Citizenship and Immigration Committee on Feb. 19th, 2007

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

To keep it very short, the Mennonite Central Committee has welcomed our efforts. They are very pleased with the progress we've made and where we're taking this.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Thank you.

Mr. Karygiannis.

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

Madam Minister, I want to thank you for taking some of the implementations that came from the opposition, which you certainly looked at and worked on.

However, I'm wondering if I can ask you a question about Stats Canada. Do you find it to be a credible organization? Would you say they provide Canadians with right information, and accurate information?

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

Stats Canada collects a wide range of information. I couldn't possibly comment on the accuracy of all of it--

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

Do you find their information credible? Yes or no.

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

I haven't had occasion to use it, except in an official capacity, for quite some time, I'm afraid. So I wouldn't be in a position to evaluate how reliable it is.

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

Minister, I'm looking for a simple answer to a simple question. Is Stats Canada, a government organization and arm's-length, that has valuable information for our day-to-day lives--we spend millions of dollars in order to collect that information--a credible organization?

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

I would say yes.

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

Okay.

So when Stats Canada reports, through CBC, that there are about 50,000 people in this category, are they wrong?

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

I don't know how they derived that number. I couldn't say how they derived it. I know we've tried to, and we haven't found the means, so I'm curious as to how they managed to.

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

Madam Minister, two days after the letter came in from your predecessor--it was very vague--I called your department, because I thought this issue would probably affect one of my daughters who was born abroad. I was asking specific questions. I even called the deputy minister's office. At that point in time, they couldn't give me answers. It took them two days to come up with the suggestion that it was children of children.

So if it took them two days to come up with the suggestion that it was children of children, I say to you that Stats Canada has more reliable figures than the figure of 450 or 600 people you're giving us today.

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

I'm sorry, was there a question there?

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

I'm saying to you that you don't know what you're talking about.

Now, your deputy said there's information about Canadians and their citizenship, if they've lost it, on websites across the country or across the globe.

Is that right, Deputy?

[Richard Fadden]

Yes, sir.

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

Okay.

One of our largest consular offices around the world would be Hong Kong. So on the Hong Kong website, you would have information right up front and centre?

[Richard Fadden]

I have no idea, Mr. Chairman, whether it's front and centre. I was told that at every Canadian mission, and in particular any mission that has an immigration office, that information would be made available.

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

Then, Deputy and Minister, I'd like to pass on to you what our Hong Kong website has on it. It doesn't have much information. It's not up front and centre. I just took this right off the website.

I represent 16,000 Chinese people, and a lot of them have dual nationality and go back and forth to Hong Kong. If the Hong Kong office does not have it on there, then which office does have it? You've had close to a month since you made the announcements.

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

It is on our main website at the CIC, as part of the Government of Canada website.

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

It's on the CIC website. Now, wouldn't you think that Hong Kong should also have it? The deputy minister said it's on all the websites across the world.

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

We were advised that this had happened.

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

You also said that you had extensively advertised in the media. I'd like to ask how much and where you advertised.

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

I'd have to get that information to you, and we'd be happy to do so.

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

Are you trying to tell me that you don't know, off the top of your head, in which major newspapers you advertised? Was it the Star? Was it the Globe and Mail? Was it the National Post? Was it CBC? Was it CTV?

I look at those papers religiously, every day. I didn't see an advertisement.

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

I'd be happy to provide that information to you.

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

Well, Minister, wouldn't you know which newspaper you advertised with?