QUESTION PERIOD — Public Safety
Mandate Letter
June 20, 2023
Honourable senators, my question is for the government leader. Much has been said about your government’s Minister of Public Safety, Mr. Mendicino, in recent years, and I’m sure you’ll agree that he has made a remarkable number of missteps.
I’ve read his mandate letter, and one of his main objectives is to “continue to work to keep our cities and communities safe from gun violence.” The Journal de Montréal has reported that the results for the city of Montreal alone as of March 2023 were as follows:
. . . in just over four weeks, more than 20 gun crimes had been recorded, in other words half the total for this year so far.
The following is another objective in the minister’s mandate letter:
Engage with provinces, territories and municipalities that contract RCMP services to better connect the RCMP . . . .
What happened? There was a crisis in Ottawa and the Emergencies Act was invoked. The RCMP contradicted the minister, and coordination between police forces was a disaster.
Another objective set out in his mandate letter reads as follows: “Contribute to broader efforts to promote economic security and combat foreign interference.” What happened? The Chinese interference crisis is one of the worst crises this government has ever faced, and the government’s in complete disarray.
Leader, can you confirm whether Minister Mendicino received his mandate letter?
Yes, the minister received and read his mandate letter. He introduced an important bill, Bill C-21, which has the support of several opposition parties, but unfortunately not that of the official opposition. The bill also has the support of communities affected by gun violence. I look forward to the speeches at second reading in this chamber.
As for the other aspects of your question, I’ve responded to them several times. Yes, he received and read his mandate letter, and the government is confident in Mr. Mendicino’s work.
If he read his mandate letter, can you confirm whether the Prime Minister plans to meet with Minister Mendicino between two days of surfing to dismiss him?
As I said, I’ve been informed that the government has confidence in Minister Mendicino and the work that he does for us.
