Liberals want to expand Parliament Hill after post-convoy security report
Liberal MPs on a House of Commons committee that studied parliamentary security after the "Freedom Convoy" say Parliament Hill should expand to include nearby streets.
The Liberals say a land transfer should take place between the City of Ottawa and the federal public services department to allow Wellington Street and Sparks Street, a pedestrian street one block south of Parliament Hill, to become part of the precinct.
That's a stronger position than the one taken by the majority of MPs on the committee, which only suggested the land transfer "if necessary."
Conservatives disagree with the recommendations and say that politicians should not be in charge of security.
The committee's eight recommendations include that the same streets be part of the Parliamentary Protective Service's jurisdiction either way and that Wellington Street remain closed to traffic between Kent Street and the National War Memorial.
The road has been largely closed off since the clearing of the weeks-long "Freedom Conboy" protest against COVID-19 measures earlier this year that saw big rigs parked just outside of the parliamentary buildings.
The acting director of the protective service, Larry Brookson, has said that he would support bringing Wellington Street under his jurisdiction. The committee said it recognizes the "evolving threat environment" of the Hill and that the service should be provided "the necessary resources" to secure it.
"The right to grant the public access to the parliamentary precincts and the grounds of Parliament Hill belongs to Parliament, as an institution, and its membership. Security for parliamentarians, staff and the general public is essential, rather than incidental, to enabling Parliament to conduct its work," the report from the procedure and House affairs committee concluded.
"The committee recognizes the importance of ensuring the safety and security of parliamentarians, staff and all persons within the parliamentary precinct, while seeking to preserve the welcoming and open character of the nation's capital."
The recommendations, released the day before the House of Commons takes a break for the holidays, emphasize that consultations and discussions with stakeholders should continue, including with Indigenous groups.
They also seem geared toward creating better communication among various police services to prevent confusion around how to respond to an unprecedented situation such as the February protests, which ultimately prompted the federal government to invoke special emergency powers.
The majority of MPs on the committee are calling for the creation of a new working group between parliamentary security officials, the Ottawa Police Service, the Ontario Provincial Police and the RCMP.
This group would "establish an effective and consistent plan in the event of incidents on Parliament Hill," the report says. It would meet at least twice a year and start work on a "real post-mortem of the various incidents that have taken place on Parliament Hill over the past 20 years."
That would include this year's "Freedom Convoy," but also the 2014 shootings that killed Cpl. Nathan Cirillo at the National War Memorial.
Government should establish "clear instructions" on the mandates of law enforcement and security partners, the committee is also recommending.
Conservatives took issue with the idea that government would be so heavily involved in security decisions and disagreed with the changes to Parliament Hill jurisdiction, saying the committee was going "too far, too fast."
Experts should have been allowed to craft a joint proposal on the details of a security plan, a dissenting report from the Conservative Party said.
"We were pleased to hear that there are positive working relationships among the various partners and that the events of recent months have led to even greater awareness of Parliament's unique situation as well as stronger inter-agency collaboration," the Tories said, referring to witness testimony that contributed to the committee's findings.
"In our view, the ever-evolving future of parliamentary security should leverage and enhance these dynamics, rather than be needlessly disrupted through the imposition of politicians' instructions. To be certain, we did not hear a compelling argument from witnesses that politicians ought to wade in and give directions to policing and security professionals."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 14, 2022.
IN DEPTH
Jagmeet Singh pulls NDP out of deal with Trudeau Liberals, takes aim at Poilievre Conservatives
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has pulled his party out of the supply-and-confidence agreement that had been helping keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberals in power.
'Not the result we wanted': Trudeau responds after surprise Conservative byelection win in Liberal stronghold
Conservative candidate Don Stewart winning the closely-watched Toronto-St. Paul's federal byelection, and delivering a stunning upset to Justin Trudeau's candidate Leslie Church in the long-time Liberal riding, has sent political shockwaves through both parties.
'We will go with the majority': Liberals slammed by opposition over proposal to delay next election
The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it.
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Conservatives call on Elon Musk to step in after Liberals provide loan to Ottawa-based satellite operator
A $2.14-billion federal loan for an Ottawa-based satellite operator has Canadian politicians arguing about whether American billionaire Elon Musk poses a national security risk.
Sunken superyacht believed to contain watertight safes with sensitive intelligence data
Specialist divers surveying the wreckage of the US$40 million superyacht that sank off Sicily in August, killing seven people including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, have asked for heightened security to guard the vessel, over concerns that sensitive data locked in its safes may interest foreign governments, multiple sources told CNN.
Myths busted and lessons learned: John Vennavally-Rao on his surgery to reverse his ostomy
Twenty-seven year Â鶹ӰÊÓ reporter and anchor John Vennavally-Rao shares his story of what it was like to have an ostomy bag as part of his health-care battle. 'I’m grateful for what it did to extend my life,' he writes in a personal column for CTVNews.ca.
The British Columbia election campaign is set to officially start today, with Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin issuing the writ for the Oct. 19 vote.
A northern Ontario man is facing a $12,000 fine after illegally shooting a moose near the Batchawan River.
Heavy metal exposure could increase cardiovascular disease risk, study finds
A new study is adding to emerging research showing that exposure to metals such as cadmium, uranium and copper may also be associated with the leading cause of death worldwide, cardiovascular disease.
Unusual flippered feet are making their way into the Saint Lawrence River this weekend. Led by underwater explorer and filmmaker Nathalie Lasselin, volunteer divers are combing the riverbed near Beauharnois in Montérégie to remove hundreds of tires that have been polluting the aquatic environment for decades.
Hezbollah targets base near Haifa after Israeli strike in Beirut killed 37, including top commander
The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah announced that it fired a barrage of missiles at a military base deep inside Israel early Sunday following an Israeli airstrike more than a day earlier that killed at least 37 people, including one of the militant group’s senior leaders as well as women and children.
A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.
Local Spotlight
Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.
Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.
An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.
They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.
A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.
Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.
The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.
It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.