Evidence of meeting #61 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 credentials.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Diane Finley Conservative Haldimand—Norfolk, ON
Yes. In February we came to a verbal agreement with the RCMP that they would look at these cases--the fingerprints--on an expedited basis, and they've been doing that.
Liberal
Conservative
Liberal
Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON
Two weeks.
Minister, I want to bring to your attention a particular individual, Kimberley Smith, although I said to her that I would not mention her. She works for Revenue Canada. She applied for her fingerprints three weeks ago, and to this day she hasn't heard anything. You said it's two weeks. It's been three weeks for that individual, Minister, and she works for Revenue Canada and has clearance up and down.
Conservative
Diane Finley Conservative Haldimand—Norfolk, ON
Well, you may feel it's appropriate to talk about individual cases; I don't. If you would come to me in private with issues like that, I would be happy to address them, because this is a priority for me.
Liberal
Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON
Minister, I want to tell you what your bureaucrats wrote to me this morning. “Every effort will be made to fast-track everything to do with this case, and RCMP checks are very quick these days, unless fingerprints are required.” This is what a bureaucrat of yours said to me this morning from 25 St. Clair Avenue East.
The RCMP states the following: “CFSS processes more than 15,000 criminal record searches every month. The processing time is currently in excess of one hundred and fifty (150) working days...”
Minister, if you made a verbal commitment with your counterpart, why is it not being held up?
Conservative
Diane Finley Conservative Haldimand—Norfolk, ON
Well, I'd say two to three weeks—if this case was three weeks—that's 15 working days. That's a lot better than the 150 that you just cited, in which case I would suggest that the commitment is being honoured.
Liberal
Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON
I am telling you, Minister, what I had back from the RCMP today—150 days.
Liberal
Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON
Minister, the RCMP today wrote back to me and said 150 working days from receipt of an application.
Conservative
Diane Finley Conservative Haldimand—Norfolk, ON
If that is their normal time—I just couldn't comment on that. If they're saying--
Liberal
Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON
So obviously you have not made any particular provisions with your counterpart.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Norman Doyle
Order.
Mr. Karygiannis, I would ask you to allow the minister a bit of time to answer the question before moving on to your next one. I'm sure you're asking these questions in the hope that you might get an answer. So let the minister answer, please.
Conservative
Diane Finley Conservative Haldimand—Norfolk, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Your officials have made a verbal agreement, which would be demonstrated—If it is taking three weeks, then that is a vast improvement over 150 days. I have received verbal assurances that it is being done within two weeks—
Liberal
Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON
Minister, you did not listen to me. I said it's taken three weeks, and she hasn't heard anything. It's been three weeks and she hasn't heard anything. And the RCMP replied today that it takes 150 days.
Conservative
Diane Finley Conservative Haldimand—Norfolk, ON
That's why we have the agreement to accelerate this, because 150 days, legally, is too long under the circumstances--
Liberal
Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON
Obviously, Minister, you have not made any particular deals.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Norman Doyle
Shall we bring it to an end?
You have a brief closing statement, Madam Minister.
Conservative
Diane Finley Conservative Haldimand—Norfolk, ON
I'd just like to thank the committee once again for its work and re-enforce that despite the fact that I've announced we want to go forward with legislation in the fall, I would welcome any unanimous recommendations you have about that legislation. We want to make this happen, we want to make it fair, and we want to make it consistent and transparent so that we don't face these kinds of situations in the future.
Thank you very much.
Liberal
Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON
I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.
Did the minister say “unanimous recommendations”?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Norman Doyle
Anyway, I'm not going to entertain that as a point of order, because it isn't.
Madam Minister, I thank you and your officials for being here today. We wish you all the best.
Liberal
Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON
Mr. Chair, the minister said “unanimous”. I would ask you to look at the blues, please. Mr. Chair, on a point of order, I would ask you to look at the blues.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Norman Doyle
It is not a point of order. It's a point of contention, a point of debate, but not a point of order.
I would ask the minister and her officials to.... They may stay for the votes, if they want, or they might move away, and we will call the votes on the estimates. We'll get to the votes on the estimates.
Order, please.
Shall vote 1, less the amount of—