Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Indeed, there have been investments. However, I will be very honest with you: despite my confidence in the first nations and Inuit policing program, there is still a long way to go with this program. There are certain limitations. It is sometimes difficult to build in more remote areas or to ensure that contracts are signed on time.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I can assure you that the attitude with which my team and I approach this is really to listen, first and foremost. Of course, we are working within a budget, so I cannot have more money than the amount we are allocated. However, as recently as last week and the week before, I met with community leaders from Saskatchewan, Alberta and even Quebec.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  This is certainly the case when we propose an amount, but the province is unable to contribute its share. As I said, there have been situations in the past where this has been problematic. Currently, we are seeing better collaboration in the allocation process. I would even say that we are increasingly finding that it is possible to go even further.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I think the minister has been clear about the priorities. The discussion that began on the legislation a few years ago is continuing, and it is having a significant impact on the decisions we are making. The budget is certainly a key element. Earlier, there was a question about community safety officers.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I would like to begin by clarifying a few points. We have a dedicated budget and we are working with the provinces and territories to ensure that they contribute their share. We are making sure that this is not a random figure, but rather a figure based on needs, reality and comparisons with other police forces in the provinces and territories.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes, it is something that we hear and it is something that we have heard in the past, and as the minister indicated earlier, it is something that we are working on. We have had some successes and we're still working with all the provinces and territories to ensure that whenever we have a lesson learned that is successful, we apply it elsewhere.

Public Safety committee  Yes.

Public Safety committee  There was an announcement that there will be funding for this program. The program details have not been finalized, because we need to get royal assent first. Then we'll work through our Treasury Board colleagues to establish the terms and conditions. However, yes, you are correct.

Public Safety committee  If somebody has a mental health case with a yellow flag, their PAL could be suspended for a while and then brought back, so the person could get it back. It's no different from what is happening right now with a red flag or a yellow flag. If the police deem that the person should not have their firearm, regardless of whether it's a handgun or not, the PAL could be revoked.

Public Safety committee  If you'll allow me, I'll start, and then my colleague , Mr. Taylor, may want to add something. What is proposed in the bill is that anybody—and let's say the doctor, in your example—will request the removal, through the red flag, of these firearms from the individual. They go to the court....

Public Safety committee  Obviously I cannot speak on behalf of the government for what it will or will not do. However, what I can say is that our minister has been vocal on his intent to give fair value as an incentive for people to return their guns to the government. I cannot really tell you what the final value will be or what the minister will do, but I can tell you that we are asked to provide sound advice on what the fair value of the guns will be.

Public Safety committee  It would be fair to say that we are reflecting on it when we hear that there is a problem. We are not hearing there is an issue with the price for every gun on the list that was provided. Maybe you're hearing otherwise, that there are some people who come with specific guns and say that the value of their gun is different.

Public Safety committee  If you'll allow me, I will start by answering the question. First of all, the red flag provisions in Bill C-21 do not remove the responsibility of law enforcement and the police to do what they have to do, as prescribed right now in the Criminal Code of Canada for the red flags.

Public Safety committee  I believe I've testified in this committee in the past that Bill C-21 not only addresses crimes but also addresses gender-based violence and mental health issues. It is important to bear in mind from my perspective as a policy wonk, if you wish, that the bill is really a step among many other pillars that are important.

Public Safety committee  I'll maybe say a couple of words. I met personally with the chief firearms officer from Alberta as well, and she has very strong views. I'm not here to argue her views. What is important is that the intent of the definition was to provide clarity on what kinds of guns we don't want in Canada.