Committee overview: Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security: Canada – U.S. Border Security (December 12, 2024)

SECU Committee overview

Committee Members: At a glance

About the Committee

SECU was created on April 5, 2006, at the start of the 39th Parliament. The Committee is responsible for one of the largest departmental portfolios, including close to 140 statutes administered by the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and its agencies, including the CBSA.

Committee Mandate

SECU reviews the legislation, policies, programs and expenditure plans of government departments and agencies responsible for public safety and national security, policing and law enforcement, corrections and conditional release of federal offenders, emergency management, crime prevention and the protection of Canada's borders.

The Standing Orders of the House of Commons provide that the committee may review and report on:

• Legislation proposed by the government or Members of Parliament
• Immediate, medium- and long-term expenditure plans, and the effectiveness of their implementation by the department
• An analysis of the relative success of the relevant department, as measured by the results obtained as compared with its stated objectives
• Other matters relating to the mandate, management, organization, or operation of the department in question, as the Committee deems fit

The committee examines the policies, programs and statutes relating to the following departments and agencies:

• Public Safety Canada (PS)
• Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)
• Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS)
• Correctional Service Canada (CSC)
• Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)
• Parole Board of Canada (PBC)
• Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (CRCC)
• Royal Canadian Mounted Police External Review Committee (ERC)
• Office of the Correctional Investigator (OCI)

CBSA-related Committee activity since winter 2023

(January 2023 to present)

• Effects of the withdrawn amendments (G-4 and G-46) to Bill C-21, An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms) – completed on Tuesday, April 25, 2023
• Bill C-21, An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms) – Completed and Report presented to the House on Friday, May 12, 2023
• Bill C-20, An Act establishing the Public Complaints and Review Commission and amending certain Acts and statutory instrument – Completed and Report presented to the House on Thursday, November 9, 2023
• Bill S-210, An Act to restrict young persons' online access to sexually explicit material
• Bill C-26, An Act respecting cyber security, amending the Telecommunications Act and making consequential amendments to other Acts
• 2022 Saskatchewan Mass Murders

Current studies

• Growing Problem of Car Thefts in Canada Rights of Victims, Reclassification and Transfer of Federal Offenders
• Electoral Interference and Criminal Activities in Canada by Agents of the Government of India
• Russian Interference and Disinformation Campaigns in Canada
• Mandate and Priorities of the Minister of Public Safety
• Review of the Foiled Terrorist Plot in Toronto and of the Security Screening Process
• Bill C-70, An Act respecting countering foreign interference

Committee Members

Iqwinder Gaheer (Chair)

Political affiliation: Liberal Party of Canada
Constituency: Mississauga—Malton

Profession/Occupation: Politician and Lawyer

Political experience:

• First elected in 2001
• Member of SECU and INDU

Kristina Michaud (First Vice-Chair)

Political affiliation: Bloc Québécois
Constituency: Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, Quebec
Critic for Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Climate Change, Youth (since 2019)

• Profession/Occupation: Political staffer
• Riding includes Port of Matane (marine, commercial)

Political experience:

• First elected in 2019 and re-elected in 2021
• Long-time member (February 2020 to present) and Vice Chair of SECU (October 2020 to present)

Raquel Dancho (Second Vice-Chair)

Political affiliation: Conservative Party of Canada
Constituency: Kildonan – St. Paul

Occupation: Policy Analyst; Political Assistant

Political experience:

• First elected in 2019
• Member of SECU and Shadow Minister for Public Safety

Jennifer O'Connell

Political affiliation: Liberal Party of Canada
Constituency: Pickering-Uxbridge, Ontario
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs (Cybersecurity) (since September 2023)

Profession/Occupation: Politician

Political experience:

• First elected in 2015 and re-elected in 2019 and 2021
• Former Parliamentary Secretary to the:
  • Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities (December 2021 to September 2023)
  • Minister of Health (2021)
  • Minister of Finance (March 2018 to September 2019)

Heath Macdonald

Political affiliation: Liberal Party of Canada
Constituency: Malpeque, Prince Edward Island

Profession/Occupation: Politician/ Director

Political experience:

• First Elected in 2021
• Current member of Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food (AGRI) and Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food (SAGRI)
• Long-time MLA in PEI. Earned recognition from various organizations for his efforts to improve accessibility for people with disabilities

Pam Damoff

Political affiliation: Liberal Party of Canada
Constituency: Oakville North-Burlington, Ontario
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Consular Affairs)

Profession/Occupation: Politician

Political experience:

• First elected in 2015 and re-elected in 2019 and 2021
• Previously served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety, as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous Services, and as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health.Minister of Transport
• She is passionate about many causes, including employment for persons living with disabilities, women's empowerment, mental health, environmental protection, and cycling and improved cycling infrastructure

Anita Vandenbeld

Political affiliation: Liberal Party of Canada
Constituency: Ottawa West – Nepean, Ontario

Previous work experience: worked in over 20 countries on inclusive governance and women's leadership, including with the United Nations Development Programme Democratic Governance Group in New York, promoted women's political participation

Political experience:

• First nominated in October 2015, re-elected in 2019 and 2021
• Was Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence 2019 to 2021

Salma Zahid

Political affiliation: Liberal Party of Canada
Constituency: Scarborough Centre, Ontario

Profession/Occupation: Community organizer working to support women, their families and youth, and served the public in several positions with the Government of Ontario

Political experience:

• First elected in 2015 and re-elected in 2019 and 2021
• Former Chair of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, and was a member of the Special Committee on Afghanistan
• Also a committee member of:
  • the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration
  • Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration

Alistair MacGregor

Political affiliation: New Democratic Party of Canada
Constituency: Cowichan—Malahat—Langford
NDP Critic for Public Safety

Profession/Occupation: Worked as a tree-planting supervisor and a millworker

Political experience:

• First Elected in 2015 and re-elected in 2019 and 2021
• Also a committee member of:
  • Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food
• Previously the NDP Critic for:
  • Agriculture and Agri-Food
  • Food Price Inflation
  • Deputy Critic for Justice
  • Seniors' Issues, Justice Vice-Chair of the Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying

Dane Lloyd

Political affiliation: Conservative Party of Canada
Constituency: Sturgeon River—Parkland, Alberta
Shadow Minister for Emergency Preparedness (since November 2021)

• Profession/Occupation: Politician
• Riding includes Villeneuve Airport (airport of entry)
  "service suspended until further notice"

Political experience:

• First elected in 2017 and re-elected in 2019 and 2021
• Former Shadow Minister for:
  • Digital Government (September 2020 to February 2021)
  • Rural Economic Development (February 2021 to November 2021)

Glen Motz

Political affiliation: Conservative Party of Canada
Constituency: Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner

Occupation: Served for 35 years with the Medicine Hat Police Service and retired as Inspector in 2015

Political experience:

• First elected in 2016
• Vice Chair DEDC and Member of SECU
• Previously served on the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP)

Doug Shipley

Political affiliation: Conservative Party of Canada
Constituency: Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte, Ontario

Profession/Occupation: Politician, Small business owner

Political experience:

• First elected in 2019 and re-elected in 2021
• Former Member of SECU (February 2020 to August 2021)

Potential key interests: Barrie opioid crisis