Evidence of meeting #23 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 estimates.
A recording is available from Parliament.
9:40 a.m.
Conservative
Ed Komarnicki Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK
I have a quick question.
Madam Faille talked about appointments to the IRB. Of course, certain steps have been put in place to deal with competency, and so on. But this year, I understand, Mr. Minister, for the first time ever, you have a broad advertising campaign to broaden the scope of who the applicants might be. Perhaps you might want to deal with that.
9:40 a.m.
Conservative
Monte Solberg Conservative Medicine Hat, AB
This has not been done in the last 13 years. We received over 350 applications from people to become members of the IRB after we placed an ad in a national newspaper in August. We have a large number of applicants coming through the system right now, which should help us meet our target of filling all those open positions.
9:40 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Norman Doyle
Thank you.
That will complete our seven-minute round.
We now go to five-minute rounds. We'll begin with Mr. Karygiannis.
9:40 a.m.
Liberal
Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON
Good morning, Minister.
How many countries have dual citizenship?
9:40 a.m.
Conservative
Monte Solberg Conservative Medicine Hat, AB
The United States, the United Kingdom, and most of the European countries have dual citizenship.
9:40 a.m.
Liberal
9:40 a.m.
Conservative
Monte Solberg Conservative Medicine Hat, AB
No, we're not. We're asking that we have a look at the responsibilities around dual citizenship.
Let me give you an example. I think a lot of Canadians are concerned today that if Canadians are absent from the country for many years in a row, they're not paying into social programs to ensure the social safety net is there for them should they come back to Canada.
That's really the issue, and I'm concerned about it as well. We hear about it everywhere we go, and we're having a look at the issue.
9:40 a.m.
Liberal
Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON
Minister, how many of the people who came from Lebanon returned there?
9:40 a.m.
Conservative
Monte Solberg Conservative Medicine Hat, AB
It's impossible to know. We don't have exit controls in our country.
9:40 a.m.
Liberal
Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON
Why did the reports in the media state that over half of the people who came returned to Lebanon?
9:40 a.m.
Liberal
Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON
Let me tell you, Minister. I've asked the reporter and he said those were figures leaked from your department.
9:40 a.m.
Conservative
Monte Solberg Conservative Medicine Hat, AB
We don't have exit controls for people leaving Canada, so I don't know how we could know that.
9:40 a.m.
Liberal
Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON
Therefore, the reports that are circulating about how over half the people who came to Canada have returned are false?
9:40 a.m.
Conservative
Monte Solberg Conservative Medicine Hat, AB
We have no way of knowing, because we don't have exit controls in Canada.
9:40 a.m.
Liberal
Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON
So how did the reporter go about reporting “over half of the people...”? I say to you, Minister, straight to the point, Bob Fife told me that this was from your department.
Yes or no?
9:40 a.m.
Conservative
Monte Solberg Conservative Medicine Hat, AB
If he told you that, then he told you that. But I'm telling you we don't have any way of knowing that because we don't have exit controls in Canada.
9:40 a.m.
Liberal
Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON
So I guess what the reporter said was false, and that was probably a trial balloon in order for us to start tinkering with dual citizenship?
9:40 a.m.
Conservative
9:40 a.m.
Liberal
9:40 a.m.
Conservative
Monte Solberg Conservative Medicine Hat, AB
As I said before, we have no way of knowing because we don't have exit controls. We don't stand at airports and find out where people are ultimately destined to.
9:40 a.m.
Liberal
Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON
Minister, when this was reported in the media, why didn't you challenge it?