Evidence of meeting #4 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 karygiannis.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Clerk of the Committee  Mr. Andrew Chaplin

9:40 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative David Tilson

Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, meeting number four, Tuesday, March 3, 2009.

The orders of the day are committee business, and there are some motions. Although the agenda lists Mr. Karygiannis, we also have Mr. Bevilacqua, and then if we get that far, we have the study on undocumented and temporary foreign workers to look at.

We will proceed. Mr. Bevilacqua, you're first on the list.

9:40 a.m.

Liberal

Maurizio Bevilacqua Liberal Vaughan, ON

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I want to bring to the attention of the committee that in reference to one of the motions, that the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration recommend the government immediately implement measures to extend citizenship by descent to second-generation children, I've had conversations with the parliamentary secretary and the government on this particular issue, and they stated they will provide me with an answer to the content of this particular motion. So I will wait for the answer and the notes on that particular one.

9:40 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative David Tilson

Stand that one down to a future time.

9:40 a.m.

Liberal

Maurizio Bevilacqua Liberal Vaughan, ON

That's exactly what I'm saying.

9:40 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative David Tilson

Let's move on to your second motion.

9:40 a.m.

Liberal

Maurizio Bevilacqua Liberal Vaughan, ON

The second motion—

9:40 a.m.

Liberal

Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON

Mr. Chair, if I may--

9:40 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative David Tilson

Mr. Karygiannis.

9:40 a.m.

Liberal

Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON

--when the department does provide us its answer, is there any possibility that they can also provide us facts and figures on how many children were born abroad, first generation?

9:40 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative David Tilson

Mr. Karygiannis, I suppose if that information you're requesting is relevant to this request of Mr. Bevilacqua—it may be relevant, but we're now dealing with a notice of motion, which has been set aside--you can discuss privately with the parliamentary secretary and Mr. Bevilacqua on that issue. I'd rather we get into Mr. Bevilacqua's second motion.

Mr. Bevilacqua.

9:40 a.m.

Liberal

Maurizio Bevilacqua Liberal Vaughan, ON

Mr. Chairman, you'll find that there's support for this second motion.

9:40 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative David Tilson

Perhaps you could formally move it, Mr. Bevilacqua.

9:40 a.m.

Liberal

Maurizio Bevilacqua Liberal Vaughan, ON

I move that the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration recommend that the government immediately speed up the process that allows for the granting of citizenship to non-Canadian children adopted abroad by Canadian parents without requiring that such children first become permanent residents.

It's something that I think you'll find is supported right across the board.

9:40 a.m.

Liberal

Alexandra Mendes Liberal Brossard—La Prairie, QC

I'll second it.

9:40 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative David Tilson

That's your presentation?

9:40 a.m.

Liberal

Maurizio Bevilacqua Liberal Vaughan, ON

That's it.

9:40 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative David Tilson

Debate?

(Motion agreed to)

9:40 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative David Tilson

Mr. Karygiannis, your turn.

You have several here, and you'll have to tell me which one you're going to proceed with.

March 3rd, 2009 / 9:40 a.m.

Liberal

Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON

I'd like to deal with number one, sir, with Bill C-37, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act. It was in the last Parliament, and this is about the lost Canadians—

9:40 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative David Tilson

Perhaps you could formally move the motion, Mr. Karygiannis.

9:40 a.m.

Liberal

Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON

I move that this committee review the subject matter of Bill C-37, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act, enacted in the second session of the 39th Parliament, and the process of granting Canadian citizenship to the “lost Canadians”; and that pursuant to Standing Order 108(1), any findings and recommendations based thereon be reported to the House.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

9:40 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative David Tilson

You have the floor to provide your rationale, Mr. Karygiannis.

9:40 a.m.

Liberal

Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON

Last year at about this time we wrapped up Bill C-37, the granting of citizenship to lost Canadians, the granting of citizenship to war brides and children of war brides. We heard testimony in this room from people who thought they were Canadians but who had lost their citizenship, and the department moved very quickly, and we had a unanimous report from this committee in order to move it ahead.

One of the recommendations made was that a year from then we come back and look at it. So in that view, Chair, I would like to move this motion and suggest that we also get stakeholders, a couple of people who were here, to testify and to give us their good news stories of how they got their citizenship, of how things are moving along, and to see if there's any glitches along the way that we might want to fix. For example, Mr. Don Chapman was among us last year, and he led the procession of people, so maybe we could start by inviting him to come back and have department officials give us an overview of what's happened in the last year.

9:40 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative David Tilson

Ms. Chow.

9:40 a.m.

NDP

Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON

As of April 1, for the second generation, if they have adopted children outside of Canada, those Canadian children will not be seen as Canadians. There were two bills in front of us, both the lost Canadians bill that deals with citizenship—