Question Period Notes
About this information
In accordance with the Access to Information Act, the government proactively publishes the package of question period notes that were prepared by a government institution for the minister and that were in use on the last sitting day in June and December.
The question period notes may be partially or fully redacted in accordance with the legislation; for example, if the notes contain information related to national security or personal information. (Learn more about exemptions and exclusions.)
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There are currently two class action lawsuits at early stages before the courts, challenging the constitutionality of the Government of Canada’s employer-specific work permits issued to temporary foreign workers.
IRCC Processing (General)
• Climate-change driven hazards are increasing in both frequency and costs, and are a mounting threat to the safety and economic viability of Canadian businesses and communities.
• Disaster mitigation measures aim to reduce impacts before emergencies occur, enhancing resilience and safety across society.
• Alert Ready, the National Public Alerting System (NPAS), provides emergency management organizations across the country with the capability to rapidly warn the public of imminent or unfolding hazards to life.
• The final report of the Nova Scotia Mass Casualty Commission included recommendations related to public alerting.
• Canada’s public safety community faces significant interoperability challenges and relies on outdated communications technologies that do not meet the requirements of today and tomorrow’s emergency response.
• A nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (PSBN) would provide a secure, resilient, and interoperable communications platform for responders, and enable new technologies and applications that enhance emergency response.
• The opioid overdose crisis is a public health and safety emergency of significant concern.
• Canada works with domestic and international partners, including law and border enforcement, to combat the illegal fentanyl and precursor chemical trade; this includes Border Plan investments to detect and disrupt illicit supply chains.
• The Government of Canada is taking steps to ensure policing in First Nation and Inuit communities, supported through the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program (FNIPP), are professional, dedicated and culturally responsive to the communities they serve.
• The December 2021 mandate letters for the Ministers of Public Safety, Indigenous Services and Crown–Indigenous Relations direct Ministers to: Continue to work with First Nations partners to co-develop a legislative framework for First Nations policing.
• Several reports and inquiries have identified critical challenges and made a number of recommendations with respect to reforms that the RCMP should undertake, including with respect to RCMP Federal Policing (FP). As a result, the Government of Canada has committed to augmenting RCMP federal policing training and capacity to tackle drugs and human trafficking, foreign interference, cybercrime, and the organized criminal gangs that steal cars.
• Canada saw a slight decrease in firearm-related homicides from 2022 to 2023, however there has been an increase in firearm-related violent crimes over a ten year period (2013-2023).
• The Government of Canada has launched several initiatives to strengthen the firearms regime and combat gun violence.
• Online child sexual exploitation (OCSE) is one of the digital age’s most pressing safety issues that continues to increase in terms of scope, reach and impacts.