Public Safety Canada
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Departments of the Government of Canada |
|
|---|---|
| Public Safety | |
| Sécurité publique et Protection civile | |
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| Minister | Stockwell Day |
| Established | 2003 |
| Responsibilities | Public safety |
| Employees | N/A |
| Department Website | |
Public Safety Canada, formerly known as Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada, legally incorporated as the federal Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, is the department of the government of Canada with responsibility for protecting Canadians and helping to maintain a peaceful and safe society.
Legislation for the agency began in February 2001 and the department was created in December 2003 during a reorganization of the federal government, and it became legally established when the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Act came into force on April 4, 2005. The agency Emergency Preparedness Canada was created under the auspices of the Defence department before the establishment of the department by the Emergency Preparedness Act of 1988.
The department was created to have a single entity with responsibility for ensuring public safety in Canada and is a direct result of lessons learned from the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. The department is in many ways similar to the U. S. Department of Homeland Security, though it does not cover the protection of maritime sovereignty.
Most of the department comprises organizations that were previously placed under the Department of Solicitor General of Canada, however the reorganization of several federal departments and ministries added the Canada Border Services Agency to the portfolio, after the two streams of the former Canada Customs and Revenue Agency were split in 2003. In addition, the Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Emergency Preparedness from the Department of National Defence was also brought into the Department.
The first Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness minister was Anne McLellan, who also served as Deputy Prime Minister. On February 6, 2006, Stockwell Day, former leader of the Canadian Alliance, was appointed Minister of Public Safety by Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
In addition to the department there are five agencies and three review bodies within the Public Safety portfolio headed by the Minister of Public Safety.
- Associated Agencies
- Review Bodies
- Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP
- RCMP External Review Committee
- Office of the Correctional Investigator
In addition, reporting to the Deputy Minister and Minister of Public Safety is the Inspector General of CSIS, one of two review bodies for the agency.
Senior officials of PS include:
- Parliamentary Secretary to the Public Safety minister
- Deputy Minister Public Safety.
- Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Emergency Management and National Security
- Assistant Deputy Minister, Policing, Law Enforcement and Interoperability
- Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Policy
- Assistant Deputy Minister, Community Safety and Partnerships
- Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Management
- Inspector General of CSIS
[edit] Related links
[edit] See also
- List of Canadian Ministers of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
- Public safety
- Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
- Minister of Justice (Canada)
- Canada Border Services Agency
- Provincial Emergency Program of British Columbia
PS also works with provincial emergency agencies when the situation is specific to one part of Canada:
- British Columbia Provincial Emergency Program
- Emergency Management Alberta
- Saskatchewan Emergency Planning
- Manitoba Emergency Measures Organization
- Emergency Management Ontario
- Ministère de la Sécurité publique du Québec (MSP) (Department of Public Security, Québec)
- New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization
- Nova Scotia Emergency Measures Organization
- Prince Edward Island Emergency Measures Organization
- Newfoundland Emergency Measures Division
- Northwest Territories - Department of Municipal and Community Affairs
- Department of Solicitor General
- FEMA - United States
- Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations - Netherlands
