Legal and Constitutional Affairs
Senators continue their review of the government's bill (C-51) to improve the federal witness protection program. While the federal program is administered by the RCMP, some provinces such as Ontario and Quebec operate their own programs.
Scott Tod, deputy commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police, and Richard Dupuis, who is the primary person responsible for Montreal's witness protection program, discuss their concerns with the operational impact and consequences the bill would have on provincial witness programs.
Tom Stamatakis, president of the Canadian Police Association, expresses his organization's strong endorsement of the proposed legislation.
Ian McPhail, interim chair of the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP, responds to questions about the mandate of the commission and whether it will be affected by the bill.
Committee members then hear from their last witness, Yvon Dandurand, who is a criminologist at the University of the Fraser Valley. He believes the bill will increase the efficiency of both the federal and provincial programs and indicates his support of several provisions.
UPDATE: Bill C-51 received royal assent on June 26.
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