Evidence of meeting #37 for Canadian Heritage in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was process.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Bloc
Carole Lavallée Bloc Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC
I am talking about the Italian-Canadian Advisory Committee, the organization that these gentlemen represent, that is.
Immediate Past President, National Federation of Canadian Italian Business and Professional Associations
No, we are not members.
Bloc
Chair, Italian-Canadian Advisory Committee
Our committee is a committee of the CHRP, so I am not here saying that I represent across Canada.... We are of Italian origin. We all have community experience and historical and other experience. We were asked to participate and help review and vet applications that would be received through CHRP and make recommendations.
So I do not want you to believe that I represent or we represent this group or any other group. I have other hats. I have participated for the past 30 years in various groups that have made presentations on this subject for many reasons, but today I represent, and we represent, the consultative committee of the CHRP.
Bloc
Carole Lavallée Bloc Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC
I am going to ask a question that perhaps is going to cause some trouble.
Which organization speaks for the Italian community in Canada?
There we go! I did cause trouble! Ah, ah!
November 19th, 2009 / 12:20 p.m.
Immediate Past President, National Federation of Canadian Italian Business and Professional Associations
Are you asking the National Federation, or...?
Bloc
Carole Lavallée Bloc Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC
I do not know. I am not very familiar with your constellation of organizations. I am just asking innocent questions.
Joe Papa Member, Italian-Canadian Advisory Committee
There is the National Federation of Canadian Italian Business and Professional Associations, the CIBPA, as we call it, the Italian-Canadian Community Foundation, the National Congress of Italian-Canadians, and the Sons of Italy. Those are the four major organizations in the Italian community in Canada.
Bloc
Carole Lavallée Bloc Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC
And none of those four is really in a leadership position? They are all more or less on an equal footing?
Member, Italian-Canadian Advisory Committee
A committee of the presidents of those associations has been formed. That is the stage we are at at the moment.
Immediate Past President, National Federation of Canadian Italian Business and Professional Associations
The roles are—
Bloc
Carole Lavallée Bloc Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC
I understand that you have different roles. I understand that.
Immediate Past President, National Federation of Canadian Italian Business and Professional Associations
Exactly. We are...
an apolitical professional business organization.
Like other congresses, the National Congress of Italian Canadians represents the people. The National Federation of CIBPA brings together businessmen and women from all across Canada. There are national sections. Its role is similar, but different at the same time.
Bloc
Carole Lavallée Bloc Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC
Are you all in favour of the bill that we are considering at the moment?
Immediate Past President, National Federation of Canadian Italian Business and Professional Associations
As our president pointed out, the National Federation of CIBPA is in favour of Bill C-302 in principle. We are really touched by—
specifically, the apology in the House of Commons. That makes probably the biggest difference in what has transpired to this day. What we find striking sensitively in our hearts was the apology in the House of Commons, very similar to what was done for other groups, such as the Japanese in 1988 under the former prime minister, Mr. Martin.
Bloc
Carole Lavallée Bloc Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC
And, as for the rest, the educational program and the postage stamp, do you think they are secondary?
Immediate Past President, National Federation of Canadian Italian Business and Professional Associations
They are part of Bill C-302.
the restitution, for education. The bill states also “restitution”, as I read it here. Again, it depends on how we read it, but restitution as a global word.... That could mean restitution for education. That could be restitution as with the families. I'm not sure if that's what it implies, but perhaps that could be elaborated on, probably in your decision-making. But definitely, to give back to the community, to the families that have been hurt by this, we look at it as restitution. That's how we read the bill.
Bloc
Carole Lavallée Bloc Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC
I am sorry, but the clock is ticking.
Are you in favour of the entire bill?
Vice-Chair, Italian-Canadian Advisory Committee
Some measures are already in effect to address the grievances of the Italian community. What we have to know is whether the bill does better than those measures.
Bloc
Carole Lavallée Bloc Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC
Okay.
If we voted for the bill, would it settle your grievances once and for all?
Chair, Italian-Canadian Advisory Committee
Madame, it's a valid question. I can't answer that. I don't claim to represent or speak for myriad organizations, all worthy but sometimes with different voices, across Canada. I can't speak to that.
All I know is that right now we're trying to implement what is on the table as best we can. If there were other rules, other laws, more money, or other things, maybe we could implement better.
Conservative
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
Thank you very much.
Leo Mascioli built the town of Timmins. He brought the families over from Abruzzia. They worked in the McIntyre mines, and they built every big building all across northern Ontario as Leo Mascioli's picture, but nobody knows that Leo Mascioli was taken from his home and thrown into an internment camp. That was a proud family and they were loyal citizens, so an apology in the House of Commons is something that I think is powerful, because these people were our founders.
I'm not sure what I'm hearing today. I'm sensing there's a subplot that I'm not getting. As politicians, we're extreme generalists, so you have to excuse us for not being right up on all the ins and outs. On most given days, I deal with whether Mrs. O'Grady's heating is getting turned off.
I'm hearing you talk.... You say you want to be part of the negotiations. Does that mean you're not part of them now, that you're being left out?
Immediate Past President, National Federation of Canadian Italian Business and Professional Associations
No, not at all. Actually, we've spoken to our colleagues at the congress level. Again, the bill states “negotiate with the National Congress...”. All we're saying is that the national federation has been part of the process since the early 1990s. We've been part of this process, so we are saying that we'd like to be part of this process as well, along with perhaps other associations that pertain to this--but part of the process.
