OTTAWA, March 6, 2013 — The Honourable Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety, and Senator Jean-Guy Dagenais today encouraged support for the third reading vote on Bill C-42: Enhancing Royal Canadian Mounted Police Accountability Act in the House of Commons.

“The RCMP is recognized around the world as a symbol of who we are as Canadians, and what we value: professionalism, honesty, integrity and compassion. Our Government is committed to ensuring that the RCMP has the tools it needs to ensure accountability and transparency to Canadians,” said Minister Toews. “I encourage all members of the House to support the Enhancing Royal Canadian Mounted Police Accountability Act at third reading as it will help strengthen pride in Canada’s national police force, and enable the men and women of the RCMP to continue to do the valuable work they do to keep our streets and communities safe.”

The proposed changes to the RCMP Act are designed to enhance accountability and transparency by:

• Strengthening the review and complaints body for the RCMP;
• Establishing a statutory framework for handling criminal investigations of serious incidents involving RCMP members;
• Streamlining the RCMP human resource management regime.

“The vast majority of RCMP employees perform an exemplary service to Canadians and deserve our support and respect. The Enhancing Royal Canadian Mounted Police Accountability Act lays the legislative foundation that will allow the RCMP to modernize its human resources systems and processes, including ones to effectively address harassment complaints, along with other workplace-related issues,” said Senator Dagenais. “Changes proposed in the Bill are consistent with recommendations made by RCMP stakeholders. They also complement changes already made to enhance governance and modernize the RCMP’s operations, including its organizational culture.”

Bill C-42: Enhancing Royal Canadian Mounted Police Accountability Act was introduced in the House of Commons on June 20, 2012. It builds on the accountability mechanisms included in the 2012–2032 Police Services Agreements signed by Contract Provinces and Territories. These Agreements both strengthen the RCMP’s relationship with its contract partners and contribute to the broader modernization efforts of the RCMP.

The introduction of this legislation is part of the Harper Government’s Plan for Safe Streets and Communities, which is one of four priorities identified by the Prime Minister. This Plan focuses on tackling crime, victims’ rights, and fair and efficient justice.

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Government of Canada takes action to keep contraband tobacco off Canadian streets and out of Canadian communities

OTTAWA, March 5, 2013 – The Honourable Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety, and the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, today announced increased efforts to keep our streets and communities safe by keeping contraband tobacco off Canadian markets and out of the hands of Canadian children. These changes will advance the Government’s efforts to combat the trafficking and cross border smuggling of contraband tobacco by establishing a 50-officer RCMP Anti-Contraband Tobacco Force and by creating a new Criminal Code offence with mandatory penalties of imprisonment for repeat offenders, many of whom are affiliated with other serious organized criminal activity such as weapons and illegal drug trafficking.

“Our Government is committed to keeping our streets and communities safe. Tobacco trafficking is a serious threat to the public safety of Canadians, our communities and our economy,” said Minister Toews. “Contraband tobacco fuels the growth of organized criminal networks, contributing to the increased availability of illegal drugs and guns in our communities.

The goal of the RCMP Anti-Contraband Tobacco Force is to have a measurable impact on reducing the contraband tobacco market and on combating organized criminal networks. The new 50-officer Anti-Contraband Tobacco Force will target organized crime groups engaged in the production and distribution of contraband tobacco, to reduce the contraband tobacco market, and combat organized criminal networks. This initiative aligns with the RCMP Contraband Tobacco Enforcement Strategy and builds on existing federal enforcement measures.

“Our government is committed to keeping contraband tobacco off our streets. Baggies of cheap, illegal tobacco can make it easier for children and teens to get cigarettes into their hands and start smoking, which obviously has a negative impact on their health,” said Minister Aglukkaq. “Tobacco use continues to be the most preventable cause of premature death in Canada, and we are committed to helping all Canadians in their fight against smoking. There is no place for contraband tobacco in our communities, and today is an important step in the fight against illegal tobacco, and the impact it's having on young Canadians in particular.”

This Bill targets individuals whose activities involve the sale, offer of sale, possession for the purpose of sale, transportation, distribution or delivery of contraband tobacco including high volume amounts of contraband tobacco. The maximum penalty for a first offence would be 6 months imprisonment on summary conviction and 5 years imprisonment if prosecuted on indictment.

This Bill also proposes mandatory minimum penalties of imprisonment for repeat offenders where a high volume of tobacco products is involved. The threshold to be considered “high volume” would be 10,000 cigarettes or 10 kilograms of other tobacco products.

The mandatory minimum penalties on indictment would be as follows:

• 90 days incarceration on a second conviction;
• 180 days incarceration on third conviction; and
• 2 years less a day on subsequent convictions.

The introduction of this legislation is part of the Harper Government’s Plan for Safe Streets and Communities, which is one of four priorities identified by the Prime Minister. This Plan focuses on tackling crime, victims’ rights, and fair and efficient justice.

See also:

• Backgrounder - Department of Justice Canada: Criminal Code Amendments to Keep Contraband Tobacco off Canadian Streets
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OTTAWA, March 4, 2013 – Today, Public Safety Minister Vic Toews announced that the Harper Government will maintain funding for policing agreements with First Nation and Inuit communities under the First Nations Policing Program (FNPP) for the next five years.

“Our Government is committed to keeping our streets and communities safe. Today’s announcement provides stable multi-year funding for policing services in First Nation and Inuit communities. The Harper Government has worked with First Nation and Inuit communities, and provinces and territories, to significantly improve public safety,” said Minister Toews. “Our Government will continue to support First Nation and Inuit policing as part of its ongoing commitment to keeping our streets and communities safe.”

The FNPP supports professional, dedicated and culturally-responsive policing services to First Nation and Inuit communities. FNPP funding supplements existing funding and policing services provided by provinces and territories. In 2012-13, the FNPP is funding 163 policing agreements, which represent approximately 1,250 professionally-trained and dedicated police officers working in approximately 400 First Nation and Inuit communities, serving a total population of over 338,000.

The Harper Government will continue to work with its partners to explore ways to provide the most cost-effective and sustainable policing options, while making the safety and security of all Canadians a top priority.

This initiative is in keeping with the Harper Government’s Plan for Safe Streets and Communities, which focuses on tackling crime, victims' rights, and fair and efficient justice system.

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• Watch MP John Carmichael’s statement in the House of Commons earlier today: YouTube

Canada today assumed the chairmanship of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance and committed to an ambitious campaign in the year ahead to raise Holocaust awareness and fight anti-Semitism.

Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney, along with this year’s Chair of the Alliance, Dr. Mario Silva, attended a ceremony in Berlin where Belgium handed over the chairmanship to Canada.

“Our government believes it is critically important to be engaged in efforts to teach future generations the lessons of the Holocaust and help prevent future acts of genocide,” said Minister Kenney. “The Holocaust stands alone in the annals of human evil and has important lessons to teach all of us—universal lessons that must not be forgotten.”

Canada became actively involved with the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance in 2007, and became a full member in 2009. Canada will Chair the Alliance until March 2014.

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance is an intergovernmental body made up of government officials and experts from 31 countries. It is devoted to fostering and promoting Holocaust education, remembrance and research around the world. Each year, the Alliance nominates a member country to assume leadership of the organization.

“As Chair, Canada will work with all Alliance member countries to implement an ambitious, multi year work plan that includes research into Holocaust killing sites outside of major death camps, the development of educational resources for teachers, and strengthened relationships with international partners,” said Dr. Silva.

The handover ceremony was also marked by the restitution of a painting from the Stuttgart Gallery in Germany to the estate of the late Jewish-Canadian art dealer, Max Stern. With the Nazis’ ascension to power in the 1930s, the painting was part of a forced sale held by the Stern family. Today, the painting by the artist Master of Flémalle was returned to Concordia University in Montréal, which leads the Max Stern Art Restitution Project, one of the most recognized initiatives of its kind in the world.

Many events and initiatives in support of Holocaust education and remembrance will also take place across Canada this year, among them the undertaking of a national project to preserve survivor testimony, an Award for Excellence in Holocaust Education to recognize outstanding teachers, and an international poster competition for Canadian students in Graphics, Art and Design to support Holocaust Memorial Day activities. In addition, the development of a new Holocaust memorial in Canada’s National Capital Region is underway.

Canada is recognized as an international leader in the fight against anti-Semitism. In 2011, Canada was the first country to sign the Ottawa Protocol on Combating Anti Semitism, an international action plan to help nations measure their progress in the fight against anti-Semitism.

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance Conference will be held in Toronto in October 2013.

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance was founded in 2000 under the name Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research (ITF).

• Learn more about the Canada’s initiatives on Holocaust education, remembrance and research.
• More information about the painting from the Master of Flémalle and the Max Stern Restitution Project

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