44th Parl. 1st Sess.
November 22, 2022 10:00AM
Madam Speaker, it is a great privilege for me to rise today in the House to speak to Bill C‑20, a very important bill.
I am glad to be here today, standing on traditional Algonquin territory.
We are debating Bill C-20, which would enact a new stand-alone statute, the public complaints and review commission act, to provide an external review regime for both the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canadian Border Services Agency. When it comes to law enforcement and border protection, nothing is more important to the proper functioning of these systems than trust and accountability. Canadians are watching and indeed the world is watching.
The RCMP and the CBSA provide world-class services to keep Canadians safe, and Canadians rightly expect nothing less than consistent, fair and equal treatment. It is about balance. Public safety is of course paramount, but so too are human rights. To ensure our system remains balanced in this way and to maintain public respect for the rule of law, it is essential we pass Bill C-20 and establish a robust civilian review system.
Under this new PCRC, enhanced reporting requirements would apply, as would an independent review mechanism for the CBSA. By establishing these mechanisms independent from the enabling statutes of the RCMP and CBSA, we are walking the talk. We are demonstrating the importance of the very independence we seek to enshrine in law, distinct from the organizations in question.
I would like to use my time today to delve into some of the details of this bill.
First, Bill C-20 would add specific new accountability and transparency mechanisms. These would entail codified timelines for the RCMP or CBSA to respond to reports, reviews and recommendations from the PCRC. There would also be timelines for information sharing between the RCMP and the CBSA, as well as the PCRC. For example, the RCMP and the CBSA would have six months to respond to an interim report of the PCRC, and when the PCRC has issued a report after having reviewed specified activities of the RCMP and the CBSA, the latter would have 60 days to respond.
Not only must these bodies report back to the chairperson of the PCRC within these codified timelines, but the bill would also obligate the RCMP commissioner and the CBSA president each to submit an annual report to the Minister of Public Safety. These reports would detail the actions the RCMP and the CBSA have taken within the year to respond to PCRC recommendations.
I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the RCMP for its efforts to improve the timeliness of responses to the CRCC over the past year. The provisions of this bill would ensure this timeliness continues.
Another highly important aspect of Bill C-20 is the provision compelling the PCRC to report on disaggregated race-based data. Canadians have said it loud and clear, and we agree, that eradicating systemic racism in law enforcement is an urgent priority. Collecting, establishing and publishing race-based data on complainants is one of the ways that knowledge gaps around systemic racism would be filled.
In addition, Bill C-20 directs the PCRC to implement public education and information programs to increase knowledge and awareness of the new commission's mandate. With increased public information and engagement through such mechanisms, the bill aims to earn the trust of Black, indigenous and all racialized Canadians. Of course, this all builds on the work done by the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security and its report entitled “Systemic Racism in Policing in Canada”. We are following through on that report's recommendation that the government clarify and strengthen the mandate, independence and efficacy of the CRCC.
What this bill also does, on top of improving RCMP review, is to close a long-standing gap regarding review of the CBSA. Currently, public complaints are handled through internal CBSA processes and there are no independent mechanisms available to review public complaints regarding CBSA employee conduct or service.
Make no mistake; this is a very ambitious and truly important bill. However, as we have had multiple opportunities to introduce such legislation, with both Bill C-98 and Bill C-3 dying on the Order Paper in 2019 and 2020 respectively, we have also seized the chance to continue building out this bill.
This work has been accomplished through extensive consultations with stakeholders, the broader public and governance experts like Mel Cappe, and particularly with the CRCC itself. I must single out the CRCC chairperson, Michelaine Lahaie, for her dedication. Many of her thoughtful and thorough recommendations have shaped this bill into a framework for accountability and transparency, and that is why we are here today.
I began my time today by asserting that Canada's new law enforcement and border services organizations are world class, and I stand by that statement. It is exactly why this legislation is so critical. To remain world class and to uphold Canada's hard-won reputation for equity and fairness on the international stage, we must keep up with our international counterparts.
This bill would do exactly that, aligning our border agency review function with that of countries like the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. Internally, Bill C-20 would also align the new PCRC's review functions with other public safety accountability bodies, such as the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians and the newly created National Security and Intelligence Review Agency.
To sum up, Bill C-20 is much needed and long overdue. Without it, the CRCC does not have all the tools it needs to uphold civilian review of the law enforcement system, and the Canadian public does not have the tools it needs to continue trusting, or indeed rebuild trust in many cases, in the services that the system provides. This bill responds to the urgent priorities that date back years and those that have more recently come to the forefront, such as systemic racism.
I know my hon. colleagues share our concern for both public safety and the right of all Canadians to live free from discrimination, and I urge everyone in the House to join me in supporting the expeditious passage of this legislation.
1047 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
Madam Speaker, resources come in various shapes and forms. There are human resources and financial resources. Indeed, the latter will be available. We will ensure that all the money necessary will be available to build up a new organization of accountability. That is a commitment that I know this government has already made.
On the issue of human resources and making sure there is enough personnel, for example, to fill all the important positions within the CBSA, the RCMP and this new accountability measure, we are going to rely largely on immigration in this country to fill a lot of those positions. Canadians these days are simply not having as many children as the economy requires if we would like it to grow, and this is one of those important areas where we need to rely on immigration for our workforce and the human resource capital that Canada so desperately needs.
151 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
Madam Speaker, as I stated in my speech today, this bill has indeed died on the Order Paper twice now, and we do not want that to ever happen again. This bill has been debated over and over. It was also modified on those two occasions to fit more current studies being done at various committees and to fit things that we review and decide on collectively as priorities.
Why is this important now? It is because time is of the essence on the bill. I do believe, as it has died twice on the Order Paper, that it is important to act expeditiously. I do not suspect there is an election on the horizon, but at the same time, the House has important work to do, and this is one of the opportunities we all have to come together and collectively make some progress happen before the holiday break.
150 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question and his attention to this very important bill.
I do not have the funding details associated with this bill right now. It is not yet entirely clear. I believe that every member in the House understands that this bill is very important. It is not a question of funding or money, it is a question of addressing systemic racism and dealing with the other concerns of our constituents.
77 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/22/22 7:10:34 p.m.
- Watch
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the member for his conscientious concern on this issue and his consistency and advocacy on behalf of his constituent Izabela, whom I have also heard from on Twitter. I would also like to take a moment to thank Izabela for her community advocacy and her concern, particularly for youth and their health in Toronto.
The Cannabis Act is there to protect the health and safety of Canadians while serving as a flexible legislative framework that adapts and responds to the ongoing and emerging needs of Canadians and helps displace the illegal cannabis market. The act also established a national framework to strictly regulate and to restrict youth access to cannabis in Canada, and under the Cannabis Act, federal, provincial and territorial governments share responsibility for overseeing cannabis production, distribution and sale in Canada.
It is the responsibility of the provinces and territories to determine how cannabis is distributed and sold in their jurisdictions. This includes establishing rules concerning how cannabis can be sold, the location of stores, the eligibility conditions for working in cannabis distribution and cannabis retail outlets.
The government shares the concerns regarding illegal cannabis sales, which is why the Cannabis Act contains strict penalties for those who sell illegal cannabis, which includes the sale of cannabis to minors. Individuals convicted of illegally selling or distributing cannabis are subject to sanctions, including those set out in the act, which range from fines to imprisonment for up to 14 years.
Government departments across Canada are working closely together to address illegal cannabis sales. Federal, provincial and territorial governments and law enforcement agencies all work closely together to disrupt the illegal cannabis market and inform Canadians about the health risks of these unregulated products.
Law enforcement plays a critical role in directly supporting the purposes of the act. The act provides law enforcement with the authority to take action against illegal cannabis retail sales and hold those who operate outside the legal framework accountable. We have invested in public education campaigns to educate Canadians about the risks of illegal cannabis and how to recognize the difference between legal and illegal cannabis, including the packaging. The government launched the “Reduce your risk: Choose legal cannabis” campaign in May 2022.
Additionally, in response to reports of the accidental ingestion of illegal edible cannabis products by children, Health Canada has issued two advisories to raise public awareness of the dangers associated with illegal cannabis products. The most recent advisory included images of illegal cannabis products to show Canadians how similar some of the products look to popular name-brand snack foods, and tips for recognizing legally sourced cannabis. We also provided guidance on how to store cannabis securely to prevent access by children and youth.
The government will continue to support its provincial and territorial partners, as well as law enforcement agencies in the fight against the illegal sale of cannabis.
We remain determined to take measures to prevent young people from having access to cannabis, to protect the health and safety of Canadians from untested and unregulated products and to eliminate the illegal cannabis market.
I would like to thank the member for his attention to this important concern and underscore that this is fundamentally a matter of shared jurisdiction across all levels of government, in this case municipally with the Toronto Police Service, provincially with the OPP and provincial licensure of sales licences, and of course federally as I have laid out today in this response.
584 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/22/22 7:15:11 p.m.
- Watch
Madam Speaker, before I continue my rebuttal, of course I am opposed to any illegal advertisement. If the advertisements are indeed illegal, then they are contrary to all of our laws. If they are an illegal product, then advertising an illegal product in an illegal means is clearly an infraction of the law.
At this point, the government's priority continues to be protecting young people from the health risks of cannabis.
That is why, in addition to complying with all the provisions of the act, cannabis licence holders must comply with strict requirements under the cannabis regulations, which include using child resistant packaging and using plain packaging and labelling that is not appealing to youth.
Absolutely, all of the concerns that my colleague has laid out tonight demonstrate a wilful opposition to the laws. In addition, I am happy to continue this conversation at some other time with my colleague. I know we are running short on time this evening. I want to thank him again for his attention to this important matter.
174 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
