Public Safety Committee on March 24th, 2026

[The Chair, Liberal, Jean-Yves Duclos]

I call this meeting to order.

Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to meeting number 29 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee is meeting today as part of its study of supplementary estimates (C) for 2025‑26.

I'd now like to welcome the Minister of Public Safety and the many officials who have kindly prepared for and come to this meeting.

I now invite the minister to give his statement.

Welcome, Minister. You have the floor.

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Good afternoon, Mr. Chair and honourable colleagues.

I would like to start by acknowledging that we're meeting on the traditional and unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people.

Thank you for inviting me to speak today on supplementary estimates (C).

I want to take this opportunity to introduce to the committee the new commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada, Talal Dakalbab, who joins us here today.

The safety and security of Canadians and everyone who lives here are a key priority for our government. Whether it is by protecting our borders, preventing a crime, securing our critical infrastructure or giving law enforcement the tools they need, we're committed to doing all we can to keep Canadians safe.

That's because we all deserve to feel safe, secure and free in our homes and communities. That's why our government will continue to invest in programs and initiatives that advance public safety.

Public Safety and its portfolio partners are seeking additional authorities through the supplementary estimates (C) to support its work.

A key commitment in our border plan and in budget 2025 is an increase to the number of RCMP officers, with the hiring of 1,000 new personnel. These new personnel will keep our border communities and everyone who calls Canada home safe and secure. To that end, the supplementary estimates (C) contain support for those new resources. This funding will allow the RCMP to recruit and retain the personnel we need to strengthen their federal policing mandate.

Another top priority of ours is ensuring that foreign interference and transnational repression have no place within our borders. The Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Act establishes an independent commissioner and a registry to help combat attempts at illegal and unlawful foreign influence.

Anton Boegman's nomination for commissioner was recently approved by both Houses, and authorities sought through the supplementary estimates (C) will support this implementation once the act comes into force. Let me take this opportunity to thank my colleagues from all parties for ensuring the swift passage of Mr. Boegman's nomination through the House.

We also know that transparency and oversight of the work of Public Safety and its portfolio are essential to ensuring that the public has trust in us and in the work we do. Increasing this transparency and oversight across all agencies has been an important commitment of our government.

To support that work, we're seeking funding for national security and intelligence review requirements faced by Public Safety, CBSA, CSIS and the RCMP. We're also seeking funding to establish the public complaints and review commission, which will review public complaints against CBSA and the RCMP. This independent body will provide external oversight for the agency, and investigate complaints about officer conduct or systemic issues in a fair and transparent way.

Additional funding requested by the Correctional Service of Canada will enable CSC to deliver on its public safety mandate and legislated requirements.

Lastly, within the supplementary estimates (C), we're also seeking funding to support the RCMP and CBSA's initiatives to counter drug-impaired driving.

I think all my colleagues here can agree that the safety and security of our country and our communities are some of the greatest responsibilities we face as parliamentarians.

I encourage the committee to support the additional authorities we are seeking.

I want to thank all colleagues who are joined here in support of the work we do.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Jean-Yves Duclos]

Thank you, Minister.

I will now give the floor to Mr. Caputo for six minutes.

[Frank Caputo, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Nicola, BC]

Thank you.

Thank you to you, Minister. Welcome.

I welcome all of the witnesses, with a special welcome to Commissioner Dakalbab. Welcome to the table and welcome to your new role.

Minister, during the last election, Prime Minister Carney called China our greatest security threat, yet he signed a memorandum of understanding with respect to matters of intelligence. Canadians have not yet seen it. I asked for it roughly a month and a half ago. Where is it?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood—Rouge Park, ON]

Let me acknowledge that I have addressed this issue on a number of occasions, but let me just repeat today that there is an imperative for Canada to ensure that we meet countries where they're at, not where we want them to be. As a result—

[Frank Caputo, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Nicola, BC]

Minister, with all due respect—I'm going to reclaim my time—I'm not talking about meeting countries. Where is the memorandum? Why haven't we seen it? When will we get it?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood—Rouge Park, ON]

What I will say, Mr. Caputo, is that the memorandum of understanding was signed while the Prime Minister was in China. It was signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs. It was an understanding between our RCMP, as well as—

[Frank Caputo, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Nicola, BC]

Minister, I didn't ask what it was. I asked where it was. Where is it?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood—Rouge Park, ON]

If I may, Mr. Caputo, I'm going to ask the commissioner to answer that question.

[Frank Caputo, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Nicola, BC]

I'm asking you. The buck stops with you. You are the Minister of Public Safety. Where is it?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood—Rouge Park, ON]

Mr. Caputo, if I may suggest, the MOU involves the RCMP, and it was signed by Minister Anand on behalf of the Government of Canada. I'd like to ask Commissioner Duheme to answer that question.

[Frank Caputo, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Nicola, BC]

If I'm not going to get an answer from you, the top person in this portfolio, and that's no disrespect to the commissioner of the RCMP.... If you don't know the answer of where the MOU is or when we might get it, I have an issue with that, and I think Canadians will as well.

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood—Rouge Park, ON]

You have means by which to obtain that information.

[Frank Caputo, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Nicola, BC]

I am asking you a new question.

Terrorists in the IRGC are roaming in Canada. There are far too many of them. You have deported one; that's it. With a precise number, how many IRGC operatives do you know to be in Canada? I want just the number.

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood—Rouge Park, ON]

At this point we are tracking 24 [Technical difficulty—Editor].

[Frank Caputo, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Nicola, BC]

Okay. You know about only 24.

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood—Rouge Park, ON]

Let me go on the record here, because I don't think my mic was on.

[Frank Caputo, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Nicola, BC]

You are tracking 24. That's what I heard.

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood—Rouge Park, ON]

We are tracking 24 individuals who are deemed inadmissible and who are going through the process of being removed. One of them has a scheduled removal date. We have six who have voluntarily left. We have one who has already been removed. The other 24 will go through the process of being removed. We have due process—

[Frank Caputo, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Nicola, BC]

I have received things from constituents. A constituent of Persian heritage was so worried that they approached me and emailed me with documents of this.

I'm not sure you answered the question I asked. I didn't ask how many you're tracking. I asked how many IRGC operatives, or related to the IRGC, are in Canada. I just want the number, please.

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood—Rouge Park, ON]

What I will say, Mr. Caputo, is that there are a number of assessments we've done. First, there are close to 18,000 files that we've reviewed for admissibility.

[Frank Caputo, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Nicola, BC]

Minister, with all due respect, I didn't ask you about how many assessments you did. I asked you for—

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood—Rouge Park, ON]

Mr. Caputo, I think it's important that—

[Frank Caputo, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Nicola, BC]

This is my time.

[Ali Ehsassi, Liberal, Willowdale, ON]

I have a point of order, Chair.