Citizenship and Immigration Committee on Oct. 17th, 2006

[Jean-Guy Fleury]

I have a bias. I really believe in what we do. What's the major difference? Well, it's not an advisory committee of the minister. The people who conduct the interviews are people who do the work every day, who understand the pressures, the issues and the requirements. I find that at the end of the day I come in front of you and I'm accountable for the performance of that board. In the old system, the chair had no say in who was being selected. Now I have an influence. I don't have the say of who's appointed, but I certainly influence the quality of the people who are recommended.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Certainly the people go through a process in which they're questioned verbally, they're given tests, and they're examined by peers and those who have some legal experience and by you before they ultimately get to the place where they're considered for appointment, a process somewhat unlike that of the previous system.

[Jean-Guy Fleury]

There's no doubt it's a golden bar that we've put in.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Now, Mr. Bourbonnais, who was mentioned previously, also was an appointment made some time ago and outside of this present process--

[Jean-Guy Fleury]

Mr. Bourbonnais would have been appointed when there was no process.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Similarly, do you know in what year that particular appointment was?

[Jean-Guy Fleury]

Again, I'm going to go from memory. I think Mr. Bourbonnais was a ten-year member. I'm looking at a former member, so I'm sorry.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

There was also mention of Mr. Lloyd Fournier. Did he go through the process?

[Jean-Guy Fleury]

He would have gone to the advisory committee of the minister.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

And he would not have gone through the present process.

[Jean-Guy Fleury]

He would not have gone through the present process.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Do individuals who are now coming due through the re-appointment process have to go through the new process that you established in 2004?

[Jean-Guy Fleury]

Let me be quite clear. Every member I recommend who is already in place is evaluated against the same nine competencies. There's a performance evaluation that I provide to the minister when I recommend favourably and that I provide to the minister when I recommend unfavourably.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

But they don't go through the same process an applicant would--

[Jean-Guy Fleury]

No.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

In terms of applicants who go through the competency process that was established in 2004, have you ever gone through a process to obtain as broad or as wide a pool as happened most recently where an advertisement was placed in regional and national newspapers to obtain the number of candidates that you suggested?

[Jean-Guy Fleury]

I'm told it was done, but I don't remember when.

In 1992-93, it probably was done. But since 1992-93, we haven't gone to the newspapers because the website was being used and we were getting sufficient candidates. And it is expensive.

But, at the same time, we just did it, and I think it's the best way to do it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Okay.

We'll have to wait for the next round because we're fifteen seconds over. That completes our seven-minute round.

We will now go to five-minute rounds. I'll begin with Blair.

[Blair Wilson, Liberal, West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC]

I'll turn my time over to Madam Folco.

[Raymonde Folco, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Good morning, Mr. Fleury. It is a pleasure to see you again. I am indeed a former IRB commissioner. I don't know if I will have enough time, but I have three questions to ask you.

First, in the Bourbonnais case, another commissioner was involved. To my knowledge, this other commissioner was never found guilty of anything. However, his career, at least on the board, was cut short when his name appeared in the papers, etc.

Without naming any names, did the commission do anything at all to redress for the damages to his career?

[Jean-Guy Fleury]

You are right, the second person stopped hearing cases until the completion of investigations.

[Raymonde Folco, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

Of course, it just so happened that these investigations were completed after the end of this person's term, so that this person's name has never been fully cleared. Do you intend to rehire this person, given the fact that there was no wrongdoing?

[Jean-Guy Fleury]

If this person wanted to return to the board, they would have to go through the selection process.

[Raymonde Folco, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

In other words, there was absolutely no mechanism within the board to reinstate this person, despite the fact that the RCMP had absolutely nothing on him.

[Jean-Guy Fleury]

You are right.