Ralph Goodale

[Public Safety, February 3rd, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, there are provisions under the agreements between Canada and the United States for the issuing of NEXUS cards and for the termination of NEXUS cards in appropriate circumstances.

If people feel that they have in fact been unfairly treated by the process on either side of the border, there is an appeal process and there is an ombudsman. Obviously at a governmental level, we will be working with our American counterparts to make sure that the rules are properly and fairly administered, and that Canadians have the access that they are entitled to with a Canadian passport.

[Public Safety, February 1st, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, just as soon as we were contacted by the Government of New Brunswick, the Government of Canada acted promptly on each and every request.

[Questions on the Order Paper, January 30th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, a preliminary search was done in ccmMercury, the file tracking system of the Canada Border Services Agency, CBSA, to find the file numbers of all ministerial briefings or departmental correspondence between the government and the CBSA since November 4, 2015. As a result of the volume and the processing required to provide the detail requested, the CBSA cannot produce a response by the specified deadline.

[Questions on the Order Paper, January 30th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, Canada 2020 did not pay the RCMP, but they covered all travel-related expenses.

[Questions on the Order Paper, January 30th, 2017]

Speaker, in response to (a), the divisions within the RCMP that equip some or all of their cruisers with automated external defibrillators, AEDs, are C, Québec; D, Manitoba; E, British Columbia; K, Alberta; and National.

In response to (b), the number of police cruisers by division equipped with AEDs are as follows: C Division, Québec, six police cruisers; D Division, Manitoba, two police cruisers; E Division, British Columbia, is unable to provide an accurate response at this level of detail, as it would require an excessive amount of resources and time; K Division, Alberta, six police cruisers; and National Division, two police cruisers

In response to (c), there was no recent increase in the number of RCMP cruisers equipped with AEDs in Divisions C, D, K, and National. E Division is unable to provide an accurate response at this time.

In response to (d), training for the use of AEDs is included in the standard first aid curriculum that all RCMP members take every three years.

The RCMP has approved the implementation of AEDs for the following RCMP operational areas: the emergency medical response team, the divisional fitness and lifestyle program, the Prime Minister’s protection detail, and where provincial policing standards require that an AED be available or carried in conjunction with a conducted energy weapon.

In response to (e), if an RCMP workplace is not outlined in (d) and requires AED implementation, the detachment commander or manager can obtain approval through the commanding officer.

In response to (f), between October 20, 2015, and December 5, 2016, the RCMP executive services and ministerial liaison unit received one piece of correspondence on defibrillators on February 26, 2016, from the office of the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. A response was provided on March 18, 2016.

National and divisional RCMP policies with respect to the use of AEDs by the RCMP can be found in chapter 9 of the RCMP National Occupational Safety Manual.

[Questions on the Order Paper, January 30th, 2017]

:Mr. Speaker, the CBSA cannot provide the requested information within the prescribed time frame. The request would result in an exceptionally large volume of information, and translating thousands of lines of data would require significant human and financial resources.

Current and forecasted border wait times, however, are available at the following web address: http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/bwt-taf/menu-eng.html.

[Public Safety, January 30th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, as I have noted, torture is contrary to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It is contrary to the Criminal Code. It is contrary to virtually all of the international treaties and conventions to which Canada is a party. Most important, torture is found to be abhorrent by Canadians, and we reject it.

The ministerial directives issued previously, as I have indicated many times in this House, are under review to ensure that they are consistent with the policies and practices of the Government of Canada.

[Public Safety, December 14th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, this unprecedented engagement with Canadians about our national security framework has been a resounding success. Online we have received more than 53,000 individual responses, plus another 17,000 emails and form letters, and that is on top of meetings held in ridings across the country, including one I attended recently with the member for Scarborough—Rouge Park. After online submissions close tomorrow, we will examine all of that input as we act to ensure that Canadians are safe and their rights and freedoms are properly protected.

[Freedom of the Press, December 14th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, on the very important issue of press freedom and the protection of journalistic sources, all existing safeguards that are in place now are being reviewed to make sure that they are strong and effective.

I have said publicly many times that we are open to any and all advice coming from journalists, the legal community, or others who may have submissions to make about how the law can be made more effective.

[Public Safety, December 12th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, border preclearance between Canada and the United States has existed for 60 years. It makes our border more secure and more efficient both ways. Last spring, the Prime Minister and the President of the United States agreed upon a major preclearance business expansion into the locations mentioned by the hard-working member for Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel.

In Canada, we introduced the necessary legislation last June. I am pleased to note that both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate enacted their preclearance law this past week. The ball is now in our court to pass Bill C-23. Let us do it this afternoon by unanimous consent.