Procedure and House Affairs committee  You're not really going to encounter or have face to face contact with the RCMP. As you know, they are stationed in their vehicles at different perimeters. There's actually a system in place. It may look, from time to time, like they're scattered about the precinct in a haphaza

Procedure and House Affairs committee  On that day, if I'm not mistaken, he had advised me that he had gone down to the bank. I believe he was walking up Metcalfe Street, so he would have come in—I believe on that particular visit, the RCMP had a small tent down by the gate. That's where he would have encountered the

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I take it, Mr. Chair, you are talking about during these visits?

Procedure and House Affairs committee  During the visit, there are places where you would probably run into—especially the upper drive here. You see the steel fence gates. Usually RCMP officers are stationed there. That would probably be one of the places where they would be looking for you.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  It certainly would be an option, Mr. Kerr, through Mr. Preston. Certainly, something that we can consider is, if the RCMP were to stop somebody to call for our assistance in identification, that would be something we could consider.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Absolutely. Madam Clerk, you're absolutely correct. There should never be any interference to a member of Parliament coming onto the Hill. We do have, during these visits, points where the RCMP check ID and facilitate people's access, but there's no real reduction in the number o

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Yes, though it's frustrating to say. If MP Garneau comes up and he's not wearing his pin or his card, I'm not sure how much more simple it can be than opening the book and checking to see if that's you.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Mr. Chair to Mr. Comartin, on the day in question I met with both Mr. Stoffer and Mr. Pat Martin, and in fact I believe I had a conversation with Mr. Comartin that day as well in the lobby to try to find out and to get any information on any other MPs that may have run into diffi

Procedure and House Affairs committee  It's my understanding, sir, that at that particular point, for whatever reason, those particular RCMP officers did not have that book.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Mr. Chair, prior to these visits, extensive planning and meetings take place with all the security partners—the RCMP, the House, the Senate. We meet, and we come up with all the contingency plans we can think of to avoid these types of incidents. One of the things, for example,

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Depending on our resourcing levels and the status of the thing, there have been occasions in the past when our security people have gone out, because they are in contact with you every day. Our expectation with the RCMP, is of course—that area outside being their jurisdiction—tha

Procedure and House Affairs committee  First of all, Mr. Comartin, CSE's mandate is very, very specific. They run under very tight legislative...what they can do and what they can't do, especially if Canadian citizens are involved. The RCMP, for example, would have competencies there and international relationships.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  It would be your responsibility, as the complainant, to make an official complaint with the RCMP.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Generally, Mr. Comartin, it's our practice to be in contact with our security partners on a daily basis. Obviously, as Sergeant-at-Arms I'm responsible for all your security, so if anything comes to our attention, regardless of what it is, we always take the appropriate steps to

Procedure and House Affairs committee  It would be my practice if I were aware of a certain threat against any member of Parliament to ensure that proper follow-up was being taken with that particular member of Parliament. I and our staff would keep ourselves apprised until the matter was resolved one way or the other