Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) employees told the Commons Public Safety committee that a proposed law to establish an independent oversight body for the CBSA would not effectively deal with “problematic behaviour” by management. . CBSA .According to Blacklock’s Reporter, the CBSA is Canada’s largest law enforcement agency that does not have a civilian oversight board..“Make real change,” testified Mark Weber, national president of the Customs and Immigration Union. The bill was “missing the mark.”.Bill C-20 An Act Establishing the Public Complaints and Review Commission would establish an independent board responsible for handling public complaints related to the CBSA's “conduct and levels of service.”.This commission would also be empowered to investigate “serious incidents” involving death, injury, or violations of federal or provincial laws..“The type of civilian oversight the bill aims to create is something that already exists for most law enforcement bodies,” said Weber. .“We agree it is paramount for our government and its agencies to develop the tools and recourses necessary to address issues linked to overreach, systemic discrimination and abuse of authority.”.“That said, the bill seems to be missing the mark when it comes to addressing system issues already present within the Agency, which is infamous among its employees for letting gross abuse by management run unchecked,” said Weber. .“To be candid, I have lost count of the number of times Agency management has in one way or another done everything in its power to minimize, delay or brush aside complaints from employees regarding highly problematic behaviour from managers.”.No examples were provided by Weber. CBSA public complaints are currently managed internally. Two oversight bills, C-3 and C-98, introduced by the Cabinet in 2019, were allowed to lapse..Access to Information records dating from 2015 showed the department of Public Safety confidentially lobbied against private reform bills to appoint an Inspector General to investigate public complaints against the CBSA. Staff proposed to “shelve it pending a wider review of security manners” and feared investigators would gain “access to any information under the CBSA’s control including cabinet confidences.”. Marco Mendicino .According to Weber, the CBSA faces challenges such as a shortage of front-line officers, an excessive number of managers, and a lack of motivation for reform in the upper management..“I see nothing in this bill that will help curb this and I am concerned the proposed commission will mostly serve as an additional punitive tool,” said Weber..Bill C-20 was introduced by Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino on May 19, 2022. It successfully passed the Second Reading in the Commons on November 25..“We have made a promise to Canadians that we’d create a new body to strengthen civilian review and police accountability,” Mendicino said a year ago. .“We are keeping that promise.”
