Pam Damoff

[Red Dress Day, May 2nd, 2023]

Mr. Chair, Friday is Red Dress Day, a devastating and unacceptable reality in Canada also known as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and Two-Spirit People. Everyone has the right to safety and to live free from violence. All families deserve to know that if a loved one goes missing, every effort will be made to find them.

I want to thank the member for Winnipeg Centre, and I commit to working closely with her on finding justice for indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people, particularly around creating a red dress alert.

The release of the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls prompted a period of deep reflection, and urgent action is required. In June 2021, the government released its pathway, which is aligned with the broader national action plan.

We must acknowledge colonialism's impact on the disproportionate representation of indigenous peoples in the criminal justice system. Indigenous women continue to be the fastest-growing prison population in Canada, and almost half of all federally sentenced women are indigenous. Most of the women whom I have visited in several women's prisons are there because of poverty, addiction, abuse, mental illness and intergenerational trauma.

Recently, Correctional Services appointed a deputy commissioner for indigenous corrections. This was a direct response to call to justice 5.23. Incarceration has a devastating impact on women and their children. If a woman is incarcerated, her child has a 25% chance of being convicted in adulthood. This is unacceptable. Corrections has also undertaken an expansion of the mother-child program at institutions for women offenders.

We must ensure safe spaces for indigenous women. Recently, I visited Saskatoon and helped announce an 18-bed transitional housing project in partnership with the Saskatoon Tribal Council and all levels of government. At the Thunder Woman Healing Lodge Society in Toronto, I have worked with Patti Pettigrew, who envisions a facility to support indigenous women. However, we need more of these initiatives.

Indigenous peoples have long been mistreated by law enforcement, going back to the time of residential schools, when the RCMP were used to forcibly remove children from their families. We know that we need to do more for reform. Our government introduced Bill C-20, which would enact a new stand-alone statute to provide an external review regime of oversight called the public complaints and review commission for both the RCMP and CBSA.

The RCMP is making progress on its first nations, Inuit and Métis recruitment strategy. This strategy is led through an indigenous lens, and it examines how systemic barriers can be further mitigated to ensure diverse and inclusive recruitment. Community-led and culturally sensitive approaches to community safety must be at the forefront. The government is co-developing first nations policing legislation with the Assembly of First Nations and first nations partners to recognize first nations policing as an essential service.

A red dress alert would notify the public when an indigenous woman, girl or two-spirit person went missing. We must put women, girls and two-spirit people, along with survivors, at the centre of the development. The member for Winnipeg Centre and I recently met with the Minister of Emergency Preparedness to determine next steps.

In budget 2023, our government announced investments of $2.5 million over the next five years to establish a federal-provincial-territorial-indigenous table, providing a forum to discuss and act on the red dress alert and other initiatives. The budget also announced a $2.6-million investment over three years to support the National Family and Survivors Circle in keeping families and survivors at the centre of the implementation of the national action plan and federal pathway.

When I was in British Columbia recently, I spoke with grassroots female advocates from You Empowered Strong and others in the Okanagan. They talked about their efforts in their communities to engage the public's assistance in their search for loved ones.

The government must support those efforts, and a red dress alert would send a strong signal to Canadians and to indigenous peoples that we value the lives of indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people. I not only give my personal commitment, but I know that the government is also committed to working with indigenous partners, communities, and provinces and territories while centring survivors and their families for the success of a red dress initiative.

We cannot stand by while first nations, Inuit and Métis women, girls and two-spirit people go missing. If they do, every effort must be made to find them. Their lives matter, and we must urgently act for change.

[Public Safety, April 28th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, today the Minister of Public Safety is actually meeting with Secretary Mayorkas and Attorney General Garland from the United States at a cross-border crime forum. This is because we recognize that this issue transcends borders. That is why we have invested in the borders, something the Conservatives voted against. That is why we have invested in law enforcement. It is why we have invested in communities, so that community programs can be put in place to divert kids from gangs. We are taking an overall policy position on this, and I am proud of where we are.

[Public Safety, April 28th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, combatting crime is a complex issue. Rather than offering solutions, the party opposite wants to come up with catchy slogans and obstruct the policies we are putting forward.

We need to be dealing with mental health. We are providing options when it comes to housing. We are very proud of Bill C-21 and the things that are being put in there to get a handgun freeze and additional penalties on organized crime. We are taking an overall approach to dealing with crime, and I am proud of what we are doing.

[Heart and Stroke Foundation, April 26th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, like many of my colleagues, this week I met with representatives from Heart and Stroke Foundation. They are passionately reminding us to keep the health of children at the heart of our work. Dr. Sonia Anand was one of those here in Ottawa, a brilliant and kind cardiologist, professor and researcher from McMaster in Hamilton.

Every five minutes in Canada someone dies from heart condition, stroke or vascular cognitive impairment. While some risk factors are genetic, 80% of premature heart disease and stroke can be prevented through lifestyle choices like being active, healthy eating and being smoke-free. Healthy habits begin at an early age, which is why Heart and Stroke is asking for continued support when it comes to making healthier food choices for kids and taking additional steps to prevent youth from vaping.

Heart and Stroke has been fighting heart disease and stroke for over 70 years, and I thank it for its efforts.

[Questions on the Order Paper, April 25th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, with regard to part (a), the Canada Border Services Agency, or CBSA, is unable to respond to this question, as the agency’s financial systems do not track costs by individual border crossing.

With regard to part (b), the CBSA does not pay for the maintenance or operating costs for the ports of entry that are deemed legislated facilities provided by the owner of those facility under section 6 of the Customs Act. At these ports of entry, the CBSA is only responsible for providing border service officers and the CBSA’s operating equipment. The agency’s financial systems do not track costs by individual border crossing.

With regard to parts (c)(i) and (ii), the agency’s financial systems do not track costs by individual border crossing.

With regard to part (d)(i), the CBSA does not pay for the maintenance or operating costs for the ports of entry that are deemed legislated facilities, which are provided free of charge by the owner of those facility under the requirements set out in section 6 of the Customs Act and in the Health of Animals Act, Plant Protection Act, Quarantine Act and the immigration and refugee protection regulations. With regard to part (d)(ii), there is an arrangement between The Federal Bridge Corporation Limited and the CBSA for the provision of facilities at the Cornwall port of entry.

With regard to part (e), under section 6 of the Customs Act, the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, or WBDA, is the responsible entity, which is required to provide the buildings and facilities for the CBSA. Questions on the facility and funding should be directed to the WDBA.

[Questions on the Order Paper, April 21st, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, with regard to part (a), as of March 6, 2023, there were 140 individuals under immigration hold and subject to a removal order who were being housed in a provincial correctional facility.

With regard to part (b), CBSA does not hold the requested information as it falls outside of the agency’s mandate. The CBSA’s mandate includes enforcement of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, IRPA, which provides for the arrest and detention of foreign nationals and permanent residents who are inadmissible to Canada and who are either unlikely to appear for an immigration proceeding or constitute a danger to the public. Individuals detained under the IRPA are entitled to a review of their detention by the Immigration and Refugee Board, IRB, an independent quasi-judicial tribunal. Individuals are entitled to have the reasons for their detention reviewed by the IRB within the first 48 hours of being detained. At a detention review, the IRB may order their release on conditions or determine that detention should continue. If the IRB determines that detention should be continued, a subsequent detention review is to be held in the next seven days and every 30 days thereafter. The immigration division of the IRB will provide reasons for its decisions, and the decisions are subject to judicial review.

With regard to part (c), of the 140 individuals in part (a), 81 were inadmissible pursuant to sections 34 to 37 of the IRPA. Seventy-one individuals were found inadmissible pursuant to 36(1)(a), which pertains to cases where the permanent resident or foreign national has been convicted in Canada of an offence under an act of Parliament punishable by a maximum term of imprisonment of at least 10 years, or of an offence under an act of Parliament for which a term of imprisonment of more than six months has been imposed. Three individuals were found inadmissible pursuant to 36(1)(b), which pertains to cases where the permanent resident or foreign national is inadmissible on grounds of serious criminality for having been convicted of an offence outside Canada that, if committed in Canada, would constitute an offence under an act of Parliament punishable by a maximum term of imprisonment of at least 10 years. Six individuals were found inadmissible pursuant to 36(2)(a), which pertains to cases where the foreign national is inadmissible on grounds of criminality for having been convicted in Canada of an offence under an act of Parliament punishable by way of indictment, or of two offences under any act of Parliament not arising out of a single occurrence. One individual was found inadmissible pursuant to 36(2)(b), which pertains to cases where the foreign national is inadmissible on grounds of criminality for having been convicted outside Canada of an offence that, if committed in Canada, would constitute an indictable offence under an act of Parliament, or of two offences not arising out of a single occurrence that, if committed in Canada, would constitute offences under an act of Parliament.

[Royal Canadian Mounted Police, April 21st, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, we thank the commission for its report and the important recommendations that it has made.

We are reviewing the commission's recommendations, and will be working closely with provinces, territories, counterparts and civil society to respond in due course. We hope that the opposition parties are also reviewing all of the recommendations, not just the one on the RCMP, that dealt with gender-based violence and assault weapons, and that we could work together to implement the recommendations to save lives.

[Correctional Service of Canada, April 20th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, our thoughts are with Terry Baker's family, friends and all who knew her. We were also disappointed that the inquest was delayed; we hoped that it would shed a light on the tragic and devastating events of 2016.

I want to thank the hon. member for his advocacy. I look forward to continuing to work with him on conditions of confinement, not only at GVI but at institutions across the country.

[Indigenous Affairs, April 20th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for her advocacy for putting a red dress alert in place across the country.

As the member knows, I have made a commitment to work with her on this. Our budget also included a commitment to working on a red dress alert. I thank her for her advocacy, and I look forward to working with her to implement it. Of course, along with all members, we need to do better when it comes to missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.

[Democratic Institutions, April 20th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, foreign interference is an issue that we take seriously and it is not a partisan issue. That is why we appointed David Johnston, a non-partisan, experienced professional. It is unfortunate the members opposite laughed when I mentioned his name. He is a gentleman who has given his life to this country and will provide us with information that we will be acting on, including whether or not we hold a public inquiry.