Today: May 31, 2022

Today: May 31, 2022

By Andrew Thomson | UPDATED May 31, 2022 2:31pmET

Auditor General Flags Wait Times For Veterans Disability Benefits, Systemic Treatment Of Black and Indigenous Offenders

Initiatives to reduce wait times for military and RCMP veterans to access disability benefits have fallen short and continue to produce "unacceptable delays," according to a new report from Auditor General Karen Hogan. 

Hogan's office also found Correctional Service Canada has failed to tackle systemic racism and improve its own workplace diversity despite numerous calls for action in recent years.

This has left Black and Indigenous offenders facing "poorer outcomes than any other groups" in the federal prisons system: from security classifications to placement in maximum-security institutions to access to correctional programs.  

Two other Auditor General reports concluded:

  • the federal government's use of gender-based analysis has produced an "unclear" impact on whether policies are actually producing better outcomes for gender equality, diversity, and inclusion;

Reports were also tabled on Farm Credit Canada and the Federal Bridge Corporation. 

Peter Van Dusen will have more coverage on PrimeTime Politics at 8pm ET / 5pm PT. Watch Auditor General Karen Hogan's news conference on Parliament Hill:

Federal ministers Marco Mendicino (public safety), Marci Ien (women and gender equality and youth), Diane Lebouthillier (national revenue), Karina Gould (families, children and social development), and Lawrence MacAulay (veterans affairs) are expected to respond to the reports at 1pm ET / 10am PT. 

In the House

Watch Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the chamber for question period:

Here's what Trudeau told reporters this morning about the government's new firearms legislation (C-21) that includes a national "freeze" on handgun purchases, sales, transfers, or imports:

Also on Monday's House of Commons agenda:

An opposition day motion from the Bloc Québécois:

That: (a) the House denounce all forms of discrimination; (b) in the opinion of the House, (i) research is necessary for the advancement of science and society in general, (ii) access to the Canada Research Chairs Program must be based on the candidates’ skills and qualifications; and (c) the House call on the government to review the program's criteria to ensure that grants are awarded based on science and not based on identity criteria or unrelated to the purpose of the research.

WATCH: Bloc House Leader Alain Therrien and innovation and science critic Maxime Blanchette-Joncas speak to reporters ahead of the debate

WATCH: Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet and MPs Kristina Michaud and Andréanne Larouche discuss Bill C-21

MPs also return to a private member's bill from former cabinet minister Jim Carr that would establish a federal framework "to build a green economy in the Prairie provinces."

And votes are scheduled on a Conservative concurrence motion for an ethics committee report, along with Bill C-18 at second reading.

In Committee

Should federal jurisdiction for security be expanded around Parliament Hill in the wake of February's "convoy" occupation? The Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs hears from local politicians and community organizations. 11am ET / 8am PT

Also:

Nearly 90 federal officials will be on hand as the finance committee considers amendments to the budget implementation bill (C-19). 11am ET / 8am PT and 3:30pm ET / 12:30pm PT

The heritage committee holds more hearings on Bill C-11. Witnesses include CRTC chair Ian Scott and executives from Netflix and YouTube. 11am ET / 8am PT and 3:30pm ET / 12:30pm PT and 6:30pm ET / 3:30pm PT

Conservative MP Michael Cooper discusses Bill S-206 at the justice committee. 3:30pm ET / 12:30pm PT

Canada Post executives brief the government operations committee. 3:30pm ET / 12:30pm PT

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland goes before the Senate national finance committee to discuss bills C-8 and C-19. 4pm ET / 1pm PT

WATCH: Federal and B.C. ministers discuss plan for opioid decriminalization

The federal government will exempt adults in British Columbia from criminal charges for the personal possession of small amounts of opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine, and MDMA, after the province requested decriminalization to deal with the opioid crisis.

There will be no arrests, charges, or seizures under the exemption, which comes into effect on Jan. 31, 2023 for a three-year period and covers personal possession up to 2.5 grams.

The exemption will not apply to armed forces personnel or those on Coast Guard vessels and helicopters, or adults on school premises or at licensed child care facilities. Nor will it apply to vehicles or watercraft operated by a minor. And substances must not be “readily accessible” to adult drivers or watercraft operators, according to federal officials.

Subsection 56(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) allows the government to grant ministerial exemptions from the application of any or all of the provisions of the CDSA, if the exemption is deemed “necessary for a medical or scientific purposes or is otherwise in the public interest.”

The British Columbia provincial government requested an exemption in November 2021, pointing to reduced access to treatment services, continuing stigma, the disproportionate impact of criminal charges against Indigenous and racialized populations, and dangerous new contaminants in the illegal drug market.

B.C. reported nearly 9,400 overdose-related deaths between April 2016, when the province declared a public health emergency, and March 2022.

Watch the Vancouver news conference with Carolyn Bennett, the federal minister of mental health and addictions, and British Columbia counterpart Sheila Malcolmson:

Today in Politics Podcast: Mark Sutcliffe and Susan Delacourt

Handguns are at the centre of new gun control legislation tabled by the federal government. Former Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour issues a report calling Canada’s military a "broken system." And a pollster says Pierre Poilievre could be vulnerable as support for him appears to soften.