On April 20, Regional Vice Presidents (RVP) Zoe Johnston, Kirsty Havard and Jeff Sandelli met with New Democratic Party (NDP) Member of Parliament (MP) and Public Safety critic, Jenny Kwan at her office in Ottawa.
The catalyst for this meeting was MP Kwan’s attendance at USJE’s National Public Safety Awards ceremony on Parliament Hill, where MP Kwan provided opening comments on behalf of the NDP.
After the ceremony, MP Kwan spoke with the Award Recipients and engaged with USJE representatives. Given that MP Kwan represents the riding of Vancouver East, in British Columbia (BC), she had a particular interest in dialoguing with the three RVPs representing USJE members in the Pacific Region. As a result, she requested a follow-up meeting which was facilitated the same week in her Ottawa-based Parliament Hill office.
During the meeting at MP Kwan’s office, USJE representatives provided her with a thorough overview of USJE’s membership which includes approximately 19,500 members across 18 federal departments and agencies within.
Further conversation took place to explain the unique roles that are played by USJE members in providing both front-line interventions, and serving as the operational & administrational backbone of many public safety portfolios at the federal level. USJE recognizes that countless members often work behind the scenes without the recognition afforded to more traditionally recognized Public Safety Personnel.
USJE representatives emphasized with MP Kwan that they are particularly concerned about the cuts that the Treasury Board of Canada is currently making across all departments, some of which are already in play, and others of which are yet to occur but are likely to proceed in forthcoming waves under the Comprehensive Expenditure Review (CER). Inevitably, these cuts will have an impact on public safety.
RVP Havard provided a detailed overview of what is transpiring within the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC)—both at Institutions and Regional Headquarters. She highlighted the impacts of WFA on crucial functions within Corrections, specifically teachers and cleaners’ positions. RVP Sandelli raised concerns regarding CSC’s decision to abolish the Community Employment Coordinator (CEC) position. MP Kwan was provided with an overview of the specialized skills and support that were provided by this position and how a credible plan to replace the services provided by the CEC has not been identified.
USJE representatives noted that the current and proposed future cuts to public safety appear to be diametrically opposed to the Liberal governments previously released Federal Framework to Reduce Recidivism. The Federal Framework strategy identifies employment, income stability, and community support networks as core determinants of successful reintegration.
RVP Johnston shared information regarding the significant cuts being undertaken within the Department of Justice, while also noting similar reductions being discussed and developed across the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) nationwide. RVP Johnston further highlighted several major incidents and tragedies that have occurred in BC over the years, emphasizing the critical role USJE’s members have played within the justice system. She warned that these continued cuts will place additional strains on all frontline services and further jeopardize public safety.
The RVPs then provided MP Kwan with an overview of USJE’s Presumptive Injury Campaign. Information was shared with respect to the federal government’s obligations to federal public servants under the Government Employees Compensation Act (GECA). The limitations of that Act have—unfortunately—resulted in differential treatment by the Workers’ Compensation Board’s depending upon the province or territory where USJE’s members reside.
As a result, USJE continues to advocate for changes to GECA to ensure that USJE members can have consistent and fair presumptive injury coverage across the country, so that federal public safety personnel receive the support they require when they need it. MP Kwan expressed her gratitude for the information from USJE as she continues to build her knowledge in the critic role. MP Kwan brings prior knowledge and experience to discussions in in the public safety realm, and understands that interventions and support for those who are federally incarcerated go a long way to support their stability and public safety at large. MP Kwan also reflected upon the need for mechanisms within Canada’s justice system to work in an orderly fashion to guarantee proper processing, assessment and representation so that our communities are safe.
MP Kwan also stated her familiarity with USJE’s proposed amendments to GECA that had been initially introduced by former, longstanding MP Peter Julian with Bill C-357. RVP Johnston provide MP Kwan with a Presumptive Injury Campaign pin, which she immediately dawned while stating that she looked forward to continued efforts to support changes to GECA to aid USJE members.
The meeting concluded with a commitment from MP Kwan to continue working with USJE to advance the interests of our members across the various files, fighting for recognition and meaningful protections related to both job security and mental health. She expressed an openness to participating in site visits within BC to further her connection and understanding of the work USJE members undertake to keep Canadians safe.