House of Commons photoLost his last election, in 2019, with 34% of the vote.
Public Safety January 27th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is transparent, open and accountable in this House. This is the Parliament of Canada and this is where we respond to the questions, like Canadian security.
We have put in place layers of security activity to ensure that our refugee initiative with respect to Syria can be successful. The program is working well and indeed it will result in something of which Canadians can be very proud.
Public Safety December 10th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, the hon. gentleman is simply wrong in what he says about the long gun registry.
We made it very clear in our platform that we had no intention of reinstating the long gun registry. We announced a number of other measures in the platform that had to do with public safety, and gun safety in particular. We will implement our platform.
Public Safety December 10th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for his tremendous efforts to ensure that his constituents have the police services they require.
I am pleased to inform the House that 75 of the 100 officers who were requested have actually arrived now in Surrey, and an additional 10 officers will be arriving very shortly. The RCMP expects the remaining 15 to be assigned by spring, ahead of the deadline in April.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship December 10th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, we have made it clear from the very beginning that there will be no compromise in security procedures, that they will adhere to the highest Canadian standards. That will include the selection of the individuals who will be considered as possible refugees to Canada. It will be included in the extensive interviews by trained professionals, and done in other ways, such as biometrics, checking against computer records, and constant and repeated identification examinations. We will ensure that every step of the way the results are satisfactory, and that Canadians can be proud of what we have accomplished.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship December 10th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, about three or four weeks ago, the RCMP, CSIS, and CBSA all indicated collectively that they were fully satisfied with the security procedures that had been put in place with respect to the Syrian refugees. Indeed, they helped to design them.
Public Safety December 8th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, the process that we have put in place in this very difficult part of the world is a process that has been designed by the immigration and refugee department, by the Canada Border Services Agency, by the RCMP, and by CSIS. The strongest, best Canadian officials have put this plan in place. They are determined to keep our officials on the ground doing the work safe, and they are absolutely determined to make sure that every proper screening and security measure is adequately followed.
Public Safety December 8th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, clearly, the Conservative campaign strategy was not 100% foolproof.
The fact of the matter is that Canadians expect a strong system. They expect security to be applied in the way that it has always been applied with Canadian refugees. That is why we have robust layers of security in place, interviews, biometrics, checks against computer systems, and repeated examinations of identification to make sure that this process works.
Public Safety December 8th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, the fact of the matter is that the standards that are being applied with respect to the refugees are the same high standards that Canada always applies. We have made sure in the system that we have put in place that there is no compromise on safety and security. That is important in ensuring that this process can be successful.
Canadians, at the end of the day, can be very proud of what we have accomplished together.
Public Safety December 8th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, the short answer is we are not doing that. We have a system in place that provides for robust layers of security screening that will all be done overseas before the refugees board their planes. When they board their planes, they will have that complete security screening done up to the standards that we would expect in Canada in the normal course.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Labour Relations December 7th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin this brief statement by first of all congratulating the member for Durham for becoming the official critic for Public Safety, and also the member for Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke for assuming those same responsibilities for the NDP. I look forward to working with both of them in what I expect to be a constructive and cordial relationship.
I am pleased to inform the House that the government is taking action as a result of an important ruling by the Supreme Court of Canada concerning the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Nearly 11 months ago, in January 2015, in a case titled the Mounted Police Association of Ontario vs. Canada Attorney General, the Supreme Court found that certain federal legislation and regulations were unconstitutional in that they prevented the formation of an independent RCMP employee organization for labour relations purposes. As such, according to the Supreme Court, they contravene the “freedom of association” guarantees enshrined in section 2(d) of the Charter of Canadian Rights and Freedoms.
The Court gave Canada 12 months—that is to January 16, 2016—to consider its options and to respond with a charter compliant labour relations framework.
Our government is acting as swiftly as possible to bring the law into compliance with what the Supreme Court said.
My colleague, the President of the Treasury Board, and I are announcing today that the government will introduce a bill early next year in order to create a new labour relations regime for members and reservists of the RCMP.
The proposed legislation would provide members and reservists with both representation and freedom of choice in labour relations matters that are independent of management. These are key requirements of the decision of the Supreme Court.
This past summer, a consultation process sought the views of RCMP regular members through a survey and a number of town hall sessions on the potential elements of a new labour relations framework. The members underlined the importance of having the freedom to choose for themselves who should represent them.
Other matters to be dealt with in the new legislation include binding arbitration as the mandatory dispute resolution process for bargaining purposes, with no right to strike; the requirement that the RCMP bargaining agent has the representation of RCMP members as its primary mandate; a single national bargaining unit for all RCMP regular members and reservists; the exclusion of commissioned officers and a process for the exclusion of other managerial positions from representation; and the preservation of the recourse mechanism in the RCMP act for issues regarding member conduct and discipline.
The bill that we intend to put forward would ensure that RCMP members can exercise their charter-protected right to engage in collective bargaining, by providing a labour relations regime that both complies with the judgment of the Supreme Court and at the same time reflects the policing operational environment of RCMP officers.
It is important to note that the negotiation of collective agreements is a charter right that has been enjoyed by other police officers in Canada for a long time. The government will uphold that right while recognizing the particular circumstances of the RCMP as the national police force.
As is appropriate, we are also consulting with those provinces and territories that have an RCMP police service agreement in place.
In closing, I want to thank the Supreme Court for its ruling and also thank all of the RCMP members who provided advice. The Government of Canada is obviously anxious to move this initiative forward as quickly as it can.