General items: Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs—May 17, 2022

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Opening statement

By: The Honourable Filomena Tassi
Minister of Public Services and Procurement
Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs (PROC)

Regarding: Expanding the federal jurisdiction for the operational security of the Parliamentary Precinct to include sections of Wellington Street and Sparks Street

May 17, 2022

(Word count: 800)

Madam Chair I want to thank you for inviting me here to today, and I fully appreciate the importance of this committee’s study on expanding federal jurisdiction for the operational security of the Parliamentary Precinct.

Before we begin, I would like to acknowledge that we are meeting on the unceded territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin People.

As Minister of Public Services and Procurement, I am proud to be leading the restoration work on the precinct.

Through this enormous undertaking, we are restoring one of the most important heritage sites in Canada. We are creating a modern workplace for parliamentarians while moving us towards carbon neutrality and climate resiliency.

Our goal, working hand-in-hand with parliament, is to restore, modernize and preserve the heart of Canada’s democracy, and to ensure that it can be enjoyed by all Canadians for many years to come.

Madam Chair, the precinct itself goes beyond Parliament Hill and includes the 3 city blocks facing the hill, extending from Elgin Street to Bank Street. It also includes the Senate of Canada Building, with Wellington Street and Sparks Street running through and defining the precinct.

In addition to parliament, the precinct is home to the Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council and the future Indigenous Peoples Space. The Supreme Court is its next door neighbour.

Suffice to say, this is one of the most significant spaces in our country. It cradles our democratic institutions, and it is where Canadians come to celebrate, mourn, reflect and express their democratic voice.

As you can imagine, the precinct is a complex environment involving many stakeholders with varying and overlapping areas of accountability.

As custodian for the Parliamentary and Judicial precincts, Public Services and Procurement Canada is responsible for their operations, and securing the authorities and funding to do so. My department also has an important role to play, not only in the planning and delivery of accommodations, but also in helping to operationalize security requirements, which are determined by partners..

Within my portfolio, the National Capital Commission has jurisdiction over federal land use and design, and they are responsible for the visitor experience along Confederation Boulevard.

Finally, the City of Ottawa holds responsibility for all municipal infrastructure, including city streets.

When it comes to security, Madam Chair, the landscape is no less complex.

The Ottawa Police Services are responsible for providing overall policing and law enforcement for the city—that includes Wellington and Sparks.

The Parliamentary Protective Services are the security lead for the Hill and the buildings occupied by parliamentarians.

Then we have the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), our federal police force, which provides protective detail for the Prime Minister.

My colleague, Minister Mendicino, can tell you more about how some of these entities work and interact.

As you well know, recent illegal protests have illustrated the challenges that come with multiple players and jurisdictional barriers. They laid bare issues of ownership and control, security, and governance which, particularly during the early part of the protests, undermined a coordinated and coherent response.

But these issues are not new, Madam Chair, and the complexities they bring reach far beyond security.

In fact, more than a decade ago, the Auditor General reported that the complex governance and the lack of clarity pertaining to roles and responsibilities for the Parliamentary Precinct posed a significant risk for the implementation of the Long Term Vision and Plan.

The Auditor General is currently undertaking a follow-up audit that is to be tabled in parliament in 2023.

Although we have achieved much over the past decade, including a strong record of delivering projects, many of the same risks remain.

In fact, I would say that they have increased.

Not only has the global threat and risk level continued to evolve, but the complexion of the precinct has changed.

Within the next decade approximately 50% of all parliamentary offices will be located permanently on the other side of Wellington Street—meaning Wellington will no longer serve as a border for parliament, but instead run right through its core.

With a new sense of urgency to address security in the precinct, there is an opportunity to deal with the longstanding issues around governance more broadly.

Madam Chair, my department sees significant benefit in working with parliament, the City of Ottawa and other key stakeholders to help clarify accountabilities, simplify the operational context and streamline decision making—to create a more safe, secure and accessible parliamentary precinct.

Of course, one of our main objectives is to ensure continued access of the precinct to visitors.

So when we look at any issue, including security, we need to make sure that we consider how it affects all facets of our Long Term Vision and Plan—ensuring we have solutions that work for local residents and all Canadians, so that they can continue to take pride in their national capital.

From my perspective, the key to putting a plan together that will result in real change will be collaboration and coordination, or to simplify that into one word: partnership.

Parliament can count on Public Services and Procurement Canada as a partner in this important endeavour.

I would be happy to discuss our work on this front. I look forward to your questions, and look forward to working with this committee.

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