Evidence of meeting #30 for Foreign Affairs and International Development in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was consular.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Leonard Edwards  Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Luc Portelance  Executive Vice-President, Canada Border Services Agency
Gerald Cossette  Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Julian Falconer  Falconer Charney LLP, As an Individual
Suaad Hagi Mohamud  As an Individual
Johanne Durocher  As an Individual

4:25 p.m.

NDP

Paul Dewar NDP Ottawa Centre, ON

It's a practice, but it's not something that's codified.

4:25 p.m.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

Leonard Edwards

It is not codified.

4:25 p.m.

NDP

Paul Dewar NDP Ottawa Centre, ON

Do you think it would be a good idea to codify that? Would it hurt the official to have that...?

4:25 p.m.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

Leonard Edwards

Mr. Chair, in terms of answering the question--I suppose it has to do with your recent proposal, of today in fact--I can't answer whether it would make a difference or not.

4:25 p.m.

NDP

Paul Dewar NDP Ottawa Centre, ON

That's fair.

4:25 p.m.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

Leonard Edwards

I know it's being done already. Whether codifying it would make a difference, I'm not sure. It might provide some assurances to Canadians that it in fact is happening, but I can assure Canadians that it is happening.

4:25 p.m.

NDP

Paul Dewar NDP Ottawa Centre, ON

And I've seen that. We'll get to that when we look at Mr. Abdelrazik. Obviously I'll wait until we get to that to discuss that particular case.

Perhaps I can ask you about a particular case that is not to do with the courts. If you can't immediately brief us, perhaps you can at least tell us the status as soon as you can. I'm referring to Abdihakim Mohamed. Do you, any of the officials here, have any news on that, on what the status is?

This of course is a case that has been outstanding. It has been prominent in the press and, in fact, is a concern to many. I would like to know if there's any update on his case.

4:30 p.m.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

Leonard Edwards

Mr. Chair, perhaps I could ask Mr. Cossette to respond to that one.

4:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson

Thank you, Mr. Edwards.

Mr. Cossette.

4:30 p.m.

Gerald Cossette Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

In fact, we are in the process of facilitating his return to Canada.

4:30 p.m.

NDP

Paul Dewar NDP Ottawa Centre, ON

So he'll be home...?

4:30 p.m.

Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

Gerald Cossette

We need to confirm the flights and all the other arrangements that are necessary.

4:30 p.m.

NDP

Paul Dewar NDP Ottawa Centre, ON

So the necessary documents have been provided so that he can return back to Canada, back to Ottawa in fact.

4:30 p.m.

Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

Gerald Cossette

We are in the process of bringing him back. We're looking at flights and everything else.

4:30 p.m.

NDP

Paul Dewar NDP Ottawa Centre, ON

Okay. Thank you very much for that. I didn't have that information. I appreciate it.

Right now every Canadian pays a stipend of, I believe, $25 on every passport for consular services. Can you give us a rough estimation of what that amount of money would be right now, based on how many passports have been issued and how much revenue has been generated from that $25 stipend for every passport issued?

4:30 p.m.

Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

Gerald Cossette

We do have these numbers. Of course, the annual revenue related to the consular fee is based on the number of passports issued, obviously. Last year, in fact, we collected $96.7 million in consular fees.

4:30 p.m.

NDP

Paul Dewar NDP Ottawa Centre, ON

Thank you for that.

My understanding is that the fee was put in place quite a while ago. Or when was that put in place?

4:30 p.m.

Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

Gerald Cossette

In the mid-nineties.

4:30 p.m.

NDP

Paul Dewar NDP Ottawa Centre, ON

Yes. It was in 1996, I believe.

4:30 p.m.

Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

Gerald Cossette

In 1996 or 1995.

4:30 p.m.

NDP

Paul Dewar NDP Ottawa Centre, ON

So the idea was that those revenues would be there for consular services.

4:30 p.m.

Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

Gerald Cossette

Basically, the revenues from the consular fee go straight to the CRF and come back to the department in the form of an appropriation. So it's not segregated in terms of saying, this is your share, etc.

4:30 p.m.

NDP

Paul Dewar NDP Ottawa Centre, ON

Right.

If I could put this into “plainspeak” for people—and take no offence at this—the $25 goes into general revenue and then there are other revenues that come back to help you do your job.

4:30 p.m.

Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

4:30 p.m.

NDP

Paul Dewar NDP Ottawa Centre, ON

So in fact the $25 doesn't go directly to consular services, but that's a decision made at the budget level. Would that be correct?