Evidence of meeting #19 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was process.
A recording is available from Parliament.
9:35 a.m.
Chairperson, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
There is another board member who is not hearing cases and has no access to the board.
9:35 a.m.
NDP
9:35 a.m.
NDP
Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
Is that an unusual number of IRB members to be suspended at the same time?
9:35 a.m.
Chairperson, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Yes.
In the case of Mr. Fournier, it is not the same issue at all. It has to do with labour relations, an employer-employee relation issue inside the board. It has been investigated.
9:35 a.m.
NDP
Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
Has a decision been made in this case? You say it has been investigated. Is there a final decision?
9:35 a.m.
Chairperson, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Not a final determination.
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NDP
Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
You say you will initiate an outside independent review of the cases heard by Mr. Ellis. At what point does that begin? When will this take place?
9:35 a.m.
Chairperson, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
It will start as soon as I can find an appropriate person. I am now looking at names. It's important to have the right person. Knowledge and credibility are essential. I'm not necessarily looking for someone who understands all aspects of immigration or refugee policy, but I need someone with experience in tribunal or administrative law.
9:35 a.m.
NDP
Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
When can that review begin? Does it have to wait on the final outcome?
9:35 a.m.
Chairperson, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
No, I can do it soon.
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Chairperson, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Once I find the person and we're satisfied, we will announce it publicly.
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NDP
Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
Do you have any sense of the number of cases that would have to be—
9:35 a.m.
Chairperson, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
We're talking six years of decisions, so it will be a considerable number.
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Acting Senior General Counsel, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
The review that this person will be leading will take the scope of it into account, so the chairperson will take advice from this person on how far the review should go.
9:35 a.m.
NDP
Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
I know you said that in the Bourbonnais case there was a review of all of the cases, and that there were 23—
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Chairperson, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
There was not an outside review.
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Chairperson, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
It was an internal review.
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NDP
Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
Okay.
But this is a different circumstance, given that it's a refugee board situation.
9:35 a.m.
Chairperson, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
They're different circumstances, and I don't second-guess the past. I prefer that we have an independent....
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NDP
Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
Has this kind of process been engaged before concerning somebody who does refugee cases?
9:35 a.m.
NDP
Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
Has this kind of independent review of all the cases heard by a suspended individual—with someone who hears refugee cases—been engaged in the past?