Speech (House debate)

{
    "time": "2024-06-10 20:25:00",
    "attribution": {
        "en": "Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich\u2014Gulf Islands, GP)",
        "fr": "Mme Elizabeth May (Saanich\u2014Gulf Islands, PV)"
    },
    "content": {
        "en": "<p data-HoCid=\"8477029\" data-originallang=\"en\">Mr. Speaker, debate is moving at a rapid clip, and I am grateful for the opportunity to speak to Bill <a data-HoCid=\"11792856\" href=\"/bills/44-1/C-20/\" title=\"An Act establishing the Public Complaints and Review Commission and amending certain Acts and statutory instruments\">C-20</a>. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8477030\" data-originallang=\"en\">I will pick up on the point of the hon. member for <a data-HoCid=\"278709\" href=\"/politicians/peter-julian/\" title=\"Peter Julian\">New Westminster\u2014Burnaby</a> that, my goodness, this bill has been in front of us for a long time. First reading was more than two years ago. The bill is long overdue. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8477031\" data-originallang=\"en\">I will also put on the record early that I will vote for this bill. I am very pleased to see it head toward the Senate.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8477032\" data-originallang=\"fr\">I do have some comments, though, because I still have some concerns about the RCMP and the Canada Border Services Agency.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8477033\" data-originallang=\"en\"> We have had a public complaints commission for the RCMP for some time. I think it is fairly shocking that it is only now that we will have a public complaints commission of any kind for the Border Services Agency. The number of complaints about systemic racism within CBSA is legend. It is certainly distressing and disturbing, and no one has had any place to take those complaints until and unless Bill <a data-HoCid=\"11792856\" href=\"/bills/44-1/C-20/\" title=\"An Act establishing the Public Complaints and Review Commission and amending certain Acts and statutory instruments\">C-20</a> gets through this place.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8477034\" data-originallang=\"en\">There is no question, as other members have mentioned, that the bill was much improved in committee. There were amendments that improved the bill on many scores for the RCMP public complaints commission, which is steadily being improved. I will never forget that when I was first elected to this place, the RCMP public complaints commission did not have the right to subpoena witnesses. Things have improved. CBSA needs to have this available for people who are dealt with roughly by CBSA.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8477035\" data-originallang=\"en\">At some point in the future, certainly not tonight and certainly not before we pass Bill <a data-HoCid=\"11792856\" href=\"/bills/44-1/C-20/\" title=\"An Act establishing the Public Complaints and Review Commission and amending certain Acts and statutory instruments\">C-20</a>, it would be very useful to reflect on the recommendations of the Mass Casualty Commission in relation to the single biggest mass shooting in Canadian history, as the Speaker will certainly recall as a member from Nova Scotia. The shootings in Portapique remain with me and sit with me, and I do not think we have done enough as a House of Commons to deal with the report of the Mass Casualty Commission.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8477036\" data-originallang=\"en\">I certainly hope the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security will pick up on unfinished business relating to what happened in the circumstances there. The Mass Casualty Commission made broad and sweeping recommendations for reforming the RCMP, and as far as I can see, in response to alarm bells, the RCMP has hit the snooze button. I really hope that we will return to that at some point in future.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8477037\" data-originallang=\"en\">Certainly, the Canada Border Services Agency needs to make improvements. When I spoke to the bill at second reading, I shared an extraordinary story in which I was involved, as a member of Parliament. There was a man from outside my riding. He was indigenous. CBSA, without any warning, showed up at his door right before Christmas, arrested him and put him in leg irons. They took him away from his indigenous wife, a survivor of residential schools, threw him in the back of the van and told him he was being deported to the United States, which is where he was born, without any regard to his rights as an indigenous person under the Jay Treaty and with no previous attempt to connect with him. He had been living in Canada for decades. He had been married for decades. He was a member of the Penelakut first nation, a grandfather and a pillar of the community, and, but for the grace of God, he would have been deported.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8477038\" data-originallang=\"en\">I cannot tell members how much it stuck with me, the notion that CBSA officers were, at least at that time, some many years ago, probably around 2013, if memory serves, being encouraged to find people whose papers might be a bit irregular and get them out of Canada. I think they also had a TV show to follow them, so they could have real-life examples of what it was like to arrest someone who did not belong in Canada.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8477039\" data-originallang=\"en\">I thank God for a minister at the time, who is no longer in this place, Chris Alexander, who was the minister of immigration. I managed to convince him to regularize the status of this wonderful man, who has since passed away. Also, I have to say there was work that was done quickly to get him released from what was then a holding cell under the Vancouver airport. It has since been relocated to a more proper facility.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8477040\" data-originallang=\"en\">We are making improvements. The proposed bill would be one. I want to see it pass and will certainly be voting for it. I know we are expediting things this evening, but I do not think it is proper to skip over. We have more work to do to ensure that we root out systemic problems of racism at CBSA and in the RCMP and, when the complaints commission is up and running, as it has been for the RCMP, but with renewed vigour thanks to Bill <a data-HoCid=\"11792856\" href=\"/bills/44-1/C-20/\" title=\"An Act establishing the Public Complaints and Review Commission and amending certain Acts and statutory instruments\">C-20</a>, and for the first time for the Canada Border Services Agency, that we as parliamentarians stay on top of this.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8477041\" data-originallang=\"en\">The bill is going to the other place. This is another concern: If there are amendments there, as we know, it will come back to us. We should keep our eye on the ball to make sure that Canadians, or for that matter, those who are crossing our border and are not Canadian, receive the protections of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, as they should from any federal agency.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8477042\" data-originallang=\"en\">I thank my colleagues for the opportunity to share some thoughts and to encourage us all to pass this, but not to see this as the end of the story in ensuring that all federal agencies respect each human being with whom they deal, regardless of prejudices that exist within both of those services against racialized people and against indigenous people.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8477043\" data-originallang=\"en\">Our work here is not done, but for tonight, let us hope Bill <a data-HoCid=\"11792856\" href=\"/bills/44-1/C-20/\" title=\"An Act establishing the Public Complaints and Review Commission and amending certain Acts and statutory instruments\">C-20</a> passes expeditiously.</p>",
        "fr": "<p data-HoCid=\"8477029\" data-originallang=\"en\">Monsieur le Pr\u00e9sident, le d\u00e9bat avance rapidement, et je suis heureuse de pouvoir prendre la parole au sujet du projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"11792856\" href=\"/bills/44-1/C-20/\" title=\"An Act establishing the Public Complaints and Review Commission and amending certain Acts and statutory instruments\">C\u201120</a>.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8477030\" data-originallang=\"en\">Je vais revenir sur le point soulev\u00e9 par le d\u00e9put\u00e9 de <a data-HoCid=\"278709\" href=\"/politicians/peter-julian/\" title=\"Peter Julian\">New Westminster\u2014Burnaby</a>, qui a dit que nous sommes saisis de ce projet de loi depuis longtemps. La premi\u00e8re lecture remonte \u00e0 il y a plus de deux ans. Ce projet de loi se fait attendre depuis trop longtemps.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8477031\" data-originallang=\"en\">Je tiens \u00e0 dire d'embl\u00e9e que je voterai en faveur de ce projet de loi. Je suis tr\u00e8s heureuse qu'il soit renvoy\u00e9 au S\u00e9nat.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8477032\" data-originallang=\"fr\">J\u2019ai cependant quelques commentaires \u00e0 faire, car j\u2019ai encore des inqui\u00e9tudes en ce qui concerne la GRC et l\u2019Agence des services frontaliers du Canada.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8477033\" data-originallang=\"en\">Cela fait un certain temps qu'il existe une commission des plaintes du public contre la GRC. Je trouve assez choquant que nous nous appr\u00eations seulement maintenant \u00e0 avoir une quelconque commission des plaintes du public contre l'Agence des services frontaliers du Canada. Le nombre de plaintes de racisme syst\u00e9mique au sein de l'Agence est l\u00e9gendaire. C'est certainement p\u00e9nible et troublant, et personne n'a d'endroit o\u00f9 porter plainte tant que le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"11792856\" href=\"/bills/44-1/C-20/\" title=\"An Act establishing the Public Complaints and Review Commission and amending certain Acts and statutory instruments\">C\u201120</a> ne sera pas adopt\u00e9 \u00e0 la Chambre.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8477034\" data-originallang=\"en\">Comme d'autres d\u00e9put\u00e9s l'ont mentionn\u00e9, il ne fait aucun doute que le projet de loi a \u00e9t\u00e9 grandement am\u00e9lior\u00e9 au comit\u00e9. Il y a eu des amendements qui ont am\u00e9lior\u00e9 le projet de loi \u00e0 bien des \u00e9gards pour la commission des plaintes du public contre la GRC, et les am\u00e9liorations se poursuivent. Je n'oublierai jamais que, lorsque j'ai \u00e9t\u00e9 \u00e9lue pour la premi\u00e8re fois \u00e0 la Chambre, la commission des plaintes du public contre la GRC n'avait pas le droit d'assigner des t\u00e9moins \u00e0 compara\u00eetre. Les choses se sont am\u00e9lior\u00e9es. Il faut conf\u00e9rer ce pouvoir \u00e0 l'Agence des services frontaliers du Canada pour qu'elle puisse traiter les plaintes des gens \u00e0 qui elle a caus\u00e9 pr\u00e9judice.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8477035\" data-originallang=\"en\">\u00c0 un moment donn\u00e9 \u2014 certainement pas ce soir et certainement pas avant l'adoption du projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"11792856\" href=\"/bills/44-1/C-20/\" title=\"An Act establishing the Public Complaints and Review Commission and amending certain Acts and statutory instruments\">C\u201120 </a> \u2014, il serait tr\u00e8s utile de r\u00e9fl\u00e9chir aux recommandations de la Commission des pertes massives relativement \u00e0 la pire tuerie de l'histoire du Canada, dont le Pr\u00e9sident se souvient certainement en tant que d\u00e9put\u00e9 de la Nouvelle\u2011\u00c9cosse. Ces meurtres de Portapique sont grav\u00e9s dans ma m\u00e9moire, et je ne pense pas que la Chambre des communes en ait fait assez pour donner suite au rapport de la Commission des pertes massives.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8477036\" data-originallang=\"en\">J'esp\u00e8re sinc\u00e8rement que le Comit\u00e9 permanent de la s\u00e9curit\u00e9 publique et nationale se penchera sur les questions en suspens li\u00e9es \u00e0 ce qui s'est pass\u00e9 l\u00e0-bas. La Commission des pertes massives a formul\u00e9 des recommandations radicales sur la r\u00e9forme de la GRC, et, pour autant que je sache, en r\u00e9ponse aux signaux d'alarme, la GRC a ferm\u00e9 les yeux. J'esp\u00e8re vraiment que nous y reviendrons \u00e0 un moment donn\u00e9.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8477037\" data-originallang=\"en\">Chose certaine, l'Agence des services frontaliers du Canada doit apporter des am\u00e9liorations. Lorsque j'ai parl\u00e9 du projet de loi \u00e0 l'\u00e9tape de la deuxi\u00e8me lecture, j'ai racont\u00e9 une histoire extraordinaire dans laquelle je me suis impliqu\u00e9e en tant que d\u00e9put\u00e9e. C'est celle d'un Autochtone qui vivait \u00e0 l'ext\u00e9rieur de ma circonscription. Sans avertissement, des membres de l'Agence des services frontaliers du Canada se sont pr\u00e9sent\u00e9s chez lui juste avant No\u00ebl, ils l'ont arr\u00eat\u00e9 et ils lui ont mis les fers aux pieds. Ils l'ont s\u00e9par\u00e9 de son \u00e9pouse, une survivante des pensionnats autochtones, ils l'ont mis dans un fourgon et ils lui ont dit qu'il allait \u00eatre expuls\u00e9 vers les \u00c9tats\u2011Unis, o\u00f9 il \u00e9tait n\u00e9, sans \u00e9gard \u00e0 ses droits en tant qu'Autochtone en vertu du Trait\u00e9 de Jay et sans avoir tent\u00e9 de communiquer avec lui auparavant. Il vivait au Canada depuis des dizaines d'ann\u00e9es. Il \u00e9tait mari\u00e9 depuis des dizaines d'ann\u00e9es. Ce membre de la Premi\u00e8re Nation de Penelakut \u00e9tait un grand-p\u00e8re et un pilier de sa communaut\u00e9, mais, n'e\u00fbt \u00e9t\u00e9 la bont\u00e9 de Dieu, il aurait \u00e9t\u00e9 expuls\u00e9 du pays.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8477038\" data-originallang=\"en\">Je ne peux exprimer \u00e0 quel point cela m'a marqu\u00e9e, cette notion que l'on encourage, du moins que l'on encourageait il y a quelques ann\u00e9es \u2014 c'\u00e9tait en 2013 si je ne m'abuse \u2014 les agents de l'Agence des services frontaliers du Canada \u00e0 trouver les personnes dont les documents \u00e9taient peut-\u00eatre un peu irr\u00e9guliers et \u00e0 les expulser du Canada. Je crois m\u00eame qu'une \u00e9mission de t\u00e9l\u00e9vision les suivait, pour montrer \u00e0 quoi ressemble, dans la vraie vie, l'arrestation d'une personne qui n'a pas sa place au Canada.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8477039\" data-originallang=\"en\">Je remercie le Seigneur que le ministre de l'Immigration de l'\u00e9poque, Chris Alexander, soit intervenu. J'ai r\u00e9ussi \u00e0 le convaincre de r\u00e9gulariser le statut de cet homme merveilleux, qui est maintenant d\u00e9c\u00e9d\u00e9. Je dois \u00e9galement souligner qu'on est intervenu rapidement pour le lib\u00e9rer de la cellule de d\u00e9tention provisoire, qui \u00e0 l'\u00e9poque \u00e9tait situ\u00e9e au sous-sol de l'a\u00e9roport de Vancouver. Aujourd'hui, ces cellules se trouvent dans une installation plus appropri\u00e9e.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8477040\" data-originallang=\"en\">Nous apportons des am\u00e9liorations. La mesure l\u00e9gislative propos\u00e9e en serait une. Je veux qu'elle soit adopt\u00e9e, et je voterai certainement en sa faveur. Je sais que nous acc\u00e9l\u00e9rons les choses ce soir, mais je pense qu'il conviendrait de ne rien n\u00e9gliger. Nous avons encore du travail \u00e0 faire pour \u00e9radiquer les probl\u00e8mes syst\u00e9miques de racisme \u00e0 l'Agence des services frontaliers du Canada et \u00e0 la GRC. De surcro\u00eet, en tant que parlementaires, nous devrons demeurer vigilants lorsqu'on mettra sur pied la nouvelle commission des plaintes, qui sera une version plus vigoureuse \u2014 gr\u00e2ce au projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"11792856\" href=\"/bills/44-1/C-20/\" title=\"An Act establishing the Public Complaints and Review Commission and amending certain Acts and statutory instruments\">C\u201120</a> \u2014 de l'actuelle commission de plaintes de la GRC, mais qui s'appliquera aussi \u00e0 l'Agence des services frontaliers du Canada.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8477041\" data-originallang=\"en\">Le projet de loi sera renvoy\u00e9 \u00e0 l'autre endroit. Il y a une autre pr\u00e9occupation: si des amendements sont propos\u00e9s l\u00e0-bas, comme nous le savons, le projet de loi nous sera renvoy\u00e9. Nous devons veiller \u00e0 ce que les Canadiens ou m\u00eame les non-Canadiens qui traversent notre fronti\u00e8re b\u00e9n\u00e9ficient de la protection de la Charte des droits et libert\u00e9s, comme ils le devraient de la part de tout organisme f\u00e9d\u00e9ral.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8477042\" data-originallang=\"en\">Je remercie mes coll\u00e8gues de m'avoir donn\u00e9 l'occasion de leur faire part de quelques r\u00e9flexions et d'encourager tout le monde ici \u00e0 adopter ce projet de loi. Apr\u00e8s son adoption, il faudra continuer de s'assurer que tous les organismes f\u00e9d\u00e9raux respectent chaque \u00eatre humain avec lequel ils traitent, malgr\u00e9 les pr\u00e9jug\u00e9s qui existent dans ces deux services \u00e0 l'encontre des personnes racis\u00e9es et des Autochtones.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8477043\" data-originallang=\"en\">Notre travail ici n'est pas termin\u00e9, mais pour ce soir, esp\u00e9rons que le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"11792856\" href=\"/bills/44-1/C-20/\" title=\"An Act establishing the Public Complaints and Review Commission and amending certain Acts and statutory instruments\">C\u201120</a> sera adopt\u00e9 rapidement.</p>"
    },
    "url": "/debates/2024/6/10/elizabeth-may-5/",
    "politician_url": "/politicians/elizabeth-may/",
    "politician_membership_url": "/politicians/memberships/4108/",
    "procedural": false,
    "source_id": "12812901",
    "h1": {
        "en": "Government Orders",
        "fr": "Ordres \u00e9manant du gouvernement"
    },
    "h2": {
        "en": "The Public Complaints and Review Commission Act",
        "fr": "Loi sur la Commission d'examen et de traitement des plaintes du public"
    },
    "document_url": "/debates/2024/6/10/",
    "related": {
        "document_speeches_url": "/speeches/?document=%2Fdebates%2F2024%2F6%2F10%2F"
    }
}