Citizenship and Immigration Committee on Feb. 19th, 2007

[Richard Fadden]

We tried to do that, Mr. Chairman, but given the way in which the citizenship system is organized, it's all on a case-by-case basis. From our perspective, whether the minister is entirely correct and there are 450 cases, or you are perhaps correct and there are hundreds more, the key is that those who are involved must register with CIC.

A lot of people are talking about problems of one sort or the other, but we do not have the capacity to deal with the cases unless they register with CIC. So I would register a plea, through the minister and you, that if you have any constituents who have concerns, the first thing they should do is register.

[Bill Siksay, NDP, Burnaby—Douglas, BC]

So there could in fact be many more cases that have been resolved through the normal channels of the department in the past years.

I want to ask specifically about the border babies. It seems to me that this is an interesting situation, with people who happened to go to the nearest hospital to have their child. Sometimes that was across the border. The border wasn't always taken as seriously as it is today. Are there any special measures in place to assist those people in proving their Canadian citizenship? The only time they may have spent in the United States was the moment of their birth and however long it took to get released from that hospital, yet from what you said earlier, you're saying they are American citizens, not Canadian citizens. They would have to go through the entire process of applying for permanent residence status and then applying for citizenship.

Is that the case in those circumstances?

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

Not necessarily. It's true that if they were born in the United States, that would give them U.S. citizenship. The parents were expected and required to register the birth when they got back to Canada. If they did that, there's no problem and they're also Canadian citizens. If the parents did not register the birth, then the issue comes up despite the fact that they may only have been out of the country those three days in their entire lives.

Those are some of the types of cases that we're reviewing. In fact, that's where we can exercise subsection 5(4) to grant them citizenship in those unusual circumstances.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Thank you, Mr. Siksay.

Mr. Shipley, and then Mr. Karygiannis.

[Bev Shipley, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Madam Minister, it's good to have you here. I appreciate very much some of the comments you have been making.

I just want to go to our Canadian labour market. I have a couple of questions. I know you touched on this in your opening remarks...and I think it's critical, and very supportive, that you did this. It has to do with foreign credential recognition.

In my former life as mayor of our municipality in southwestern Ontario, we seemed to be struggling in a number of areas with this foreign credential process. Whether it was the profession of medical doctors or the profession of skilled tradespeople coming in, we'd always hear the story that these people were coming in and driving taxicabs for five years. We had professional doctors doing this. Those always seemed to be the ones who floated to the top. But then we were struggling in our communities to be able to fill the vacancies, whether it was for doctors or professional skilled labourers.

A little earlier, you touched on creating an office that would be able to deal with the professionals coming into Canada, so that when they get here, they might be able to practise their profession. I have a couple of questions on setting this office up. Just for clarification, I'd like you to expand a little bit on how that would actually speed up the recognition of those individuals, and on what we're doing about it to make this happen.

We're doing something now. Is this a new problem, or has it been an existing one? I would have said this is something that has been out in front for many years, yet there doesn't seem to have been anything done about it. From your comments, I'm assuming that you're very much on track.

[Andrew Telegdi, Liberal, Kitchener—Waterloo, ON]

On a point of order, Mr. Chair, we decided that we were going to hold special hearings on the whole issue of citizenship particularly because it has been such a problem. That's what our agenda is, and it relates to citizenship. I really wish we would spend the time that we have with the minister talking about citizenship. All four of these meetings were specifically called to deal with the citizenship issue.

I would suggest that if the member doesn't have a question on citizenship, then we should go on to a member who does. People are tuning into the telecast and webcast of this program to watch it specifically for citizenship.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Mr. Shipley, for a response to the point of order.

[Bev Shipley, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

This is to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. It has very much to do with getting people into our country in terms of the immigration and citizenship side, and I look forward to the minister's response.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

I'm informed by the clerk that no standing order specifically covers that.

I know what the member is bringing up, that we should be homing in on the citizenship problem, but I've been flexible with members on my left and members on my right. The minister is here to provide information, so I will allow the question to stand and for the minister to respond.

[Meili Faille, Bloc, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

Mr. Chair, I'd like to speak to this point of order.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

We have a point of order again.

[Meili Faille, Bloc, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

We are currently holding extraordinary, special meetings on the subject. We're meeting on Tuesday and Thursday to discuss other topics. The committee has certain priorities.

Our colleague opposite is a new member of the committee. We really wanted to address the citizenship question, having regard to the priorities we have in this committee. I normally don't speak when a point of order is raised, but committee members were specifically discussing citizenship this morning. So I would ask our colleague to stick to questions concerning citizenship.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Since there is no standing order that specifically addresses that particular point, we are in the hands of the committee. If the committee wishes to confine itself just to the issue at hand today, then I'm in its hands on that.

Mr. Devolin, in response to the point of order.

[Barry Devolin, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

To this point, yes.

I appreciate the sentiment, but if there's no restriction, if there's no standing order that restricts what members can ask of a minister, whether this is a regular meeting or a special meeting—meaning it's being held at a different time—I'm quite frankly shocked that the opposition members want to give control to the chair to determine whether people are on topic or not.

I've been to lots of committee meetings, and the questioning often veers from what is laid out in the agenda. I think it's appropriate. I appreciate the sentiment and my colleague from the Bloc asking that we do that, but that's different from restricting members in terms of what they can ask. The minister should be given an opportunity to answer the question that was put to her.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Mr. Karygiannis, in response to the point of order.

[Jim Karygiannis, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

Mr. Chair, every member has five minutes, and they can use that time as they wish with the minister. I think we're wasting time here.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Yes, we are. I was about to point out that we are wasting a great deal of time here that could be put into questioning the minister. We don't very often have the minister here.

Mr. Shipley, you have approximately a minute or so. Do you have a last follow-up question, or do you want the minister to answer?

[Bev Shipley, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

I want an answer from the minister, please.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

I'll allow the minister to answer that.

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The honourable member is absolutely right, we do have a lot of people coming to this country who have a lot of talent, a lot of skill. Those are skills and talents that we need in this country, quite frankly, because our labour market needs are such right now that we're not getting enough of those skills home-grown. We're going to have to increasingly rely, going forward, on immigrants to meet those needs.

We have taken a number of steps going forward. I hope to have some announcements to make soon on some exciting steps that we've taken in this regard, to make sure that those who have credentials get to exercise them here.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

You have one minute left, Mr. Shipley.

[Bev Shipley, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

I'll hand off to Ed.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Mr. Komarnicki, for one minute.

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

I have a brief question.

I notice that there has been some mention of issues relating to the Mennonite community. Of course, the fact is that there was some issue relating to the recognition of their marriages being other than civil marriages.

You've taken some proactive steps to deal with individual cases, and I appreciate that it's a constructive approach for the short term. How have your steps been taken by the community at large? Have they been receptive to your actions? How have they viewed what you have done so far?

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

You have 15 seconds, Minister.