Committee overview: Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security: Mandate and Priorities of the Minister of Public Safety (October 9, 2025)

Committee Members

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 RCMP (CRCC)
• RCMP External Review Committee (ERC)
• Office of the Correctional Investigator (OCI)

CBSA-related Committee activity

(January 2023 to December 2024)

• Effects of the withdrawn amendments (G-4 and G-46) to Bill C-21, An Act to amend certain Acts (firearms) – completed April 25, 2023
• Bill C-21, An Act to amend certain Acts (firearms) – Completed and Report presented to the House May 12, 2023
• Bill C-20, An Act establishing the Public Complaints and Review Commission – Completed and Report presented to the House November 9, 2023

Recent studies

• Foreign election interference, and Russian misinformation and disinformation
• Growing Problem of Car Thefts in Canada
• Rights of Victims, Reclassification and Transfer of Federal Offenders
• Mandate and Priorities of the Minister of Public Safety
• Bill C-26, An Act respecting cyber security
• Bill S-210, An Act to restrict young persons' online access to sexually explicit material
• 2022 Saskatchewan Mass Murders

Current studies

• Implementation of the National Action Plan to Combat Auto Theft
• CAN-US Border Management

Committee Members biographies

Jean Yves Duclos (Chair)

Political affiliation: Liberal Party of Canada
Constituency: Québec Centre

• Former cabinet minister (Health, Procurement, Treasury Board, Families and Children)
• First elected 2015, re-elected in 2019, 2021, 2025
• Formerly head of Economics department at Laval University
• As former cabinet member, he is well acquainted with high-profile files, particularly those involving procurement and transparency in contracting and spending decisions

Frank Caputo (Vice-Chair)

Political affiliation: Conservative Party of Canada
Constituency: Kamloops – Thompson – Nicola
Shadow Minister for Public Safety

• Previously worked as Crown Prosecutor and Law Professor
• First elected in 2021 and re-elected in 2025
• Previous committee memberships:
  • SECU (April to September 2024)
  • ACVA (December 2021 to October 2022)
  • ETHI (September 2024 to January 2025)
  • JUST (October 2022 to April 2024)
• Member of several interparliamentary groups
• Legal background provides strong footing in oversight of law enforcement, corrections, and security policy
• Interests: Bail reform, child predators

Claude DeBellefeuille (Vice-Chair)

Political affiliation: Bloc Québécois
Constituency: Beauharnois—Salaberry—Soulanges—Huntingdon
Critic for Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness (since 2025)

• Profession/Occupation: Social worker, Chief of Staff in Quebec provincial government
• First elected in 2006 and served until 2011, then re-elected in 2019, 2021, and 2025
• Served as party's Chief Whip (2019 to 2024), was previously critic for Canadian Heritage and Natural Resources (2006 to 2008)
• From a border community, supports border security and resources for border officers, including off-site patrolling, and exit controls

Sima Acan

Political affiliation: Liberal Party of Canada
Constituency: Oakville West

• First elected in April 2025
• First Canadian MP of Turkish descent
• Holds an engineering degree, immigrated in 2007
• Entrepreneur: owns a local robotics company and served as president of the Federation of Canadian Turkish Associations
• Brings a community-focused, tech-savvy lens to public safety and security discussions
• Has called for faster convictions and smarter crime prevention measures

Chak Au

Political affiliation: Conservative Party of Canada
Constituency: Richmond Centre—Marpole

• Previously worked as City Councillor and school trustee, is a family therapist by profession
• Immigrated to Canada from Hong Kong in 1988 served as an assistant professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong
• First elected in April 2025
• Brings local insight into immigration, public safety, and multicultural issues in BC
• Opposes drug liberalization, committed to prevention, education, and recovery-focused policies

Marianne Dandurand

Political affiliation: Liberal Party of Canada
Constituency: Compton—Stanstead

• First elected April 2025
• Former journalist, entrepreneur, strong advocate for tourism in her area
• Former Chief of Staff to former MP Marie Claude Bibeau
• Also sits on AGRI committee
• Represents a border riding

Ali Ehsassi

Political affiliation: Liberal Party of Canada
Constituency: Willowdale

• First elected in 2015; re-elected in 2019, 2021, and 2025
• Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the King's Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade
• Previously Chair of the Foreign Affairs committee; has also served on INDU, ETHI, JUST, and CIMM
• Father was Iranian diplomat and worked in Iran's embassy in Switzerland, family left Iran during Iranian Revolution
• Opposes the Iranian government and has called for a public inquiry into potential Iranian interference in Canadian elections

Rhonda Kirkland

Political affiliation: Conservative Party of Canada
Constituency: Oshawa

• First elected in April 2025
• Worked for twenty years as certified educational therapist and local childhood development advocate
• Helped advance federal legislation related to victims' rights and human trafficking
• Active community member with volunteer roles in local Rotary Club and numerous political campaigns, including that of her MP predecessor Colin Carrie

Dane Lloyd

Political affiliation: Conservative Party of Canada
Constituency: Parkland, Alberta
Shadow Minister for Emergency Preparedness and Community Resilience

• First elected in 2017, re-elected in 2019, 2021 and 2025
• Former Shadow Minister for:
  • Digital Government (September 2020 to February 2021)
  • Rural Economic Development (February 2021 to November 2021)
• Holds a BA in History & Political Science and serves as a Captain in the Canadian Army Reserve
• Has spoken out about safe supply program
• Prior to recent revision, his riding included Villeneuve Airport (airport of entry)

Jacques Ramsay

Political affiliation: Liberal Party of Canada
Constituency: La Prairie—Atateken
Parliamentary Secretary to Public Safety Minister

• First elected in April 2025
• Has been a doctor since 1987, and has worked in several countries, and then in Montreal in various specialties
• Serves as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety

SECU scenario note/ SECU follow-up fentanyl provincial breakdown

Timing of rounds of questions:

• Five minutes are allotted for the opening statement
• Questioning of witnesses:
  • First round: six minutes for the first questioner of each party as follows: Conservative Party, Liberal Party, Bloc Québécois
  • For the second, and subsequent rounds, the order and time for questioning is as follows:
    • Conservative Party, five minutes
    • Liberal Party, five minutes
    • Bloc Québécois, two and a half minutes
    • Conservative Party, five minutes
    • Liberal Party, five minutes

The total time allocated per round of questioning includes the member's questions and the witness' responses. There is no time limit on responses from witnesses; however, succinct answers are preferred.

Motion

Frank Caputo (CPC, Kamloops—Thompson—Nicola, British Columbia) presented the motion initiating this appearance. MP Caputo serves as his party's Shadow Minister for Public Safety. The text of the motion can be found below.

That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee invite the Minister of Public Safety to appear before the committee for a minimum of two hours, before Friday, October 10, 2025, to answer questions regarding his mandate and priorities.

Witnesses to appear

• Gary Anandasangaree, Minister, Public Safety
• Tricia Geddes, Deputy Minister, Public Safety
• Erin O'Gorman, President, CBSA
• Mike Duheme, Commissioner, RCMP
• Daniel Rogers, Director, Canadian Security Intelligence Service
• Anne Kelly, Commissioner Correctional Service of Canada
• Joanne Blanchard, Chairperson, Parole Board of Canada

Parliamentary analysis: House of Commons

The Minister's Mandate: CBSA implications

The PM published a single mandate letter for his entire cabinet with seven priorities outlined. The 2025 letter charges his Cabinet team with "protecting Canadian sovereignty and keeping Canadians safe by … securing our borders, and reinforcing law enforcement" as a core priority. The Public Safety portfolio is expected to lead on implementing Canada's Border Plan, strengthen enforcement tools and legislation (e.g. via the "Strong Borders Act") to counter illicit trade, fentanyl, organized crime, and smuggling, and improve coordination, intelligence-sharing, and operational capacity across agencies (including with U.S. and international partners). The letter frames Public Safety's mission around securing Canada's borders while balancing trade, travel, and national security.

SECU Study: Canada-US border management

The committee has held two meetings on its study of the US border, which was initiated in the spring of 2025 during a period of heightened tensions with the United States over alleged border issues, resulting in Canada committing to enhanced border security. At the first meeting (with witnesses from CBSA and RCMP), members focused on fentanyl seizures, RCMP use of black hawk helicopters, immigration patterns, BSO training and hiring; container scanning and the deployment and use of scanning technology for containers at the borders.

At the second meeting on October 7, the committee heard testimony from the CEO of Accipiter Radar Technologies, journalist Samuel Cooper, Customs and Immigration Union President Mark Weber, and Future Borders Coalition Executive Director Dr. Laura Dawson. At this meeting, the Conservative members pursued answers regarding corruption within the RCMP and CBSA, activities of organized crime, weak enforcement, fentanyl production, and poor Canada–U.S. intelligence sharing. The BQ probed for more detail on regional security gaps and accountability, CBSA staffing, delays at Montreal ports, and the abandonment of key surveillance projects (persistent radar). The Liberal members highlighted technology, cooperation, and training, emphasizing modernization and stronger cross-border coordination.

The committee previously convened in December 2024 (during the 44th Parliament) to study the topic of border security after the issue gained prominence following the 2024 U.S. presidential election, with the President-elect publicly asserting that Canada was not doing enough to curb the flow of illegal immigrants and illicit drugs, particularly fentanyl. CBSA President O'Gorman and RCMP Commissioner Duheme appeared before the committee to provide testimony on new Canadian measures aimed at enhancing security, while also presenting a counter-narrative to the U.S. President-elect's claims.

2025 election platforms

Conservative Party: The platform proposed significant increases to the number of border agents and extending the powers of the CBSA along the entire border. This would include installing surveillance towers and using truck-mounted drone systems to spot unauthorized crossings. The platform also suggested tougher penalties for border smugglers and a plan to crack down on illegal immigration.

Bloc Quebecois: The Bloc Québécois's platform proposed a significant shift in its border management strategy. The party would create a "Minister of Borders" to oversee border services and empower border agents to intervene along the entire frontier, while reversing reductions in hours at border posts. It also called for recruiting more RCMP officers, investing in port surveillance, inspecting rail transport, and implementing tougher penalties for human smugglers.

Moving away from its previous demand to suspend the Safe Third Country Agreement, the Bloc now advocates for a more controlled asylum process. The party's plan included a "fair and proportional distribution" of asylum seekers among provinces to ease the burden on Quebec and the creation of an "emergency branch" within the Immigration Ministry for a faster response to major refugee crises.

Previous committee reports

The Public Safety Committee has typically examined border issues in relation to other pressing concerns like firearms, car theft, and drug smuggling. For example, in 2024 the committee studied the topic of vehicle thefts in Canada, with the issue of port security being raised. Conservative members criticized the lack of inspection of exports and questioned the operational capacity of the CBSA at ports and rail yard. The report's recommendations included allocating more resources to the CBSA and other law enforcement agencies, and hiring new frontline officers and deploying them to ports, rail yards, and intermodal hubs to expand their capacity to examine containers. The recommendations also suggest investing in new detection technology and intelligence capabilities specifically for stolen vehicles. Furthermore, the CBSA should use advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) to better target suspicious containers and verify vehicle identification numbers (VINs). There are also calls to open a second CBSA training college to address personnel needs and to adopt better information-sharing practices with other partners.

SECU Report 16: Fighting the phenomenon of vehicle thefts in Canada

During the committee's study of Bill C-21 (firearms) in 2022 to 2023, the issue of guns from the US was raised repeatedly, with the Conservative members identifying the smuggling of illegal firearms from the United States as the main cause of rising gun violence. MP Dancho (formerly the Public Safety critic) referenced Toronto police statistics indicating that "upwards of nine out of 10 handguns used in crime" are smuggled from the U.S. CPC MP Shipley (currently Associate Shadow Minister for Combatting Crime) echoed this sentiment, referencing testimony from police chiefs across the country: "it was illegal handguns coming across the borders; it wasn't legal handgun owners". During this study, the BQ member expressed skepticism that simply increasing the maximum prison sentence for firearms trafficking from 10 to 14 years would not be a sufficient deterrent, especially at the border where "many illegal weapons are smuggled across it".

Other border concerns have been raised at other parliamentary committees. The Immigration Committee (CIMM) studied the Safe Third Country Agreement in 2022 to 2023, which included recommendations to ensure the CBSA and RCMP had sufficient resources to manage the number of asylum seekers, with the Conservatives proposing to give border officers additional powers to intervene in irregular crossings, while also identifying a need to more fairly distribute refugees across the provinces to reduce the burden on Quebec.

CIMM Report 16 - Asylum-Seekers at Canada's Border

The Health Committee (HESA) in the 44th Parliament held 20 meetings on the issue of Opioids and Toxic Drugs in 2024 but did not issue a final report. Testimony heard in the course of the study raised the matter of border security. The committee's study highlighted that, while the opioid crisis is a public health emergency, border management and law enforcement are crucial components of the solution, and heard about the challenges faced by the CBSA and the RCMP in preventing the flow of illicit drugs and precursor chemicals. The committee heard that Canada's borders and ports are a key entry point for illicit opioids and precursor chemicals, with British Columbia, in particular, being described as an "epicentre" of the crisis due to its maritime ports and proximity to China. Witnesses informed the committee that after China scheduled fentanyl as a controlled drug in 2019, the CBSA saw a decrease in finished fentanyl seizures, but an increase in precursor chemicals.

Upcoming SECU studies

The committee is expected to devote upcoming meetings to study both the new border bill and C-2 once they are referred by the House. The Agency expects to be invited to provide testimony on elements of the bill.

Legislation

Bill C-2 – Strong Borders Act: Second Reading debates June 5, June 18, September 16, and September 17, 2025 summaries (To note: a new government bill that may supersede Bill C-2 is set for introduction October 8, 2025)

A major point of contention and concern throughout the debates is the CBSA's staffing levels and whether the agency is adequately resourced to handle its current duties, let alone the expanded mandate proposed in Bill C-2. Multiple members of Parliament, citing the Customs and Immigration Union, stated that the CBSA has a shortfall of nearly 3,000 officers. This understaffing is seen as a critical issue that could undermine the effectiveness of the new measures in Bill C-2.

The Liberal Party's platform promised to hire 1,000 new CBSA officers. This commitment was reiterated by government members during the debate. However, opposition members pointed out that this promise was absent from the recent Speech from the Throne and questioned the timeline for these hires. There was a sharp disagreement over historical staffing cuts. Opposition members presented Treasury Board data showing that the Liberal government cut CBSA full-time equivalents after taking office in 2015, with numbers not returning to 2015 levels until 2019. Conversely, government members repeatedly blamed the previous Conservative government under Stephen Harper for cutting CBSA staff and funding.

Concerns were raised that the CBSA's training centre can only train about 600 officers per year, which is roughly equivalent to the current attrition rate, making it difficult to significantly increase the overall number of officers without expanding training capacity.

The debate highlighted the need for better tools and infrastructure for the CBSA to effectively secure the border. Opposition members strongly advocated for installing high-powered scanners at all major land crossings and shipping ports to detect illicit drugs, firearms, and stolen vehicles. They noted that currently only about 1% of shipping containers are inspected.

The Bloc Québécois and the Customs and Immigration Union proposed allowing CBSA officers to patrol between official ports of entry, a change that could be made through regulation rather than legislation, to better intercept illegal crossings.

Conservative members consistently stated their support for measures that would provide greater resources to CBSA personnel. Their proposals include:

• Deploying thousands of additional border agents
• Expanding the CBSA's operational reach across the entire border, not just at official crossings
• Installing advanced surveillance towers and high-powered scanners
• Tracking the departure of individuals with deportation orders

The Bloc Québécois's stance on Bill C-2 reflects a mix of conditional support and significant skepticism regarding its border implications. While they view the bill's focus on issues like fentanyl, vehicle theft, and money laundering as long overdue, they will not give it a "blank cheque." Their main concerns related to the border are:

Resource Shortfalls: The BQ is highly skeptical that the bill's new mandates can be fulfilled without addressing a significant shortage of nearly 3,000 CBSA officers. They view any new measures as "wishful thinking" without the necessary personnel.

Limited Scope: The party believes the government could take immediate action without new legislation by simply making regulatory amendments to allow CBSA officers to patrol between official ports of entry, a measure they strongly support.

Jurisdictional and Social Burden: The BQ insists on a fair distribution of asylum seekers across Canada, arguing that the bill does not resolve the "unfair burden" on Quebec, which receives a disproportionate number of claimants.

Privacy and Security Overreach: They are concerned the bill's provisions could infringe on civil liberties and lead to "security overreach," raising red flags about allowing law enforcement to open mail and collect personal information without consent.

Questions, Statements, and Debates in the House

1. Question Period:

September 19, 2025 – MP Mantle (York—Durham, CPC): Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister was in Mexico this week, and when Mexico decided to get serious about its border, it deployed 10,000 new personnel in a matter of days. At the same time, the Prime Minister promised Canadians he would hire 1,000 new border officers. I have a very simple question for the Minister of Public Safety: How many officers have been hired and are deployed today?

Jacques Ramsay (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, we are in the process of hiring 1,000 new customs officers and 1,000 additional RCMP personnel. We are already seeing a dramatic drop in illegal imports of firearms and fentanyl. We are keeping our promises, and we will soon have the personnel we need to do this work.

Jacob Mantle (York—Durham, CPC): Mr. Speaker, in all that, I did not hear a number, but let me give him the number. The information disclosed to the House by the Canada Border Services Agency says the Liberals have hired zero new officers. It gets worse. Not only have they not hired any officers; they do not even have a plan to hire any officers. My question again is, when will they hire border officers?

Jacques Ramsay (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, not only are we hiring more personnel, but we also have more helicopters, drones and scanners. We are making more arrests and finding more and more drugs. In short, it is working. Two weeks from now, I will be attending a graduation ceremony for new recruits who will be joining CBSA.

2. Debates:

Other themes from House of Commons debates include numerous calls for the Public Safety Minister's dismissal on the grounds of poor performance and mismanagement, citing:

• The Minister's poor defence of Bill C-2, including the claim that the Minister "already admitted the true purpose of the bill: removing irritants for the United States"
• Accusations of conflicts of interest
• A lack of attention to bail reform, and
• Failure to keep out dangerous immigrants

Conservative Party members frequently referenced the CBSA to criticize the government's lack of action and resources for border security, while advocating for specific enhancements to the agency's powers and capacity. Some their recurring critiques include: a severe staffing shortage and lack of hires, a demand for expanded power and full border authority, including tracking departures, resource deficiencies and inspection failures, i.e. a need for more scanners and more people to run them, and the new powers proposed in Bill C-2 (like mail and container opening).

Bloc Québécois MPs have heavily criticized the federal government's handling of the CBSA, focusing on three recurring points: severe staffing shortfalls, lack of operational freedom for officers, and the resulting compromised border security. Similar to the CPC, the party has criticized the agency's chronic staffing shortages and underfunding, noting that the current training capacity (600 officers/year) is only sufficient to cover attrition rates. The party also advocates for greater authority to patrol between official ports of entry, and better inter-agency cooperation with the RCMP. They had pointed criticism regarding the decision to cut 12 hours of monitoring at two rural border crossings (Herdman and Trout River), leaving them unmonitored, along with outrage that the Quebec government had to spend $6 million on boats to patrol the Quebec-U.S. border, stressing that border protection is fundamentally the federal government's responsibility.

Related Written Questions:

• Q-1² — May 27, 2025 — Dan Muys (Flamborough—Glanbrook—Brant North, ON, CPC) — Stolen Motor Vehicles Illegally exported
• Q-153² — June 11, 2025 — Blaine Calkins (Ponoka-Didsbury, AB, CPC) — Border Monitoring Equipment
• Q-171² — June 12, 2025 — John Williamson (Saint John-St. Croix, NB, CPC) — IRCC Temporary Public Policy/Removals
• Q-186² — June 13, 2025 — Brad Redekopp (Saskatoon West, SK, CPC) — Removals
• Q-187² — June 16, 2025 — Michelle Rempel Garner (Calgary Nose Hill, AB, CPC) — Removal of Persons
• Q-232² — June 18, 2025 — Jacob Mantle (York-Durham, ON, CPC) — Intercepting Stolen Vehicles
• Q-260² — June 18, 2025 — David McKenzie (Calgary Signal Hill, AB, CPC) — Hiring CBSA Personnel/Border Plan

3. Petitions:

• June 30, 2025 – MP Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East, BC, NDP) Petition e-6627 – Borders ,Bill C-2, Public Safety
• May 28, 2025 - MP Heather McPherson (Edmonton Strathcona, AB, NDP) Petition e-6506 - Canada–U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement, Asylum, Canada-United States relations

4. Media scan:

Migrants irréguliers à la frontière (August 15, 2025)

Une situation préoccupante selon la députée fédérale Claude DeBellefeuille / A worrying situation according to federal MP Claude DeBellefeuille - synopsis

Claude DeBellefeuille has been concerned about border issues since the start of her mandate, particularly the exploitation of migrants by criminal smuggling networks. She is working with the RCMP to find solutions and has met with federal police officials to this end.

DeBellefeuille also proposes giving border officers additional powers, allowing them to intervene in illegal crossings. She argues that because the RCMP cannot always respond in time, empowering these officers is crucial. Additionally, she highlights a major bureaucratic problem: the long wait times for work permits due to an overwhelmed Immigration Department. She advocates for reducing these waits and for a fairer distribution of refugees among the provinces to ease the burden on Quebec.

Annex A: About SECU

The Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security (SECU) was reconvened on June 19, 2025, following the opening of the 45th 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 its agencies, including the CBSA.

Specific information for 45th parliament: Committee has primarily French-speaking members, thus we encourage witnesses to consider using both languages when delivering Opening Remarks. The BQ member also appreciates due consideration with early delivery of translated materials.

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 RCMP (CRCC)
• RCMP External Review Committee (ERC)
• Office of the Correctional Investigator (OCI)