About the committee—Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security: Bill C-21 – Firearms (October 4, 2022)

Committee overview and members biographies

Committee members: At a glance

About the committee

SECU was created on April 5, 2006, at the start of the 39th Parliament. The Committee is responsible for one of the largest departmental portfolios, including close to 140 statutes administered by the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and its agencies, including the CBSA.

Committee mandate

SECU reviews the legislation, policies, programs and expenditure plans of government departments and agencies responsible for public safety and national security, policing and law enforcement, corrections and conditional release of federal offenders, emergency management, crime prevention and the protection of Canada's borders.

The Standing Orders of the House of Commons provide that the committee may review and report on:

• Legislation proposed by the government or Members of Parliament
• Immediate, medium- and long-term expenditure plans, and the effectiveness of their implementation by the department
• An analysis of the relative success of the relevant department, as measured by the results obtained as compared with its stated objectives
• Other matters relating to the mandate, management, organization, or operation of the department in question, as the Committee deems fit

The committee examines the policies, programs and statutes relating to the following departments and agencies:

• Public Safety Canada (PS)
• Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)
• Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS)
• Correctional Service Canada (CSC)
• Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)
• Parole Board of Canada (PBC)
• Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (CRCC)
• Royal Canadian Mounted Police External Review Committee (ERC)
• Office of the Correctional Investigator (OCI)

CBSA-related committee activity during the 44th Parliament

(November 2021 to present)

CBSA officials appeared twice as part of the committee's study on gun control, illegal arms trafficking and the increase in gun crimes committed by members of street gangs.

• On December 16, 2021, the Minister of Public Safety appeared with Deputy Heads from the CBSA, Public Safety Canada, and the RCMP. The Minister answered questions on whether enforcement agencies are working effectively among themselves and with their local, Indigenous, and American counterparts; the President answered questions on efforts to combat firearm smuggling across the border, notably between ports of entry
• On February 1, 2022 the Vice-Presidents, Intelligence and Enforcement Branch (IEB), and Commercial and Trade Branch, appeared with senior officials from the RCMP, as well as the Presidents of the Customs and Immigration Union and the National Police Federation. The VP, IEB, answered questions on funding, collaboration with law enforcement partners, and the CBSA's mandate for enforcement at, but not between, ports of entry
• On March 1, 2022, the Minister of Public Safety and portfolio senior officials appeared. The Minister answered questions about the buy-back program, notably its associated cost and efficiency. The President of the CBSA answered questions about examination in rail mode
• On April 25, 2022, the Committee presented to the House of Commons its report titled Report 3 - A Path Forward: Reducing Gun and Gang Violence in Canada

CBSA officials appeared as part of the committee's study on the occupation of Ottawa and the federal government's response to convoy blockades at Canada's borders.

On February 25, 2022, the Minister of Public Safety appeared for an hour with Deputy Heads from the CBSA, Public Safety Canada, and the RCMP. Afterwards, the Vice-Presidents, Intelligence and Enforcement Branch and Travellers Branch appeared for an hour with officials from Finance, Justice, Public Safety, FINTRAC, and the RCMP.

CBSA officials appears as part of the committee's study on the Assessment of Canada's Security Posture in Relation to Russia.

On June 9, 2022, the Minister of Public Safety appeared for an hour with Deputy Heads from the CBSA, Public Safety Canada, the RCMP and CSIS.

Current studies

• Assessment of Canada's Security Posture in Relation to Russia
• Allegations of Political Interference in the 2020 Nova Scotia Mass Murder Investigation

Committee members

Ron McKinnon (Chair)

Political affiliation: Liberal Party of Canada
Constituency: Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam, British Columbia

Profession/Occupation: Computer Systems Analyst

Political experience:

• First elected in 2015 and re-elected in 2019 and 2021
• Former Chair of the Standing Committee on Heath (January 2020 to August 2021)

Raquel Dancho (First Vice-Chair)

Political affiliation: Conservative Party of Canada
Constituency: Kildonan—St. Paul, Manitoba
Shadow Minister for Public Safety (since November 2021)

Profession/Occupation: Political staffer, Politician

Political experience:

• First elected in 2019 and re-elected in 2021
• Former Shadow Minister for:
  • Diversity, Inclusion and Youth (November 2019 to September 2020)
  • Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (September 2020 to February 2021)
  • Future Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion (February 2021 to November 2021)

Kristina Michaud (Second Vice-Chair)

Political affiliation: Bloc Québécois
Constituency: Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, Quebec
Critic for Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Climate Change, Youth (since 2019)

• Profession/Occupation: Political staffer
• Riding includes Port of Matane (marine, commercial)

Political experience:

• First elected in 2019 and re-elected in 2021
• Long-time member (February 2020 to present) and Vice Chair of SECU (October 2020 to present)

Paul Chiang

Political affiliation: Liberal Party of Canada
Constituency: Markham—Unionville, Ontario
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion (Diversity and Inclusion) (since November 2021)

Profession/Occupation: Retired police officer (GTA)
Political experience: First elected in 2021

Pam Damoff

Political affiliation: Liberal Party of Canada
Constituency: Oakville North—Burlington, Ontario
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety (since November 2021)

Profession/Occupation: Investment banker, consultant

Political experience:

• First elected in 2015 and re-elected in 2019 and 2021
• Former Parliamentary Secretary to the:
  • Minister of Health (February 2019 to September 2019)
  • Minister of Indigenous Services (December 2019 to August 2021)
• Long-time Member of SECU (January 2016 to present)

Dane Lloyd

Political affiliation: Conservative Party of Canada
Constituency: Sturgeon River—Parkland, Alberta
Shadow Minister for Emergency Preparedness (since November 2021)

• Profession/Occupation: Politician
• Riding includes Villeneuve Airport (airport of entry)
  "service suspended until further notice"

Political experience:

• First elected in 2017 and re-elected in 2019 and 2021
• Former Shadow Minister for:
  • Digital Government (September 2020 to February 2021)
  • Rural Economic Development (February 2021 to November 2021)

Alistair MacGregor

Political affiliation: New Democratic Party of Canada
Constituency: Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, British Columbia
Critic for Public Safety (since November 2021), Agriculture and Food (since 2018); Deputy Critic for Justice (since 2017)

• Profession/Occupation: Political staffer
• Riding is on Canada-U.S. marine border
• Riding includes Duncan Airport (airport of entry) "service suspended until further notice" and several marine, commercial points of service

Political experience:

• First elected in 2015 and re-elected in 2019 and 2021
• Former critic for:
  • Seniors (November 2015 to February 2017)
  • Heritage (Deputy) (November 2015 to December 2019)

The Honourable Jim Carr

Political affiliation: Liberal Party of Canada
Constituency: Winnipeg South Centre, Manitoba

Profession/Occupation: MPP, businessman

Political experience:

• First elected in 2015 and re-elected in 2019 and 2021
• Former Minister of:
  • Natural Resources (November 2015 to July 2018)
  • International Trade Diversification (July 2018 to November 2019)
  • Special Representative for the Prairies (January 2021 to October 2021)

Taleeb Noormohamed

Political affiliation: Liberal Party of Canada
Constituency: Vancouver Granville, British Columbia

Profession/Occupation: Former public servant with PS and PCO, member of the Board of directors for the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA), technology executive

Political experience: Defeated in 2011 and 2019, first elected in 2021

Doug Shipley

Political affiliation: Conservative Party of Canada
Constituency: Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte, Ontario

Profession/Occupation: Politician, Small business owner

Political experience:

• First elected in 2019 and re-elected in 2021
• Former Member of SECU (February 2020 to August 2021)

Potential key interests: Barrie opioid crisis

Tako Van Popta

Political affiliation: Conservative Party of Canada
Constituency: Langley—Aldergrove, Alberta

• Profession/Occupation: Lawyer
• Riding includes one of the four British Columbia Lower Mainland ports of entry

Political experience:

• First elected in 2019 and re-elected in 2021
• Long-time Member of SECU (October 2020 to present)

Peter Schiefke

Political affiliation: Liberal Party of Canada
Constituency: Vaudreuil—Soulanges, Quebec

Profession/Occupation: Worked in sustainable development to both domestic and international causes

Political experience:

• First elected in 2015 and re-elected in 2019 and 2021
• Former Parliamentary Secretary to the:
  • Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (March 2021 to August 2021)
  • Minister of Environment and Climate Change (December 2019 to March 2021)
  • Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction (August 2018 to September 2019)
  • Prime Minister (Youth) (December 2015 to September 2019)