Parliamentary Committee Notes: Decreased Funding Levels for Public Safety Canada
Issue:
The total funding sought by Public Safety Canada in Main Estimates for 2024-25 is $1,605.3M, representing a ($1,041.6M) or 39.4% decrease over the previous year. Committee members may express concerns about potential cuts in critical operations and ask the minister to explain this decrease.
Proposed Response:
Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements Program (DFAA):
The majority of Public Safety Canada’s decrease of ($1,041.6M) is attributable to a decrease of ($1,174.9M) in funding levels over the previous year for the DFAA:
- In Main Estimates 2024-25, we are seeking a total of $550.0M for the DFAA, representing a ($1,174.9M) or 68.1% decrease over the previous year.
- This decrease is mainly attributable to a reduction in forecasts from provinces and territories for disbursements related to historical events.
- We remain committed to helping impacted communities recover and rebuild from devasting disasters. Public Safety Canada regularly consults with provinces and territories to ensure funding levels meet disbursement requirements under the DFAA legislation, and aligns funding levels accordingly.
- We are also working closely with all partners, including provinces, territories, and indigenous communities, in advancing several initiatives designed to improve Canada’s resilience to flooding, and to disasters more generally.
Memorial Grant Program (MGP):
- In addition, we have a decrease of ($21.6M) for the Memorial Grant Program (MGP) for First Responders. In the previous year, the program received additional funding to eliminate the backlog of applications and to accommodate growth in the program. Decreased funding in 2024-25 is in line with the projected number of applications.
Other Programs:
- While the departmental funding levels are decreasing overall, Public Safety Canada has some increases in funding for the following notable programs:
- $83.3M for the renewal for the Initiative to Take Action Against Gun and Gang Violence;
- $36.0M to extend the Humanitarian Workforce program and develop a civilian response capacity;
- $12.4M to enhance Natural Disaster Resilience;
- $12.3M related to new collective bargaining agreements; and
- $12.0M net increase for the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program to support Indigenous policing and community safety.
- The remaining variance is explained by a $1.1M net decrease for other initiatives of lesser value.
Annex:
If pressed on funding to fight Foreign Interference:
- Foreign interference is a dynamic threat which seeks to undermine Canada’s national interests, economic prosperity and values, threaten public safety and Canadians ability to exercise their fundamental democratic rights and freedoms. For this reason, over the past year, the Government of Canada has implemented a series of initiatives to assess and enhance our approach to ensure it keeps pace with the evolving threat environment.
- Funding to bolster Canada’s approach to counter foreign interference was identified in Budget 2023, and the process to access that funding is underway. This includes:
- $13.5 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, and $3.1 million ongoing to Public Safety Canada to establish the office of the National Counter Foreign Interference Coordination to enhance coordination within the federal government as well as outreach efforts with non-federal stakeholders; and,
- $48.9M in funding to the RCMP to protect Canadians from harassment and intimidation by foreign actors, to increase its investigative capacity, and to more proactively engage with communities at greater risk of being targeted.
If pressed on reduced funding for the Contribution Program to Combat Serious and Organized Crime:
- In Main Estimates 2024-25, we have a ($3.0M) net decrease for the Contribution Program to Combat Serious and Organized Crime due to fluctuations in funding levels of various sub-initiatives:
- ($2.0M) decrease due to the sunset of funding for the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking, for which renewal plans are currently under consideration.
- ($1.3M) decrease in funding level for the Drug-Impaired Driving initiative. The fluctuation in funding level is due to previous reprofiles of funding, which better addressed the need of provinces and territories (PTs) and better aligned the activity levels of the program in relation to the funding.
- $0.3M increase for the renewed Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy. This funding will support the adaptation and implementation of an overdose monitoring application (ODMAP), which will provide near real-time suspected overdose surveillance data to support public safety and public health response and analysis efforts.
If pressed on funding for changes to Bill C-41:
- In June 2023, Bill C-41, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and to make consequential amendments to other Acts received Royal Assent.
- This legislation amended the Criminal Code terrorist financing provision to include a distinct exception for the delivery of humanitarian assistance as well as process to authorize the delivery of specific activities in a geographic area that is controlled by a terrorist group – These are activities that would otherwise be prohibited due to an unavoidable and incidental benefit that may accrue to a terrorist group.
- To operationalize this provision, PS is working closely with partnering departments and agencies to stand up an Authorization Regime. Budget 2023 confirmed $12.7 Million in funding over two years for PS, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Communication Security Establishment (CSE) to undertake new activities to develop, implement, and administer this initiative.
- To this end, in December 2023, PS and the RCMP secured $8.10 Million in funding over two years as part of the Supplementary C estimates. Additional operational costs are being absorbed by the RCMP, CSE and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) within current funding levels to support the implementation and administration of this initiative.
Background:
The total Grants and Contributions (G&C) funding sought in Main Estimates for 2024-25 is $1,353.6M. This represents a $1,068.2M decrease or 44.1% decrease from the previous year.
| Name | Description | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Memorial Grant Program for First Responders | Offers a federal benefit to eligible recipients, namely surviving families of first responders, who have died as a result of a recognized occupational illness or psychological impairment. | $55.5M |
| Community Resilience Fund | Supports the Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence. | $3.5M |
| Heavy Urban Search and Rescue (HUSAR) Program | Strengths the response capabilities of six (6) HUSAR task forces across Canada. | $3.1M |
| Grant in support of the Safer Communities Initiative | Contributes to preventing and reducing crime in Canada and to increasing knowledge about what works in crime prevention. | $2.8M |
| Grants for National Voluntary Organizations | Organizations that work in the area of criminal justice and whose objectives and activities support and promote the public safety mandate and priorities of the Department. | $1.8M |
| Name | Description | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Contributions to the provinces for assistance related to natural disasters | In order to address existing obligations under the Disaster Assistance Arrangements (DFAA) and to manage the cash flow for event payments related to existing DFAA events. DFAA funding tends to fluctuate based on forecasts provided from Provinces and Territories. When a disaster occurs, it might take years until all the costs are accounted for and Provinces and Territories come foreword for reimbursement. | $550.0M |
| Payments to the provinces, territories, municipalities, Indian band councils and recognized authorities representing Indians on reserve, Indian communities on Crown land and Inuit communities, for the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program | Funds policing services that are professional, dedicated and responsive to First Nation and Inuit communities. Policing services are supported through tripartite policing agreements among the federal government, provincial or territorial governments, and First Nation or Inuit communities. | $343.7M |
| Building Safer Communities Fund | Supports municipalities and Indigenous governments in their efforts to address gun and gang prevalence by providing the funding needed to put in place a spectrum of community-led initiatives. | $85.0M |
| Gun and Gang Violence Action Fund (GGVAF) | Supports provinces and territories in combatting the issue of gun and gang violence in communities. | $80.1M |
| Funding for First Nation and Inuit policing facilities | Provides a dedicated funding mechanism to address deficiencies in policing facilities. | $51.4M |
| Contributions in support of the Safer Communities Initiative | Supports prevention and reduction of crime in Canada and an increase of knowledge about what works in crime prevention. | $49.6M |
| Supporting a Humanitarian Workforce (HWF) to Respond to COVID-19 and Other Large-Scale Emergencies | Supports non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in building capacity and deploying resources to jurisdictions in Canada to respond to emergencies. | $35.0M |
| Contribution Program to Combat Serious and Organized Crime | Supports initiatives, research, partnership building, specialized police services, projects and programs to increase knowledge, raise awareness and/or help advance efforts to combat serious and organized crime. | $28.4M |
| Aboriginal Community Safety Development Contribution Program | To prevent incidents of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG), provide a means to enhance accessibility to Restorative Justice programming and respond to the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). | $18.7M |
| Biology Casework Analysis Contribution Program | Provides contributions to the government of Ontario and Quebec, which operate forensic laboratories that undertake biological casework analysis for the purpose of criminal identification, and which provide crime scene DNA profiles to the National DNA Data Bank (NDDB). | $12.5M |
| Contribution for supporting the Canadian Red Cross’s (CRC) urgent relief efforts related to COVID-19, floods and wildfires | Provides support to residents of British Columbia in response to 2021 atmospheric flooding and wildfires events, through matching donations to CRC. | $9.0M |
| Contribution Program in support of the Search and Rescue New Initiatives Fund | Provides annual funding for projects that will improve the National Search and Rescue Program. | $7.3M |
| Contributions to National Voluntary Organizations | Organizations that work in the area of criminal justice and whose objectives and activities support and promote the public safety mandate and priorities of the Department. | $5.0M |
| Community Resilience Fund | Supports the Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence. | $3.5M |
| Contribution in support of the Nation’s Capital Extraordinary Policing Costs Program | Ensures that the City has the resources to support the safety and security for extraordinary events, as they pertain to the country’s capital, in an evolving and complex policing environment. | $3.0M |
| Contribution Program to Combat Child Sexual Exploitation and Human Trafficking | Supports projects and initiatives that contribute to increasing knowledge, raising awareness, building capacity and reinforcing partnerships. | $2.0M |
| Payments to the provinces, territories, and public and private bodies in support of activities complementary to those of the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness | Supports strategic projects undertaken by the Department’s stakeholders that contribute to policy making and improved service delivery, in the areas of public safety and emergency management. | $1.2M |
| Search and Rescue Volunteer Association of Canada Contribution Program | Program with the purpose of assisting the SARVAC to improve Ground Search and Rescue (GSAR) in Canada through the coordination, consistency and standardization of the 12,000 volunteers involved in GSAR. | $0.7M |
| International Association of Fire Fighters, Canada | Address a gap in training and contribute to interoperability among fire fighters. | $0.5M |
| COSPAS-SARSAT Secretariat Contribution Program | Provides a share of the operational costs incurred by the Secretariat in performing its administrative tasks and functions. | $0.3M |
Background – Bill C-41:
In June 2023, Bill C-41 received Royal Assent, thereby amending the specific Criminal Code terrorist financing provision to include a distinct exception for humanitarian assistance as well as process to authorize the delivery of specific activities for certain purposes in a geographic area that is controlled by a terrorist group - activities that would otherwise be prohibited under subsection 83.03(2) of the Criminal Code due to an unavoidable and incidental benefit that may accrue to a terrorist group. Under this provision, the Minister of PS may grant an authorization to eligible persons to conduct, in a geographic area that is controlled by a terrorist group, and for certain purposes, specific activities that would otherwise be prohibited under subsection 83.03(2) of the Criminal Code. To operationalize this PS is currently working to stand up an Authorization Regime.
Over the summer and fall of 2023, PS focused its efforts on leading the preparation of a Treasury Board Submission which sought access funding totaling $8.10 million over two years (FY 2023/24 and 2024/25) for PS and the RCMP. This submission was approved by the Treasury Board on December 7, 2023. With the approval of this submission, PS secured the necessary resources to advance the operationalization of the Authorization Regime. As Budget 2023 only identified funding for two year, CSE chose not access the funding allocated for FTEs. The FTEs required to support this initiative are highly specialized and would take at least one year to staff. With time-limited and no ongoing funding it would not be feasible to fill these positions in the allotted time.
PS has continued to lead interdepartmental efforts to develop public-facing and regime governance materials. This has been done in coordination with partnering departments and agencies to ensure that this initiative is efficiently and effectively administered and to ensure that the public, including potential applicants, are provided with clear and informative resources. PS also continues to work with security and intelligence partners to ensure a thorough security review and risk assessment process for all referred applications, as well as rigorous, consistent enforcement, and compliance monitoring of conditions for granted authorizations.
PS intends to publicly launch this regime in Spring 2024 and will work towards achieving full operational capacity by late 2024.
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