Michel Picard

[Business of Supply, June 13th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for his question.

Unfortunately, I am not a doctor. Therefore, I cannot comment on the medical characteristics of the product.

However, it is exactly those types of concerns that we will examine when we create the task force led by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada. Experts will be able to provide good advice, good comments, and proper analyses concerning the methods and measures to be implemented in the future.

[Business of Supply, June 13th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for his question.

His question is much more significant and a little troubling, as his aim is to try to determine how many Canadians did not obey the law. To my knowledge, there have been no changes to the legislation. Therefore, the law remains in effect, and we intend to enforce it until the law is changed.

[Business of Supply, June 13th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, as I was saying, members must be aware, that in addition to law enforcement representation on the task force, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and the member for Scarborough Southwest, who is a former chief of the Toronto Police Service, will work with the task force to engage Canadians on marijuana-related issues.

Further, as part of the consultative process, Public Safety Canada will be hosting a law enforcement round table on marijuana legalization later this month. This event will focus on key issues related to marijuana legalization and regulation, including priority issues such as organized crime, marijuana sales and distribution, and drug-impaired driving.

It is important for everyone to remember that the law is the law. Canadians should expect the police to continue to enforce the law. This includes laws related to storefronts that sell marijuana.

Under the current law, the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations, only persons licensed by Health Canada can produce, provide, or sell marijuana directly to patients with a prescription from a health practitioner to access marijuana.

Over the past few months, we have heard stories from the provinces and police forces that are dealing with the issue of illegal marijuana dispensaries. I can assure the House that police forces across the country, including the RCMP, have taken and will continue to take measures to enforce the law against these illegal marijuana dispensaries.

In closing, we are making progress. We recognize the motivation behind this motion. However, we intend to keep a pace that follows a consistent time frame, which allows for consultation and the full review of the complex social, legal, and public safety consequences related to legislating, regulating, and limiting access to marijuana.

Moving to decriminalization immediately would not achieve any of these objectives and would betray our commitment to Canadians. They supported this commitment and they expect their government to see it through.

Canadians do not expect the government to act hastily on this very important issue. I invite all hon. members to join me in defeating this motion.

[Canadian Red Cross, June 13th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to highlight the excellent work of Canadian Red Cross employees and volunteers. Established in 1909 by an act of Parliament, it recently made the headlines because of its role following the Fort McMurray forest fires. I would like to take a moment to recognize the work these people do every day in addition to the assistance they provide when disaster strikes.

The Red Cross is a global leader in the delivery of life-saving care, especially to women and children. Here at home, volunteers are supporting people's ability to live independently and safely at home, working with over 200 indigenous communities and carrying out hundreds of agreements with municipal and provincial governments to provide social emergency relief, among many other initiatives.

The Red Cross exemplifies humanitarian values such as solidarity, volunteerism, and mutual assistance. For that reason I invite everyone to give generously.

[Business of Supply, June 13th, 2016]

Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Victoria for his motion.

We are very happy to have this opportunity to reiterate our government's promise to Canadians about the legalization and strict regulation of marijuana and the government's responsible, methodical approach to keeping that promise. As members know, that promise was part of an election platform that received broad support from Canadians all across the country in the last election.

That promise was and remains to legalize, regulate, and restrict access to marijuana to ensure that we keep marijuana out of the hands of children and profits out of the hands of criminals. We will punish more severely those who provide it to minors, those who operate a motor vehicle while under its influence, and those who sell it outside of the new regulatory framework.

The Prime Minister has clearly stated on numerous occasions that our government will meet that commitment. That commitment was included in the mandate letters issued to the Minister of Health, the Minister of Justice, and the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, recognizing the need to do more than simply change a few words in the law. We need to move forward in a way that allows us to address a good number of priorities. We need to focus on things like public safety, prevention, treatment, and public awareness campaigns. We need to ensure that questions related to law enforcement, public safety, and criminal justice are fully addressed.

A simple quick fix to decriminalize possession of small quantities of marijuana for personal use, as the member for Victoria is proposing, would be an imprudent course of action, with all due respect to the hon. member. Canadians support legalization, but they want reassurance that the important issues are fully addressed, and safety is just one of those issues.

Canadians want to know the police have the right tools and training to address drug-impaired driving. They want to know that appropriate measures are in place to keep marijuana out of the hands of their children and that criminals will not profit from legalization.

Immediate decriminalization would address none of these issues. That is why our government is taking a responsible, ordered approach to fulfilling this commitment.

However, that does not mean we are not moving forward. Our goal continues to be to introduce the appropriate legislation in the spring of next year. As we work toward that goal, we are also mindful that this must be a collaborative effort. We cannot advance without engaging our provincial and territorial partners. We are striking a task force to consult with provincial and territorial governments; with experts in public health, substance abuse, law enforcement, criminal justice, and economics; with indigenous and youth groups; and with other stakeholders and Canadians.

This process is in motion. The Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, the Minister of Justice, and the Minister of Health wrote to their provincial and territorial counterparts in March, inviting them to provide recommendations on the names of experts to be considered as members of the task force that will be launched in the very near future.

In addition, a secretariat has been established at Health Canada to support the work of the task force. This secretariat, which is already in place, will also play an important role in relation to the federal-provincial-territorial working group on marijuana legalization and regulation.

The working group met for the first time last month and will continue to meet regularly going forward to ensure an ongoing dialogue about the approach and strategies for better coordination, including common communication materials.

As members might imagine, our provincial and territorial partners need clarity on the nature of their role under a new regime, such as whether marijuana will be federally or provincially regulated and distributed.

Our partners are asking us to take the time necessary to ensure they are able to implement any legislative or operational changes that may be required on their part to support a new regime.

Madam Speaker, after my speech, I will be sharing my time with my colleague, the member for Brampton West.

[Ethics, May 30th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, naturally, we expect Canadians to comply with the law regarding the purchase, exportation, and importation of vessels. The Canada Border Services Agency has a mandate to enforce the act.

Whether a vessel arrives in Canada by water or by land, every person who temporarily or permanently imports a foreign boat must declare it to the Canada Border Services Agency.

If owners wish to use their foreign vessels for recreational purposes in Canadian waters, they must permanently import the vessel and pay the applicable Canadian taxes and duties. Non-compliance may result in enforcement measures, including the collection of duty and taxes.

The government will continue to work with the Canada Border Services Agency and to ensure that these boat owners and marinas know their responsibilities and that they meet them.

[Ethics, May 30th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for the question and for coming back to the matter.

Our government is committed to preserving the integrity of the tax system and ensuring compliance. Like my hon. colleague, we are concerned about the allegations that owners made false statements on their status to both U.S. and Canadian customs with the intention of avoiding paying taxes.

My colleague might know more or less how many federal laws and regulations apply to the purchase, export, or import of a private vessel, a responsibility that falls under a number of different departments and agencies.

If a private vessel is being purchased in Canada for export, that is for personal use outside of Canadian waters, the Canadian owner may not be obligated to pay Canadian sales tax or customs duties. In this type of scenario, these vessels, which are considered exported from Canada, are only permitted to be imported back into Canada temporarily for storage and repair free from Canadian taxes and duties as long as they adhere to the prescribed rules governing time frames and use. However, a vessel purchased for export may not be imported back into Canada by the owner for personal use on Canadian waters, nor is it eligible for entry into our country as a good that originated in Canada, unless all taxes and/or duties owed under the Customs Act have been paid to the crown. Non-compliance may result in enforcement measures, including the collection of duty and taxes.

As I have mentioned, multiple pieces of federal legislation and regulation govern the importation and exportation of these vessels. For example, as noted by the Minister of Public Safety in the House of Commons on March 22, taxation policies and rules are within the purview of the Minister of National Revenue. Accordingly, the collection of any outstanding debts owing to the crown, such as duties, fees, taxes, or any other amount under the Customs Act, customs tariffs, Excise Tax Act, and related regulations, would fall within the mandate of the Canada Revenue Agency, which may take legal action to collect the outstanding debt in the absence of an acceptable payment arrangement.

Additionally, the licensing and registration of pleasure craft vessels in Canada is the responsibility of Transport Canada under the Canada Shipping Act. Transport Canada uses administrative monetary penalties to enforce compliance, and any pleasure craft owner found to be operating a vessel in Canada without a licence or registration may be issued a fine.

Finally, any duties owed are calculated according to the relevant tariff classification, which is defined by the Department of Finance. As part of its mandate, the Canada Border Services Agency, which falls under the purview of Public Safety Canada, assists other federal departments in enforcing their acts. With respect to this issue, the agency is required to verify that vessels that have been exported from Canada are not being used in Canadian waters. In cases where violations are discovered, the agency pursues any applicable enforcement, including collection of duties and taxes. As part of its responsibilities, the agency makes information available to raise awareness about Canadian laws and to encourage compliance.

The Canada Border Services Agency functions 24 hours a day and 365 days a year, at approximately 1,200 points of service, including marine ports. Last year, the agency processed approximately 97.5 million travellers, and collected about $29 billion in duties and taxes, accounting for 10% of the Government of Canada's revenues.

[Public Service Labour Relations Act, May 30th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.

Indeed, this is not the first time that a police force has unionized. The problem we have is that, considering the unique role of the RCMP, it is crucial that the organization that represents it specialize exclusively in the kind of work that characterizes the RCMP.

If the current vacuum goes on for too long, there is a risk that the agencies that come forward to represent RCMP members could create conflicts of interest if, by chance, a conflict arises whereby two sections of the same agency are in conflict because of any RCMP activity with or in a group that is also unionized with the same agency. In order to avoid that, it is absolutely crucial that they unionize with a specialized group, and the time has come to do so.

[Public Service Labour Relations Act, May 30th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question.

Earlier I alluded to my past experiences as a former civilian member of the RCMP. I had the misfortune of monitoring the events at Dawson College over the internal radio, and I completely understand the importance of having a chain of command, which entails many of the things that we find in the exclusions. It is important for the exclusions to be maintained. It is hard to compare the RCMP with other police forces because the RCMP is just different.

Other police forces do not provide all the same services as the RCMP. When we see men and women putting their lives at risk on the ground, the chain of command is so important that it is essential to maintain a certain number of things within management. The work on the ground is what makes the RCMP so unique.

[Public Service Labour Relations Act, May 30th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his question.

I would like to remind the House of something that was said by the party opposite and that we completely agree with. The court was very clear on two things: the RCMP must be given the choice as to whether to become unionized and the union must be independent from RCMP management. Those are two criteria that are set out in the court's decision. There are two others, but those are the first two criteria that the bill presents to Parliament.