Citizenship and Immigration Committee on June 19th, 2007

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Okay, that's the way we'll divide it up.

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

And if I might make a suggestion to the clerk, check with city halls, because they're really great. If you can get a city hall, they're set up for meetings such as ours. And it also makes it a bigger deal in the local community.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

So that part of it is settled, right?

Okay, thank you for all your input into that.

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

So does that mean, then, Chair, that November 19 is out of the question?

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

The what?

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

November 19. Since we're going to be two days in Toronto, November 19 on the Iraqi issue—

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Let's go to that next part. Turn over your sheets.

[Dave Batters, Conservative, Palliser, SK]

Mr. Karygiannis is asking a question.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Yes, that's why I am addressing it right here. Let's turn over the sheets.

Are you clear?

Okay, the clerk is clear, thank you.

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

Perhaps I could make one more point. Ms. Grewal was gracious to say that if we were at or near Fleetwood she would invite the committee for a dinner at her home--

[Nina Grewal, Conservative, Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC]

Last time we had the committee at my place.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

That would be nice. Thank you. You are very gracious, and we will certainly take you up on that.

[Nina Grewal, Conservative, Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC]

So the committee will come for dinner.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

The committee will come. You serve it, and they will come.

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

Would you want to have a sitting in your riding, along Burnaby and Fleetwood?

[Nina Grewal, Conservative, Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC]

Yes, it's very close to Burnaby. It's just 20 minutes away.

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

Why don't we do half in Burnaby and half in Fleetwood, and then have supper at her house?

[Nina Grewal, Conservative, Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC]

Yes, supper at my home.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Good stuff. Okay, thank you, Ms. Grewal.

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

I'm not sure that's a practical suggestion in terms of hearing times, in Ms. Grewal's riding. It's not as well served by public transit and whatever, and a number of the groups that we're hearing from are based in Burnaby as well. So it doesn't make quite as much—

[Nina Grewal, Conservative, Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC]

After the committee is what I'm saying. At a later time we can have some dinner at my place.

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

I understand what you're saying, Ms. Grewal, but that's not what Mr. Komarnicki was saying. He was saying something else.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Okay, let's move on.

Thank you, Ms. Grewal. That's a wonderful suggestion, and we look forward to being at your residence for that.

Next:

That, in relation to its study on the Iraqi Refugees, the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration: Travel to Toronto on Monday, November 19, and; Invite organizational representatives to appear before the Committee in Ottawa.

The first part of that will be obsolete now that we're spending some extra time in Toronto on that.

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

Chair, perhaps I may make one recommendation that is food for thought. It depends upon what happens by the end of October, if we have not heard all the witnesses—

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Leave that one part alone. Leave that alone, in other words.