Hon. Marco E. L. Mendicino, P.C., M.P., Minister of Public Safety: First of all, I want to say that I share your concerns. Yes, it is very difficult time for the policing community. I attended the funerals of all those who lost their lives in the line of duty.

I am really touched by their sacrifice; it is what motivates both me and the government. In my opinion, the only way we can reduce gun violence is with a comprehensive plan that includes three pillars. The first consists in strong borders, and we have already invested $450 million in that. The second is a prevention strategy, and we are investing $250 million to build community services in order to address social determinants. And finally, the third consists in strong laws, like Bill C-21, that will facilitate the implementation of a national ban on assault weapons.

I hope you, and all the senators, will take advantage of the technical briefing on this subject tomorrow.

[English]

Hon. Marco E. L. Mendicino, P.C., M.P., Minister of Public Safety: Thank you for the question, senator. It has to be as quickly as possible, but it has to be in the right way. That is the enduring lesson of reconciliation. I assure you that we have been working around the clock with Indigenous leaders, including Regional Chief Teegee and Regional Chief Picard, both of whom sit on the joint task force for Indigenous policing with the Assembly of First Nations, or AFN, but equally with rights holders and title holders directly in their communities, to ensure that we are building this legislation in a manner that is consistent with the principles of co-development.

In the meantime, we have allocated a historic level of funding under the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program, which we are rolling out at an accelerated rate — $860 million. This is resulting in concrete progress, like the announcements we have made with Siksika Nation, with James Smith Cree Nation and in Nunavut, as well as the work we are doing in the Mohawk territory, including in Akwesasne, where just last week we made another global announcement of $12.1 million in partnership with Chief Abram Benedict. That is the proof that we are making progress, but we still have work to do on the legislation; we are committed to doing it.

[Translation]