THE STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL SECURITY, DEFENCE AND VETERANS AFFAIRS

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

OTTAWA, Monday, October 30, 2023
(38)

[English]

The Standing Senate Committee on National Security, Defence and Veterans Affairs met this day at 3 p.m., in room C128, Senate of Canada Building, the chair, the Honourable Tony Dean, presiding.

Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Anderson, Boehm, Boisvenu, Cardozo, Dagenais, Dasko, Deacon (Ontario), Dean, Kutcher, Miville-Dechêne, Oh, Pate, Plett and Yussuff (14).

Other senators present: The Honourable Senator Carignan, P.C. (1).

Participating in the meeting: Martine Willox, Legislative Clerk, Committees Directorate; Ariel Shapiro, Analyst, Library of Parliament; Ben Silverman, Communications Officer, Communications, Broadcasting and Publications Directorate.

Pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on Wednesday, June 21, 2023, the committee continued its consideration of Bill C-21, An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms).

WITNESSES:

Canadian Paediatric Society:

Dr. Natasha Saunders, Physician, Hospital for Sick Children.

Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians:

Dr. Alan Drummond, Chair Emeritus, Public Affairs Committee (by videoconference).

Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns:

Dr. Najma Ahmed, Professor of Surgery, Trauma and Emergency Surgery, University of Toronto (by videoconference).

The One By One Movement:

Marcell Wilson, Founder and President (by videoconference).

Danforth Families for Safe Communities:

Ken Price, Spokesperson;

Samantha Price, Survivor and Spokesperson.

Coalition for Gun Control:

Wendy Cukier, President and Professor, Toronto Metropolitan University.

NOT HERE:

Flora Dommanget, Spokesperson.

Families of Dawson:

Meaghan Hennegan, Spokesperson (by videoconference).

As individuals:

Pamela Palmater, Chair, Indigenous Governance, Toronto Metropolitan University;

Emma Cunliffe, Former Director, Research and Policy, Mass Casualty Commission and Professor, Allard School of Law, University of British Columbia (by videoconference);

A. J. Somerset, Author and subject matter Expert;

Francis Langlois, Researcher, Observatory of the United States, Raoul-Dandurand Chair, Université du Québec à Montréal (by videoconference).

Pamela Palmater, Emma Cunliffe and A. J. Somerset each made a statement and answered questions.

At 3:21 p.m., the committee suspended.

At 3:22 p.m., the committee resumed.

At 3:55 p.m., the committee suspended.

At 3:56 p.m., the Honourable Senator Deacon (Ontario) replaced the Honourable Senator Miville-Dechêne as a member of the committee.

At 3:56 p.m., the Honourable Senator Kutcher replaced the Honourable Senator Pate as a member of the committee.

At 3:58 p.m., the committee resumed.

Natasha Saunders, Alan Drummond and Najma Ahmed each made a statement and answered questions.

At 4:55 p.m., the committee suspended.

At 5:04 p.m., the committee resumed.

Marcell Wilson and Francis Langlois each made a statement and answered questions.

At 6 p.m., the committee suspended.

At 6:07 p.m., the committee resumed.

Samantha Price, Ken Price and Wendy Cukier each made a statement and answered questions.

At 7 p.m., the committee suspended.

At 7:06 p.m., the committee resumed.

Flora Dommanget and Meaghan Hennegan each made a statement and answered questions.

At 7:48 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.

ATTEST:

Ericka Dupont

Clerk of the Committee