Mark Holland moved, — Whereas the Committee was legally required to complete a statutory review of the Sex Offender Information Registry Act (SOIRA); and
Whereas a special accommodation was made, at the government’s insistence, to push the review of SOIRA to the top of the committee’s agenda;
and
Whereas the Committee expended valuable time and resources, as did the many witnesses, to undertake the review and was in the final stages of completing its report;
and
Whereas the legislation tabled by the government is now lacking the input and balance that would have been offered by the report;
and
Whereas the government has shown blatant disregard for the parliamentary process by announcing changes to the SOIRA prior to receiving the Committee’s report;
Therefore the Committee finds the government to have shown blatant disregard for the parliamentary process, and to have undermined the Committee and its work on SOIRA;
And that the Committee further advise the Minister of Public Safety that such disregard could undermine the ability of committee to undertake other studies, call witnesses or to participate in the advancement of good public policy; and
That the Committee demand a response from the Minister of Public Safety as to the precise reasons why the SOIRA legislation was introduced in the absence of committee input when the committee was to present its report imminently.
Debate arose thereon.