Parliamentary Committee Notes: Overview Note

You have been invited to appear at SECU for the Committee’s study on Supplementary Estimates (B) for the fiscal year 2024-25, subsequent to the adoption of the following motion:

The tabling of the Supplementary Estimates (B) for the fiscal year 2024-25, the committee invite the Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions, and Intergovernmental Affairs to testify on the Supplementary Estimates (B) by no later than the end of the current supply period.

You will be appearing with:

Public Safety Canada

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Canadian Security and Intelligence Service

Canada Border Services Agency

Correction Service of Canada

Parole Board of Canada

General Information

Date:               Tuesday, December 3, 2024

Time:               12:00. to 1:00 p.m.

Location:         Room 425, Wellington Building

NOTE:  Officials will appear from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and remain when you arrive.

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

Summary of the Parliamentary Environment

Topics of greatest interest during the fall have included borders, foreign interference by India (particularly intimidation of diaspora communities), as well as addressing hate crimes and other violent crimes. We expect these topics will be particular areas of interest to SECU members during this appearance.

During the fall session, Public Safety and its portfolio agencies have been the focus of many interventions in Parliament, including during Question Period, Motions for committee studies (in SECU and in other committees), as well as Petitions and Order Paper Questions. Petitions have included topics related to firearms, violent crime, as well as foreign interference. Order Paper Questions have similarly focused on borders, crime, firearms, as well as government expenditures related to operations.

Recent questions in Question Period involving the portfolio have included questions related to addressing auto thefts, human trafficking, violent crime, borders, and foreign interference. The BQ has been very active in seeking clarity on the government’s measures to secure Canada’s border in anticipation of potential increases in individuals seeking entry into Canada. The CPC have been focusing its interventions on matters related to crime, including rates of crimes, treatment of offenders, with some interventions related to management of the border. The NDP has not recently focus its attention on the Public Safety portfolio, with only a few interventions mainly related to foreign interference by India.

On Tuesday, November 26, 2024, the NDP initiated an Emergency Debate on the proposed U.S. tariffs on Canadian products. During this debate, all parties expressed a need to have strategies in place to protect Canadian workers and Canadian products most vulnerable to tariffs. While border security was discussed, the debate focused primarily on the potential impacts on Canadian industrial sectors.

Throughout the fall, we have observed an increase in Motions for new studies and appearances. In addition to studies already underway, Motions have been introduced in response to current events, including the following:

The sequencing of the studies in the forward work plan for these committees remains unclear, with many studies underway being overtaken by events. It is expected that this trend of introducing new Motions in committees will continue throughout the remainder of the fall sitting.

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