THE STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RIGHTS

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

OTTAWA, Monday, November 14, 2022
(25)

[English]

The Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights met this day at 5:04 p.m., in room B45, Senate of Canada Building, the chair, the Honourable Salma Ataullahjan, presiding.

Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Arnot, Ataullahjan, Gerba, Housakos and Omidvar (5).

Participating in the meeting: Barbara Reynolds, Procedural Clerk, Committees Directorate; Robert Mason and Brendan Naef, analysts, Library of Parliament.

Pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on Thursday, March 3, 2022, the committee continued its study of such issues as may arise from time to time relating to human rights generally. (Topic: Islamophobia in Canada)

WITNESSES:

Royal Canadian Mounted Police:

Mark Flynn, Assistant Commissioner, Federal Policing, National Security and Protective Policing (by videoconference);

Nadine Huggins, Chief Human Resources Officer (by videoconference).

Public Safety Canada:

Chad Westmacott, Director General, Community Safety, Corrections and Criminal Justice (by videoconference).

As individuals:

Monia Mazigh, Author, Human Rights Activist and Adjunct Research Professor, Department of English Language and Literature, Carleton University.

Samira Laouni, President-Director of C.O.R. (Communication — Ouverture — Rapprochement) and President and Co-Founder, Muslim Awareness Week.

Monia Mazigh and Samira Laouni each made a statement and answered questions.

At 6:16 p.m., the committee suspended.

At 6:22 p.m., the committee resumed.

Mark Flynn, Nadine Huggins and Chad Westmacott each made a statement and answered questions.

At 7:14 p.m., the committee suspended.

At 7:16 p.m., pursuant to rule 12-16(1)(d), the committee resumed in camera to discuss a draft agenda (future business).

It was agreed that the committee allow the transcription of the in-camera portion of today’s meeting, that one copy be kept with the clerk of the committee for consultation by committee members or by the committee analyst, and that the transcript be destroyed by the clerk when authorized to do so by the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure but no later than the end of this parliamentary session.

At 7:30 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.

ATTEST:

Sébastien Payet

Clerk of the Committee