Senator Carignan: If he read his mandate letter, can you confirm whether the Prime Minister plans to meet with Minister Mendicino between two days of surfing to dismiss him?

Hon. Claude Carignan: Honourable senators, my question is for the government leader. Much has been said about your government’s Minister of Public Safety, Mr. Mendicino, in recent years, and I’m sure you’ll agree that he has made a remarkable number of missteps.

I’ve read his mandate letter, and one of his main objectives is to “continue to work to keep our cities and communities safe from gun violence.” The Journal de Montréal has reported that the results for the city of Montreal alone as of March 2023 were as follows:

 . . . in just over four weeks, more than 20 gun crimes had been recorded, in other words half the total for this year so far.

The following is another objective in the minister’s mandate letter:

Engage with provinces, territories and municipalities that contract RCMP services to better connect the RCMP . . . .

What happened? There was a crisis in Ottawa and the Emergencies Act was invoked. The RCMP contradicted the minister, and coordination between police forces was a disaster.

Another objective set out in his mandate letter reads as follows: “Contribute to broader efforts to promote economic security and combat foreign interference.” What happened? The Chinese interference crisis is one of the worst crises this government has ever faced, and the government’s in complete disarray.

Leader, can you confirm whether Minister Mendicino received his mandate letter?