Bill C-3

An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (2025)

This enactment amends the Citizenship Act to, among other things,
(a) ensure that citizenship by descent is conferred on all persons who were born outside Canada before the coming into force of this enactment to a parent who was a citizen;
(b) confer citizenship by descent on persons born outside Canada after the first generation, on or after the coming into force of this enactment, to a parent who is a citizen and who had a substantial connection to Canada before the person’s birth;
(c) allow citizenship to be granted under section 5.1 of that Act to all persons born outside Canada who were adopted before the coming into force of this enactment by a parent who was a citizen;
(d) allow citizenship to be granted under section 5.1 of that Act to persons born outside Canada who are adopted on or after the coming into force of this enactment by a parent who is a citizen and who had a substantial connection to Canada before the person’s adoption;
(e) restore citizenship to persons who lost their citizenship because they did not make an application to retain it under the former section 8 of that Act or because they made an application under that section that was not approved; and
(f) allow certain persons who become citizens as a result of the coming into force of this enactment to access a simplified process to renounce their citizenship.

Citizenship Act

[Mario Beaulieu, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate my colleague on an excellent speech and for all the work he has been doing.

My understanding is that the final outcome will be that someone may have been a resident of Canada for five years, but over a very long period spanning many decades, and that their descendants will automatically gain Canadian citizenship without undergoing a security screening or passing a language and citizenship test.

Why does my colleague think the Liberals and New Democrats would want to have such lax requirements when admitting new citizens? Why are they also refusing to tell us the number of new citizens involved?

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, that is a great question from the member for La Pointe‑de‑l'Île. First, the bill only calls for three years, not five. It was our idea to put that over a five-year period.

One part of the member's question is very relevant and very important. One of the amendments that was passed in committee was that the government report annually to Parliament on the number of people who become citizens through Bill C‑3. Again, we were only asking for accountability. I think this government is rattled because they have to be accountable to Canadians.

[The Deputy Speaker, Tom Kmiec]

Is the House ready for the question?

[Some hon. members]

Question.

[The Deputy Speaker, Tom Kmiec]

The question is on the motion.

If a member participating in person wishes that the motion be carried or carried on division, or if a member of a recognized party participating in person wishes to request a recorded division, I would invite them to rise and indicate it to the Chair.

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we request a recorded division.

[The Deputy Speaker, Tom Kmiec]

Pursuant to Standing Order 45, the division stands deferred until Wednesday, November 5, at the expiry of the time provided for Oral Questions.

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, I believe if you seek it, you will find consent to suspend until 4 p.m., at which time we will hear the much-anticipated budget being presented by the Minister of Finance.

[The Deputy Speaker, Tom Kmiec]

Is it agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

Sitting Suspended

[The Deputy Speaker, Tom Kmiec]

The House is suspended.

(The sitting of the House was suspended at 3:39 p.m.)

(The House resumed at 4 p.m.)

Sitting Resumed

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

It being 4 p.m., the House will now proceed to the consideration of Ways and Means Motion No. 2, concerning the budget presentation.

The House resumed from November 4 consideration of the motion that Bill C-3, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (2025), be read the third time and passed.

Citizenship Act

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

It being 3:19 p.m., the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion at the third reading stage of Bill C‑3.

Call in the members.