitted by Monday.

[The Chair, Liberal, Heath MacDonald]

Thank you.

Okay. So leave that with the chair, please.

For Bill C-26, on Monday the clerk distributed the draft budget in the amount of $14,500.

Are there any questions or comments?

[Chris Bittle, Liberal, St. Catharines, ON]

So moved.

[The Chair, Liberal, Heath MacDonald]

That is so moved. Perfect.

Now we'll get into a new travel budget regarding the study of the growing problem of car thefts.

As requested by the committee members, the clerk has prepared new travel budgets for the Port of Montreal regarding our upcoming study on the growing problem of car thefts in Canada. The request from the members was to reduce to a minimum the costs of the site visit. Two options were distributed by the clerk.

The first one involved a chartered bus in the amount of $8,199. The second one involved a chartered bus and a train in the amount of $9,399.

The clerk can provide additional context and information if it is required.

Go ahead.

[Ron McKinnon, Liberal, Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam, BC]

Mr. Chair, as a matter of form, the project was so moved, but we didn't vote on the budget.

That's all approved. Okay.

[The Chair, Liberal, Heath MacDonald]

As discussed with the clerk, I recommend that we adopt both budget options in order to provide flexibility in the next approval step before the Subcommittee on Committee Budgets of the Liaison Committee.

Are we good?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Heath MacDonald]

Is the committee in agreement to adjourn?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.