SECU Committee Meeting

The Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security met at 3:29 p.m. this day, in Room 306, La Promenade Building, the Chair, Daryl Kramp, presiding.

The Committee resumed its clause-by-clause study of the Bill.

The witnesses answered questions.

The Committee resumed clause-by-clause consideration on Clause 4 of the Bill.

Clause 4, as amended, carried.

On Clause 5,

“140.2 (1) If a transcript of the hearing has been made, the Board shall, on written request and free of charge, provide a copy to the offender and a copy to the victim or a member of the victim’s family. However, the copy provided to the victim or member of the victim’s family shall not include any portion of the transcript of a part of the hearing that, under subsection 140(5), was or would have been continued in the absence of observers or of a particular observer.

(2) The Board may delete from a copy of the transcript any personal information about a person other than the offender, the victim or a member of the victim’s family.

(3) Information discussed or referred to in the transcript of the hearing are not publicly available for the purposes of the Access to Information Act or the Privacy Act.”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Roxanne James and it was agreed to.

After debate, Clause 5, as amended, carried.

On Clause 6,

(a) replacing line 20 on page 4 to line 1 on page 5 with the following:

“6. (1) Paragraph 142(1)(b) of the Act is”

(b) replacing line 10 on page 5 with the following:

“(2) Subsection 142(1) of the Act is amended by striking out “and” at the end of paragraph (a), by adding “and” at the end of paragraph (b) and by adding the following after paragraph (b):

(c) shall disclose to the victim any of the following information about the offender, if, in the Chairperson’s opinion, the disclosure would not have a negative impact on the safety of the public:

(i) the date, if any, on which the offender is to be released on unescorted temporary absence, escorted temporary absence if the Board has approved the absence as required by subsection 746.1(2) of the Criminal Code, parole or statutory release,

(ii) any conditions attached to the offender’s unescorted temporary absence, parole or statutory release and the reasons for any unescorted temporary absence, and

(iii) the destination of the offender when released on unescorted temporary absence, parole or statutory release and whether the offender will be in the vicinity of the victim while travelling to that destination.

(3) Section 142 of the Act is amended by”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Roxanne James and it was agreed to.

“(1.1) The Chairperson shall disclose the information referred to in subparagraphs (1)(a)(v) to (vii) at least 14 days, where practicable, before the”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Roxanne James and it was agreed to.

Clause 6, as amended, carried.

On Clause 7,

“144.1 If a transcript or recording of a hearing has been”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Wayne Easter and it was negatived.

After debate, Clause 7 carried.

On new Clause 8,

“COMING INTO FORCE

8. Section 6 of the Act comes into force on a day to be fixed by order of the Governor in Council.”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Roxanne James and it was agreed to.

“TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS

8. (1) Subsections 123(5.01) and (5.2) of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, as enacted by section 2 — and subsection 131(1.1) of the Act, as enacted by section 3 — apply in respect of an offender who receives an additional sentence for an offence under an Act of Parliament on or after the day on which this section comes into force.

(2) Subsections 123(5.01) and (5.2) of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, as enacted by section 2 — and subsection 131(1.1) of the Act, as enacted by section 3 — apply in respect of an offender who is on parole or statutory release and who receives an additional sentence for an offence under an Act of Parliament on or after the day on which this section comes into force.

(3) Subsections 123(5.01) and (5.2) of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, as enacted by section 2 — and subsection 131(1.1) of the Act, as enacted by section 3 — apply in respect of an offender even if they were sentenced, committed or transferred to a penitentiary before the day on which this section comes into force. However, they do not apply to the first review on or after that day, under section 122, 123 or 131, as the case may be.”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Roxanne James and it was agreed to.

On motion of Wayne Easter, it was agreed, — That recommendations by Sue O' Sullivan, Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime, be distributed to the Committee.

By unanimous consent, it was agreed, — That the Committee rescind its decision to adopt Clause 7.

The Committee reverted back to Clause 7.

Clause 7 was negatived.

Clause 1, Short Title, carried.

The Title carried.

The Bill, as amended, carried.

ORDERED, — That the Chair report the Bill, as amended, to the House.

ORDERED, — That Bill C-479, as amended, be reprinted for the use of the House at report stage.

At 4:17 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 4:22 p.m., the sitting resumed in camera.

The Committee resumed consideration of a draft report.

At 5:29 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.