Finance Committee on June 4th, 2024

[Gabriel Ste-Marie, Bloc, Joliette, QC]

I apologize for that.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Does that change his opinion?

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

MP Ste-Marie, just so you are aware, these are clauses for a vote. There are no amendments here.

I have MP Hallan.

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary Forest Lawn, AB]

I'm sorry, colleagues, but for clauses 334, 335, 368 to 379, 380 to 382—

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

MP Hallan, we carried those on division when we voted on those before we got to MP Davies.

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary Forest Lawn, AB]

Okay. I didn't realize that. That's fine.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Okay.

Members, we are going to MP Davies' group. I'll read out the group. If there is debate, you can debate, and then we'll get to a vote.

The clauses we would be voting on are clauses 391, 397, 400, 401, 403 to 405, 408, 411, 422, 427, 433 to 437, 439 and 440.

I do see a hand up.

Go ahead, MP Ste-Marie.

[Gabriel Ste-Marie, Bloc, Joliette, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I now understand that the clauses designated here aren't amended. My previous comment was unclear, and I apologize for that.

These clauses concern amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Some witnesses told the committee that there were some serious deficiencies here. My colleague Alexis Brunelle‑Duceppe, who sits on the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration and is the Bloc Québécois' immigration critic, told me that this division was very poorly drafted and that the government had made a bad job of it.

I'd like to know if Mr. Davies or Ms. Kwan, who is online, could tell us why the clauses mentioned are a problem. That would help us decide how to vote. I will very likely vote with the NDP members on these clauses in view of the discussions I've had with my colleague Mr. Brunelle‑Duceppe.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Thank you, MP Ste-Marie.

I did see a hand go up, MP Lawrence.

I don't know if MP Davies also would like to speak, but MP Lawrence has the floor.

[Philip Lawrence, Conservative, Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON]

Thank you.

You have my apologies, Mr. Chair. I know you read them slowly, but I didn't quite catch them. What are we voting on here, which clauses, again?

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

I'll repeat them.

These are clauses 391, 397, 400, 401, 403 to 405, 408, 411, 422, 427, 433 to 437, 439 and 440.

[Philip Lawrence, Conservative, Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON]

With my apologies to my colleague, Mr. Ste-Marie, which ones does he have objections with?

[Gabriel Ste-Marie, Bloc, Joliette, QC]

Mr. Chair, Mr. Davies in fact said that he wants to vote against all these clauses, which are part of the division on immigration. I'd like to get an explanation from Ms. Kwan, who is the NDP immigration critic. My colleague Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe, who's also an immigration critic, works closely with Ms. Kwan. However, I believe the entire division is problematic.

As I understand it, Mr. Davies intends to vote against these clauses. Once I've heard an explanation from Ms. Kwan or Mr. Davies, I'll very likely vote against them as well.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Thank you, Mr. Ste‑Marie.

Does that—

[Philip Lawrence, Conservative, Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON]

I'll also cede to Ms. Kwan if she wants to speak.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

I have MP Davies.

MP Kwan, would you also like to speak to these?

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

I could certainly....

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Okay. I have MP Davies, and then if you'd like, I will go to you.

MP Davies.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Mr. Chair, I was just going to suggest that. I see my colleague is here, so I'll cede to Ms. Kwan. Is it okay, with the indulgence of the committee, to remain here while Ms. Kwan speaks?

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Yes.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Okay. Thank you.

(On clause 391)

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Go ahead, MP Kwan.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I appreciate that.

For this section, the one we're talking about is clause 391 on page 624. This basically sets up changes in IRPA in the BIA to accommodate a new consideration of claims or, if you will, a prescreening process. This is sort of the first component. There are other sections that are related to this, which the NDP will be amending in an attempt to make it better.

First off, the NDP doesn't actually support setting up this prescreening process. In our estimation, effectively, the government is duplicating resources to do a prescreening process before a claim goes to the IRB. It's not necessary, from my perspective, and it's a waste of resources. There are a number of different provisions related to that, which set up the process we will be attempting to amend. This is on division 38.

When we get to division 39 on the detention issues, I will have something more to add.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Thank you, MP Kwan.

Are there any other members?

Mr. Lawrence.

[Philip Lawrence, Conservative, Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON]

With these sections, especially if the Bloc and NDP are voting a certain way, our vote becomes the linchpin. We may not be voting the same way on every one in this grouping, so Conservatives would ask for a clause-by-clause vote. This is not to be non-collaborative, but because our vote could change the outcome.