AANO Committee Meeting

The Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development met at 3:30 p.m. this day, in Room 308, West Block, the Chair, Bruce Stanton, presiding.

STATEMENT BY THE CHAIR

Pursuant to Order made by the House on Wednesday, March 3, 2010, the following routine motions in effect at the time of prorogation of the previous session are deemed to have been adopted by the Committee in the current session:

That the Committee retain, as needed and at the discretion of the Chair, the services of analysts from the Library of Parliament to assist it in its work.

That the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be established and be composed of the Chair, the two Vice-Chairs, a member of the other opposition party, and the Parliamentary Secretary, who will not have a vote.

That the Chair be authorized to hold meetings to receive evidence and to have that evidence printed when a quorum is not present, provided that at least three (3) members are present, including one member of the opposition and one member of the government.

That only the Clerk of the Committee be authorized to distribute documents to members of the Committee and only when such documents exist in both official languages.

That the Clerk of the Committee be authorized to make the necessary arrangements to provide working meals for the Committee and its Subcommittees.

That, if requested, reasonable travel, accommodation and living expenses be reimbursed to witnesses not exceeding two (2) representatives per organization and that, in exceptional circumstances, payment for more representatives be made at the discretion of the Chair.

That, unless otherwise ordered, each Committee member be allowed to be accompanied by one staff person at an in camera meeting, and additionally each party would be allowed one staff person in that meeting.

That one copy of the transcript of each in camera meeting be kept in the Committee Clerk’s office for consultation by members of the Committee.

That forty-eight (48) hours’ notice be required for any substantive motion to be considered by the Committee, unless the substantive motion relates directly to business then under consideration and that the notice of motion be filed with the Clerk of the Committee and distributed to members in both official languages.

That an organization be given up to ten (10) minutes, at the discretion of the Chair, for its opening statement; that, at the discretion of the Chair, during the questioning of witnesses, there be allocated seven (7) minutes for the questioner of the Official Opposition, seven (7) minutes for the questioner of the other parties, starting with the Bloc Québécois, the New Democratic Party and the Conservative Party, and that, thereafter, five (5) minutes be allocated to each subsequent questioner until each member has the chance to question the witness (alternating between the opposition parties and the Government), and leaving at the discretion of the Chair the possibility to reduce the time limits of the second round of questions if time is running out.

Jean Crowder moved, — That the Committee study the circumstances of First Nations University of Canada and call representatives from the First Nations University of Canada student association, First Nations University of Canada faculty association, Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, University of Regina, Canadian Association of University Teachers and the province of Saskatchewan to explain their roles and governance changes that have been made, and that the Committee report their findings to the House.

Debate arose thereon.

Larry Bagnell moved, — That the motion be amended by adding after the words “province of Saskatchewan” the following: “, as well as any other witnesses deemed necessary,”.

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Larry Bagnell and it was agreed to, by a show of hands: YEAS: 6; NAYS: 5.

The question was put on the motion, as amended, and it was agreed to on the following recorded division: YEAS: Larry Bagnell, Jean Crowder, Marc Lemay, Yvon Lévesque, Anita Neville, Todd Norman Russell — 6; NAYS: Earl Dreeshen, John Duncan, LaVar Payne, Greg Rickford — 4.

The motion, as amended, read as follows:

That the Committee study the circumstances of First Nations University of Canada and call representatives from the First Nations University of Canada student association, First Nations University of Canada faculty association, Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, University of Regina, Canadian Association of University Teachers and province of Saskatchewan, as well as any other witnesses deemed necessary, to explain their roles and governance changes that have been made, and that the Committee report their findings to the House.

Jean Crowder moved, — That the Committee, in accordance with the Horizontal Initiative on the Urban Aboriginal Strategy, which involves the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Developement and Corrections Canada Policy Unit and the Department of Justice, having considered the 2008-2009 Report of the Office of the Correctional Investigator and its supplement entitled “Good Intentions, Disappointing Results”, recommend the implementation of the following Correctional Investigator’s recommendations dealing with Aboriginal peoples:

4. The Service should conduct an independent review of long-term segregation cases on an expeditious basis, and submit the review process to an external validation and evaluation exercise;

10. With respect to correctional programming, I recommend that in the coming year, the correctional service make significant progress in addressing the following areas, consistent with the least restrictive principle and effective corrections:

• reduce program wait lists;
• increase use of temporary absences and work releases as means to promote and improve an offender's likelihood of being positively prepared and recommended for parole;
• increase access to programs and programming opportunities in maximum security institutions;
• increase program interventions and improve outcomes for special needs offenders, including older offenders, offenders with learning delays or disabilities, and offenders with mental health problems; and
• improve inmate communication and understanding of the parole review process;

11. The Service should review the rationale, criteria and average waiting time for psychological assessments required for security reclassifications of offenders serving life and indeterminate sentences;

12. The minister of public safety should immediately direct that CSC appoint a deputy commissioner for aboriginal corrections;

13. The deputy commissioner for women should have full and direct line authority—and, therefore, accountability—for all matters concerning federally sentenced women;

14. The management protocol for women offenders should be immediately rescinded pending further review by an external expert in women's corrections;

15. Clinical management plans for high-needs and high-risk women should be immediately completed and implemented, and the necessary resources and services, both internal and external, should be made available to the institutions;

19. The Service should implement procedural safeguards and ensure legal compliance with offender rights, entitlements and access to programs for all forms of "segregation by any other name," consistent with its legal and policy requirements; and

that the adoption of this motion be reported to the House.

The Chair ruled the proposed motion inadmissible because it was beyond the scope of the Committee.

At 4:24 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.