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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 264

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
December 7, 2023 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 264 - Dec/7/23
Mr. Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe (Lac-Saint-Jean, BQ)
  • Dec/7/23 2:39:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I hope that the member for Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier is not planning a vacation on the Islands next summer. Despite the human trafficking rings that are active at the Canadian border, the criminal networks that are run by Mexican cartels and the thieves who exploit vulnerable people to smuggle them across Canada's porous borders, the RCMP plans to reduce its border staff, as reported by CBC/Radio-Canada. While the Minister of Public Safety promises to increase the number of officers, the RCMP could possibly be reducing its personnel by up to 25%. It is difficult to imagine a more half-baked decision than that. Will the minister—
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Context: House Hansard - 264 - Dec/7/23
Hon. Dominic LeBlanc (Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs, Lib.)
  • Dec/7/23 2:40:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we obviously share the concerns of all Canadians with respect to the integrity of our borders. My colleague is suggesting that we are going to cut RCMP staff in “C” Division in Quebec to fight organized crime and secure our borders, but that is not quite true. Since the closure of Roxham Road and the changes to the safe third country agreement, the RCMP has reallocated its resources to priorities like organized crime and border security.
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Context: House Hansard - 264 - Dec/7/23
Mr. Luc Berthold (Mégantic—L'Érable, CPC)
  • Dec/7/23 3:07:12 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we have just learned that the RCMP plans to cut staff at the Quebec border even though we know that Mexican cartels are becoming increasingly active, that illegal weapons are flowing freely across the border into the hands of dangerous criminals, and that more and more people are dying of drug overdoses. One RCMP officer noted that criminals are not stupid and they do monitor what is going on, adding that the border is said to be a priority, but that is simply not the reality on the ground. Will the Minister of Public Safety outsmart the criminals and maintain the number of RCMP officers at the border in order to protect Quebeckers and Canadians?
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Context: House Hansard - 264 - Dec/7/23
Hon. Dominic LeBlanc (Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs, Lib.)
  • Dec/7/23 3:07:49 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have obviously had a number of discussions with senior RCMP officials about the importance of strengthening our position at the border. The integrity of our borders is obviously an issue that the government takes very seriously. I have discussed this with my American counterpart, Secretary of Homeland Security Mayorkas. I can assure my colleague that the number of RCMP officers, for example in his province, Quebec, who are dedicated to organized crime and border security will not decrease.
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