Citizenship and Immigration Committee on June 19th, 2007

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Yes, and you asked for a briefing document to be prepared. I recall it completely.

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

We have been waiting for three weeks. I mentioned this two meetings ago. I do not understand why the department has still not prepared this briefing book for us.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Is there any particular problem with officials preparing some kind of briefing document on that?

Jim is first.

Is there problem that you're aware of, Mr. Clerk?

[The Clerk]

No.

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

Chair, I would ask that through you, we instruct the department, before we leave and this House shuts down, since the folks from the department were ready to come to us on May 31. They certainly had outlines, briefings, and material that they were going to leave with us. I would ask, through you, that we get these briefings before we leave on Friday.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Let's get these briefing documents—

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

These briefing documents, and that the department be—

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

They've already informed us that they don't have a briefing document.

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

Chair, I think I have the floor.

We ask the department to give us briefing books, complete from A to Z, on history, previous amnesties, the economy that the undocumented workers are impacting, as well as what the department's views are on this issue and also CBSA. I don't think this is very much to ask. We should have these documents by Friday before we leave.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

I don't know if that's possible, but we should certainly request that we have briefing documents.

Andrew.

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

Complete briefing documents, Chair.

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

Mr. Chair, when I was in the chair and I was having some people coming to the committee to testify, I essentially told the clerk to tell the people that if they chose not to show, then we could subpoena them. I think getting this from the officials, that they feel they can ignore the request of this committee, sets a bad precedent. When I was in the chair and my own party was in power at the time, when we had reluctance from the officials, I told Bill to tell them that if they didn't come, we'd subpoena them. If that's the way they want to play with this committee, then I think that's the appropriate response.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

I think we have to get back to the officials again and find out what's happened here, that we can't have this kind of briefing document. I'm sure it wouldn't involve too much research outside of what they already have on hand.

Mr. Komarnicki.

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

It seems to me that the clerk should probably identify what the request was and what the agreement was precisely, because there's a lot of discussion about what it is, what a briefing book is or isn't, and what it may or may not have meant. There obviously would be a precise question somewhere and a precise response. We should identify what that was and ask that the information be provided within a reasonable period of time. I don't think it would be necessary before we leave here, but we should find out specifically what was said and agreed to.

My sense is that it's not what we're talking about here today. I'm usually not that far wrong from what I recollect. I think we should first find out what it was. Specifically I'd ask the clerk to identify it precisely and then request that whatever was agreed to be provided in the course of time, within a reasonable period of time.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

The clerk informs me that the request went in roughly three weeks ago. May 31 was the date on which the meeting was supposed to occur, but didn't occur, and shortly after that the request went in.

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

Was the request based on what was said and agreed to here in committee, and do we have a record of that?

[The Clerk]

I can specify that—

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

Mr. Chair, do we have a speakers list?

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

I'm still speaking and I haven't finished. I want to be heard on this.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Go ahead.

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

Do we have a record of what was requested and what was agreed to or not? If we do, I'd like it provided, because that's what needs to be complied with. Do we have it?

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

That's reasonable. Did we have an official request go in?

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

Not an official request, but what was said in the committee.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Can you hold on for a minute until I finish with what Mr. Komarnicki is saying?

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

On that, what he's saying specifically—