44th Parl. 1st Sess.
December 7, 2022 02:00PM
- Dec/7/22 2:26:23 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this Liberal government awarded a contract to a company with ties to China to secure counterespionage technology. The problem is that the owner of that company has been charged in the United States with 21 espionage related crimes.
How can the government hire a company that has been criminally charged with espionage to protect our police forces from espionage?
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- Dec/7/22 2:43:21 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in light of China's political interference in political party financing, the espionage at Hydro-Québec, the Winnipeg laboratory and the secret police stations, we would have thought that the RCMP would have started monitoring Chinese operations in Canada, but no, China has been monitoring RCMP operations.
The company has been charged with 21 espionage offences in the United States and the government did not even conduct a security check. The contract could have been awarded to a company in Boucherville, but no. It was given to China instead of Quebec.
Seriously, are they doing this on purpose?
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- Dec/7/22 6:47:01 p.m.
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Madam Chair, I would like to thank my colleague, the member for Winnipeg Centre, for her passion, her belief, her strength and her heart in speaking out for the families and for justice for indigenous peoples from coast to coast to coast.
I come from Vancouver East, and in my riding, we too have devastating situations of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. We also experienced a situation where there was a serial killer. Of the 33 women who went missing, he was only prosecuted for six of those cases.
Many families do not have closure. To this date, despite the inquiries and calls for justice, the government has not taken action and the police have not actually made the necessary changes to address the systemic racism and discrimination within the system.
To that end, I would ask the member what we need to have the police do to ensure justice is served.
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- Dec/7/22 7:03:17 p.m.
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Uqaqtittiji, I am glad to hear that the member is looking to work with other people on solutions that might work. Families are also calling on the federal, provincial and municipal governments, and the Winnipeg Police Service, to order an independent review, with support and access to information, to make a determination on the likelihood of the success of the investigation.
Does the member support and agree with this call?
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- Dec/7/22 7:25:41 p.m.
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Madam Chair, my question is on the conversation we have been having regarding a number of unlevel playing fields when it comes to indigenous communities. Specifically, what I would like to talk about now is policing.
From testimony and studies in committees, there are indigenous police services operating in their communities, but they do not have the same power as the regular police services we have out there. In some circumstances, there is a crime that takes place that indigenous police services should or could have the ability to handle, but under law they are not able to. Therefore, another jurisdiction is called in, like the RCMP, to make that arrest.
Would it not be better to have a level playing field with indigenous police services whose members often live in those communities? They live on the nation and know the situation probably better than an outside service. They are able to adapt better to the situation and understand the real problems going on with a particular individual in a particular situation.
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- Dec/7/22 7:26:53 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Standing Committee on the Status of Women is examining the impact of resource development and violence against indigenous women and girls. We are looking at how disproportionate the impacts still are in 2022 and the extent to which indigenous women are also the victims of a form of modern slavery, of human trafficking. In this study, there will likely be a recommendation made about the issue of police powers in such cases. We are going to look at that. We have to see what police forces can intervene under what circumstances. We need to look into that because, according to what we heard in committee, it is a major problem. I completely agree with my colleague.
I looked at what is happening with the RCMP because I stood in for my colleague on the Standing Committee on Public Safety, which was examining the impact on indigenous women, how they are treated differently by the RCMP and how they are overrepresented in prisons. That is unacceptable. I was discussing that issue with the friendship centre representative that I was speaking with a few minutes ago. All of that has an impact. Beyond police services, how can we intervene to help these women? There are also a lot of indigenous women who end up on the streets and potentially at the mercy of pimps. They are victims of sexual exploitation.
It is 2022. What happens to them? Once again, police forces will have to work together. To come back to my colleague's question, I will see what the report says, but this issue will certainly need to be studied so we can take the appropriate action to ensure the safety of indigenous women.
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- Dec/7/22 9:35:43 p.m.
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Madam Chair, my colleague mentioned some of the failures of the police and some of the mistrust that exists. I wonder if she can speak to some specific reforms that need to happen within communities to address the policing issue, and the role of the police in this problem as well.
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- Dec/7/22 9:36:02 p.m.
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Madam Chair, there is a report that is about three inches thick that was developed by the missing and murdered indigenous women inquiry and it has numerous calls for justice, including specific reforms around establishing trust with the police. Those are the words of first nations women who spent years putting those recommendations together, and the government has not moved on them.
Similarly, on a local level, particularly in Winnipeg, I know there was a similar report on how the police could reform, and numerous calls specifically dealing with some of the inherent racism, poverty and inequity issues.
The point I am making is there are reports. We all know these requirements. My job here tonight is to tell the government that it is not doing its job, and to do it.
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- Dec/7/22 9:38:15 p.m.
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Madam Chair, of course we should be providing closure for these families. I understand that there will be questions about logistics and this and that, but we have to understand how difficult it is for first nations and indigenous women in this country. Sometimes I think we prioritize our comfort over their discomfort, and that is why we are here.
I know my colleague has spoken about the need for an independent inquiry and assessment in this matter and said that it needs to happen because of that lack of trust in police. I agree with her. I cannot imagine being a member of that family and having the police just lay out a PowerPoint presentation for the family that is going through this, given the history and knowing the lack of trust. Of course.
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