Evidence of meeting #10 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was citizenship.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Lost Canadian Organization
It reminds me once again of flying airplanes, when somebody sees the landing of an airplane and makes the pilots all out to be heroes, but they say really that in fact they just did their jobs. The job of all parliamentarians, the duty of a parliamentarian, is to protect your citizens and to make life better for your citizens. Here is your opportunity to do your job, which you've been elected to do.
Please say yes. Thank you.
Conservative
Dave Batters Conservative Palliser, SK
Then I will reword that. I'm trying to make all the members of the committee feel really good about themselves. But yes, you would say this is our basic duty. After all this time, after all the reports that Ms. Chow talked about, you would like to see the bill forwarded to the House of Commons ASAP and you would like to see the Liberals agree not to make amendments to it and to pass it as is. Is that correct?
Historian, Canadian War Brides
I want the process to get moving, and I want to get this bill passed.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Norman Doyle
I'm sure Mr. Telegdi won't mind if I go for a brief question to Mr. Bevilacqua. I won't take it out of your time. Mr. Bevilacqua wanted a question.
Liberal
Maurizio Bevilacqua Liberal Vaughan, ON
It's actually more of a comment, Mr. Chairman.
I think there is a willingness to follow due process in this committee. In fairness to Mr. Karygiannis' requisition of statistics, I don't think that's a difficult thing to provide, and that should be done, as well as bringing the bill to the House, if you really want to move on this thing very quickly.
Second, Mr. Batters, as far as being a hero is concerned, it's okay, I'm happy being a member of Parliament. I don't have to be a hero; I just want to do my job, and that's also the feeling we have here.
But I think we're beginning to develop common ground that can result in a very positive situation for the three people who have so eloquently presented to this committee.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Norman Doyle
Thank you, Mr. Bevilacqua.
Mr. Telegdi, for five minutes, please.
Liberal
Andrew Telegdi Liberal Kitchener—Waterloo, ON
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
As I said, we've had a lot of posturing regarding this bill. We have the problem that Mr. Janzen talks about, that more and more Canadians of second generation are being lost. Now these folks will get something that nobody else will ever get. On the other hand, we have a situation where war brides are dying and their children are going without services.
It is important for everybody to understand that we have to do due diligence on the bill, and I'll give you one example. If you have a first-generation Canadian born abroad and all of a sudden they have to sponsor their kids, who might be 17, 18, or 19 years old, if they are medically inadmissible they might not get into the country. So you want to be careful that you don't create other lost Canadians. Also, there are other people who have the right to come forward to make presentations on the bill, and we have to listen to them.
We cannot, as members of committee, commit that there won't be a discussion of the bill. If we hear something to the effect that a child would be medically inadmissible, none of you would want that.
Liberal
Andrew Telegdi Liberal Kitchener—Waterloo, ON
We don't want those kinds of things to happen, so we have to do due diligence on the bill. But I think it's time for us to fish or cut bait.
There's a procedure in Parliament, and we can't move anywhere until we have the bill in front of the committee.
Since we all seem to be in agreement that we want to get this bill passed, I ask for unanimous consent that we pass a motion and table it as a report, calling on the government to give the bill to the committee so we can get to work on it and we can spend the necessary time on it—extra time if need be—so we can get it done.
Liberal
Andrew Telegdi Liberal Kitchener—Waterloo, ON
We cannot do unparliamentary things. It just doesn't work that way, Mr. Komarnicki. There are rules and procedures in Parliament. We cannot give up our parliamentary responsibilities.
So I'm asking for unanimous consent, from all members of the committee, that we table a report asking the government to table Bill C-37 so this committee can officially start working on a bill that is in front of us.
I hope we all agree on this, and I hope we then spend the time to make sure we get the best possible bill out of this and that there are no unintended consequences that might result from the bill itself.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Norman Doyle
Order, please.
We have a motion before the committee, and I guess we will have discussion on the motion.
Mr. Komarnicki, do you have a comment?
Conservative
