Evidence of meeting #10 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was convicted.
A recording is available from Parliament.
9:05 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
We're going to call this meeting to order. This is the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, meeting number 10, March 31, 2009. The orders of the day, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), are to study the funding of settlement services.
We have two witnesses, but before we introduce them, Mr. Dykstra has told me that he wishes to address the committee. I hope it's brief.
Mr. Dykstra.
9:05 a.m.
Conservative
Rick Dykstra Conservative St. Catharines, ON
I like to think that I'm normally fairly brief, Mr. Chair.
My only point is that with the discussion of Ms. Chow and Mr. St-Cyr regarding the report on temporary workers, foreign workers here in Canada, we had agreed to try to add an additional meeting to compensate or to try to at least complete that report, so add an additional meeting to our normal schedule. I suggested an evening this week. I understand that's agreeable with those members. Now it's not agreeable with those members. It is or it isn't?
9:05 a.m.
NDP
9:05 a.m.
Conservative
Rick Dykstra Conservative St. Catharines, ON
Then I would suggest we try to find a date within the next two weeks, although I suppose if we're not going to go this week we can finish it at our first meeting next week.
9:05 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
I don't think too many people are going to come back in the next two weeks.
9:05 a.m.
Conservative
Rick Dykstra Conservative St. Catharines, ON
I appreciate your humour, Mr. Chair.
I would suggest then that if we're not available to meet this week, we do it the first Tuesday that we come back from our work in our constituencies and do our best to complete the report at that meeting.
9:05 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
Before we comment on that, I have no problem if the committee agrees to that. That's fine with me. As I understand it, this morning we're going to be briefed by the staff, by the department, on this topic. That may take an hour. That may take a little more than an hour. As I also understand it, there may be a couple of witnesses in the general audience who, if there's time permitting, could speak to the committee as well. If not, we'll go the full two hours with the staff. We'll see how it goes.
On this coming Thursday the chair has planned to proceed with other witnesses. There's a list circulating--and I think there are different lists, of which I've only seen one--and we would proceed with those witnesses, as many as we could, on the Thursday. And the list goes on for a second page. In the chairman's opinion, it's most unlikely that if we want to hear all those witnesses, we will be able to deal with them all on Thursday; we may have to have another day. That's a topic for the committee. However, the original plan was that we would strictly have this coming Thursday for two hours with those witnesses and then deal with the report on the first Tuesday back from the break. Obviously the wind is changing, and I'm in the hands of the committee, but you're going to have to tell me what you want to do.
The first question is, do you want two days for other witnesses or do you just want one day for other witnesses? Secondly, do you want to interrupt this study to finish the foreign workers report? Will we finish this study first or would we interrupt it to proceed with the foreign workers study?
There you have it. I need guidance from the committee as to where you want the clerk and me to go.
Ms. Chow.
9:10 a.m.
NDP
Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON
Since the staff is here...I see. If we go right into it, then you can't interrupt it halfway.
9:10 a.m.
NDP
Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON
However, we won't do that.
On the list of all the witnesses, how many are there for Thursday? Are there huge numbers?
9:10 a.m.
NDP
9:10 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
Well, that would be my suggestion, but they're going to be pretty big panels. There are 10 organizations, many of which probably don't agree with each other.
9:10 a.m.
NDP
Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON
I haven't seen the list, but you can make a rough guess about whether, during one hour, you could have one panel of people who may agree with each other--
9:10 a.m.
NDP
Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON
--and then another panel an hour later of people who may not agree with each other. It would be the two sides with different points of view. Then you would be able to accomplish.... It's 50-50. It's fair.
9:10 a.m.
NDP
Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON
Yes, I mean this Thursday. To be fair, you have one hour for one side. I don't know whether there are two sides to this; I suspect there are many sides.
9:10 a.m.
NDP
Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON
Oh, okay, the list is being circulated. That might be easier.
Since we had some momentum on temporary foreign workers, I would suggest that we get that done first, after we hear the deputies speak on the temporary foreign workers. Then we can explore the second study.
9:10 a.m.
Liberal
Maurizio Bevilacqua Liberal Vaughan, ON
Mr. Chairman, why don't we have this little chat after we listen to the officials? Let's deal with them first. We'll give them an hour or so, and then we'll sort things out thereafter.
9:10 a.m.
Conservative
Rick Dykstra Conservative St. Catharines, ON
I'm okay with that suggestion. I don't know whether there are witnesses here or not, but we can also make that determination.
I pretty much think we should stick to the agenda that we had. We'll be just fine. I want to leave it in your hands as to how you set up the witnesses on Thursday. I think the best thing to do is make sure we have people arranged, as Ms. Chow suggested, into five who agree and then five who don't agree.
I would say that you should make sure you're within your purview. You can keep both rounds fairly consistent so that there isn't tremendous conflict between them. I think you're more than capable of taking care of that.
9:10 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
Well, that's an awful burden on the chair. We may acknowledge some who agree and some who don't, but I don't know everybody.
Go ahead, Mr. Calandra.
9:10 a.m.
Conservative
Paul Calandra Conservative Oak Ridges—Markham, ON
I was just wondering, Mr. Chair, if we might get an opportunity to speak to my motion, which I tabled some time ago.