Parliamentary Committee Notes: Overview Note

General Information

Date: Thursday, March 21, 2024

Time: 8:15 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.

Location: Room 025-B (West Block)

Context

On October 23, 2023, the following motion was adopted unanimously by SECU:

That the committee hold three meetings lasting two hours each, immediately after the study of Bill C-20, on the rights of victims of crime, the security reclassification and transfer of offenders within Correctional Service Canada, including Paul Bernardo’s transfer from maximum-security to medium-security prison. That the committee invite to appear:

  1. The Commissioner of Correctional Service Canada, Anne Kelly; Deputy Minister of Public Safety, Shawn Tupper; the Correctional Investigator; the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime;
  2. Representatives of the victims’ families and friends, including Tim Danson;
  3. Representatives of the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers (UCCO) and the Union of Safety and Justice Employees (USJE).

Furthermore, that the committee invite immediately the Minister of Public Safety and department officials to appear for two hours to discuss his mandate.

Finally, that the committee hold a one-hour in camera meeting to be briefed on trauma informed questioning of victims at committee, in order to be prepared to receive future testimony from victims.

Your appearance before SECU on Thursday, March 21, 2024 represents an opportunity to address Committee members with respect to the breadth, scope and importance of the work undertaken across the Public Safety Portfolio in support of your mandate. 

In keeping with the volatility and complexity of the public safety and global security landscape,  sophisticated threats and unpredictability have increasingly become the new norm. Through its provision of direct and critical service delivery, the Public Safety Portfolio is on the front-line in protecting Canadians, communities, businesses, the economy and democratic institutions. Many areas under its purview including border management, national security, national emergency response and immigration enforcement are exclusively federal responsibility.

While progress has been made to advance the elements of your mandate letter, there remains more to accomplish. Through sound fiscal management, Portfolio efforts are focused on (1) protecting Canadians, the economy and democratic institutions from foreign interference by investing in the necessary tools, authorities and capabilities; (2) curtailing gun violence through tough legislative and regulatory controls and the advancement of a buyback program; and, (3) setting the path for the future of policing, including in Indigenous communities.

In advancing these objectives, the Portfolio is making concrete and vital contributions to the Government’s broader agenda of promoting economic growth and prosperity, improving community resilience and bolstering trust and confidence in government and democratic institutions.

Your proposed opening remarks reinforce the central elements of your mandate, as well as the  work currently underway to advance these. Your briefing package also includes key messages related to the commitments outlined in the Prime Minister’s December 2021 Mandate Letter to the Minister of Public Safety.

The package also includes briefing material related to SECU’s study on the Rights of Victims, Reclassification and Transfer of Federal Offenders. You will also find responsive lines in anticipation of potential questions on emerging hot issues, Supplementary Estimates C 2023-24 and Main Estimates 2024-25, tabled recently.

Officials

You will appear for the first hour with the following officials:

Officials will remain for the second hour of the meeting, and will be accompanied by:

Opening Remarks

At the onset of the meeting, the Chair will invite you to deliver opening remarks, to last approximately 5 minutes. Questions from Committee members will ensue.

Rounds of Questions

First Round of Questions:

Second and Subsequent Rounds of Questions:

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