Vic Toews

[Public Safety, March 18th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, as members know, following the Prime Minister's comments here in the House when he indicated that we would be looking at that body, we in fact put three new individuals onto that body: two police chiefs and one head of a police union. I am very pleased with those appointments.

We continue to work together with all segments of the firearms community to ensure that we focus on real crime, as opposed to the long gun registry.

[Government Appointments, March 7th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, Arthur Porter submitted his resignation. We accepted it years ago. These allegations have no connection to his role as the chair of the Security Intelligence Review Committee.

[Government Appointments, March 7th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, security clearances have not been relaxed under our government. In fact, we have introduced more rigorous checks for these types of appointments. I would point out that the NDP and the Liberals were consulted on this appointment and made no objections to the appointment.

[Enhancing Royal Canadian Mounted Police Accountability Act, March 6th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, if I want to learn lessons in humility, I will go to the NDP. Perhaps I will come there for that lesson. In respect of being concerned about what lawyers are saying about the bill, I want to say one thing. We want to do the right thing for the people of Canada. The people of Canada have asked us to bring forward an agenda, and we are bringing it forward.

We are prepared to go to the courts and explain why this is necessary. Courts do not set policy. This House sets policy. The member is an individual who is prepared to abdicate his responsibility as a policy-maker and let lawyers and judges determine our future. I have more faith in the House of Commons, indeed even in an elected NDP member, than in that kind of claptrap.

[Enhancing Royal Canadian Mounted Police Accountability Act, March 6th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I don't ever recall saying I am sick and tired of listening to the members opposite. In fact, if this were just a friendly debate between friends, as we all are of course, and if there were no consequences and we could go on forever, I could well see us talking the night away, for however much time we have patience. I am never sick of the member or tired of the member. The member brings valid contributions to this House.

However, we have a very specific responsibility. There comes a time, and I think that time has come in the life of this bill, that we move it forward to the vote. It is reflected in the type of amendments that are being made and the type of arguments that are being made. There is nothing new that the opposition members, in particular the NDP, have brought forward in the last 15 days. We have heard these arguments over and over. I invite members of the public to review the transcripts and see if there is anything substantively new, which all of a sudden is going to develop. The positions have been laid out very carefully. Members in all parties and private members now can determine in what direction they want this bill to go. We said it should come to a vote. We think it is time to pass this bill.

[Enhancing Royal Canadian Mounted Police Accountability Act, March 6th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her work on this bill and for the question.

I do want to reiterate that, in fact, there have been many hours of debate—15 days—and that is quite a significant amount of debate. I am a little confused about one issue. I hear the Liberal position and I think it is a responsible position. The Liberals say that even though they disagree with us on some aspects, this would move the process forward in terms of enhancing the accountability of the RCMP.

On the other hand, the New Democrats consistently criticize the RCMP and suggest there is something untoward happening in the entire organization, and yet they are not even willing to agree on the fundamental principles that we need to enshrine in legislation to move that organization forward.

[Enhancing Royal Canadian Mounted Police Accountability Act, March 6th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, actually, I found the comments from members on the Conservative side to be very instructive to this particular debate on time allocation. What I heard the members from the Conservative side say is that there are some very important principles at stake here in terms of the substance of the bill, and why is it that the NDP would consistently oppose those principles?

That is my concern as well, because I have not heard any substantive arguments in the past 15 days of debate that would in fact indicate there is any problem with this substantive bill that is moving forward. Therefore, time allocation is the appropriate measure in these circumstances.

[Enhancing Royal Canadian Mounted Police Accountability Act, March 6th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I know that member is closer to God than I am, and so I will have to take his word on that.

However, I find the member's arguments a little puzzling. He said we have never allowed any amendments, that we are rigid in our position, but in the next breath he is saying the minister amends his legislation.

I have to say that we have listened to arguments, and where there are valid concerns and arguments, we amend it, as the member himself has indicated.

[Enhancing Royal Canadian Mounted Police Accountability Act, March 6th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I think there are certain very key principles that this act encompasses or encapsulates and brings forward to this House for our consideration.

Each one of those principles in the act have been thoroughly discussed, things like strengthening the RCMP review and complaint body; the new statutory framework for serious incident investigation involving RCMP members; and the modernization of the discipline, grievance and other human resource management processes.

These issues have been brought forward in this legislation. They have been debated for 15 days. That is not even taking into account the broader context of the knowledge that each member brings to a particular file like this.

The issues that have been raised in the past to the RCMP all bear down on this particular experience. We tried to encapsulate them as quickly as possible and ensure that both sides of the argument have been heard. In terms of amendments, both sides of the argument have been canvassed fully in this House.

[Enhancing Royal Canadian Mounted Police Accountability Act, March 6th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank that member for his question. I also want to thank that member for the work he has done on this file and, prior to that, for his work as a correctional officer and even a member of the RCMP.

In fact, he was a member of both the correctional and enforcement areas of the law and certainly brings a lot to bear. The people of the Yukon are well served by an individual who puts his territory, his jurisdiction, right to the forefront of the discussion and ensures that people here in Ottawa hear what the people of Yukon are saying.

I have had the occasion to travel to the Yukon. At least once a year, I try to get there to hear what the people of the Yukon are saying. Generally speaking, I find good broad-based support for this legislation, not only from government officials but from people generally who want to see accountability in the RCMP. They want the RCMP to be everything it can be. This bill would do exactly that.