Citizenship and Immigration Committee on May 10th, 2007

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Order.

We will now move to consideration of motions. The first motion we have before us today is one that we had a couple of days ago, and I think it was withdrawn at that time by Mr. Alghabra. So I'll go directly to you, Mr. Alghabra, to hear your motion.

A point of order, Mr. Komarnicki.

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

Mr. Chair, a point of order.

At the last meeting, when we were discussing this motion and also portions of our in committee potential report, Mr. Karygiannis raised the point that there may be some confidentiality issues. In light of what he said, I wonder if we wouldn't be wise to discuss this motion in camera.

[Omar Alghabra, Liberal, Mississauga—Erindale, ON]

Why?

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

Because in referring to this motion we're also referring to some of the discussions that took place in camera. We were discussing the confidential report. I think that was the issue he raised, and he may have a valid point, because most of us talked about it and would be inadvertently or directly impinging on the confidence of the previous committee hearing on the report. So go in camera and discuss this without breaching confidences.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Mr. Alghabra, do you have a comment on that?

[Omar Alghabra, Liberal, Mississauga—Erindale, ON]

This is a motion that stands on its own. We might be repeating in the discussion something that we discussed when we were in camera, but it doesn't conclude or tell us what's in the report, Chair, or say this is what's in the report. It doesn't say anything about the report.

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

I'd like to be able to address what you're saying here in your motion based on what was said in camera in the committee.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

It's totally up to the committee if it wants to discuss motions in camera or if it wants to go public. I can make no judgment call on that.

From the chair's point of view, I would simply ask the committee: do you want to discuss Mr. Alghabra's motion in public? Does the committee feel comfortable in doing that? I think I have a consensus, looking at the nodding going on around the table, so--

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

What is the rule? Do we have to make sure not to mention the report or...?

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

No. This has nothing, in the committee's view, to do with the report.

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

Okay.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

The committee wants to go public on this, so I'm going to Mr. Alghabra to put his motion. Then we will have discussion on the motion and hopefully a vote in an expeditious manner.

[Omar Alghabra, Liberal, Mississauga—Erindale, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Again, I'm moving this motion that's in front of us right now. This motion is a product or an outcome of the hearings we've had over the last few weeks on the IRB appointment process and the new recommendation that was outlined in the so-called Harrison report.

After hearing from Mr. Harrison and various other witnesses and stakeholders, and knowing that the minister now is in the process of deciding whether to accept or reject the recommendation in the Harrison report, I felt it wise and probably helpful to the minister to hear from the committee, based on the evidence we've heard, what we feel, and what the committee's recommendations are, based on those recommendations that were in the report. So I'm hoping that the committee makes a statement.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Mr. Devolin and Mr. Telegdi.

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

A question. A minute ago, Omar, you said this is a stand-alone piece not related to the committee hearings.

[Omar Alghabra, Liberal, Mississauga—Erindale, ON]

No, not related to the report.

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

But you're saying it's based on the evidence we heard in the hearings.

[Omar Alghabra, Liberal, Mississauga—Erindale, ON]

Right, which were public.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

We've already dealt with that.

I have to go to Mr. Telegdi and Mr. Siksay.

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

I wonder if the mover would agree to a friendly amendment, and that's to the second-last “whereas”, where it says “the government has created a crisis by its failure to appoint sufficient numbers of IRB...”.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Would you repeat that, Mr. Telegdi?

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

Yes. “AND WHEREAS the government has created a crisis by its failure to appoint sufficient numbers of IRB...”, so “has created a crisis by its failure to appoint”--that's one. And in the main motion itself, we call on “...to immediately fill the remaining board vacancies”, and at the third and fourth line, “by reappointments and new appointments from a pool of qualified applicants”.

[Omar Alghabra, Liberal, Mississauga—Erindale, ON]

How about “through appointments and reappointments?”

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

Okay, but we might want to say “qualified applicants”. Is that acceptable?

[Omar Alghabra, Liberal, Mississauga—Erindale, ON]

Yes.