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.
Conservative
Ed Komarnicki Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK
Thank you very much for that impassioned plea. There is no question that this legislation is long overdue. I can tell you that before the committee left they said Bill C-17 would be the first order of business, and that's why it was there.
With respect to this particular bill, I would ask particularly the Liberal members and the critic there to get their members to support the bill as it is. In fact--
Liberal
Conservative
Ed Komarnicki Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK
--I would challenge each and every member here today to go on record as saying we will support that bill's passage as it is without amendment, and we'll have that bill before this committee and before the House for passage.
What has happened--
Liberal
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Norman Doyle
I have to interrupt on a point of order.
On a point of order, Mr.--
Conservative
Liberal
Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON
Is Mr. Komarnicki asking a question to the witnesses, or is he daring a challenge?
Conservative
Conservative
Ed Komarnicki Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK
I'm saying if we have these members, every member, on record today saying we will support the bill as it is--although it is not completely perfect, it covers the majority, if not most, of the situations you raised--that bill will be before here, it will be before the House, and let's see it pass. We want that to happen.
But I can tell you this. We had a unanimous report, and that unanimous report came from this committee. In that unanimous report we specifically said that citizenship would be limited to the first generation born abroad—that was a specific recommendation. There was a lot of give and take, if you know. We had to bend. Others had to bend. And we bent to make that a unanimous report.
The report said:
The Committee recommends that the amendments to the Citizenship Act provide that the following people are Canadian citizens: Anyone who was born abroad at any time to a Canadian mother or a Canadian father...retroactive to birth, if they are the first generation born abroad.
Mr. Telegdi said, and I quote: “As long as the legislation fits the report, it will get very quick passage, and I think they'll get great cooperation from the House of Commons to make this a reality.”
Then after we got there, the next question was to propose at least one, possibly two amendments. They wanted to deal with the issue of extending it beyond the first generation--which we had already agreed to in this committee, went to the minister with, and had a report back on from the minister.
That said, we're in a place where we have a piece of legislation that can go forward, and I would ask each and every member if they're prepared to say here and now, today, that they will support the bill as it is.
We'll bring this bill here, and I can say this--
Conservative
Ed Komarnicki Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK
I can say this: it's time to fish or cut bait. It's time for members to stand up and be counted, and I'd like to hear what they have to say.
Now, Mr. Chapman, I can say that initially, when we first met...we've come a long way, because a lot of this was in turmoil; there wasn't agreement on many issues. But to be frank about it, the progress that has been made from that point...and I'm not talking about committee reports, as Ms. Chow indicated. This is not a committee report; this is a piece of legislation that's been proposed. We've come a long way in addressing many concerns.
Would you agree with me that we ought to pass this thing as is and each member should stand up and be counted?
Lost Canadian Organization
I would tell you that every player from my side, all the key players who are going to be affected by this legislation, will agree that it's time to pass this legislation right now, as is.
Lost Canadian Organization
There's no time. So yes, without amendments. We are thrilled. That will take care of about 95%, then we have the subsection 5(4) to go forward. My family members will be second generation born abroad, and we don't see that as a problem. Yes, we've come light years from where we were.
This is the time. If I could say one thing, it is that now is the time, truly, to put politics aside and have everybody jump on a bandwagon for this thing called Canadian citizenship, because before we have any political party affiliation, we are Canadian citizens, and we're supposed to stand up for each other. For 61 years Canadian citizenship has been under attack, if you will, by the legislation.
Now we can try to fix this problem. Let's do it.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Norman Doyle
I think Mr. Janzen had a comment too. Do you want to give Mr. Janzen a chance? It's up to you.
Okay, Mr. Janzen.
Director, Ottawa Office, Mennonite Central Committee Canada
You referred again to the question of first or second generation, and I just want to say that at present, for a second-generation person to retain Canadian citizenship they have to spend at least one full year in Canada, and that has to be done before age 28. Under this new bill, if a parent comes to Canada with a child any time before that child turns 22, that child can be sponsored to become a permanent resident and then become a citizen, and that process would probably happen in less than one year. So it easily--
Director, Ottawa Office, Mennonite Central Committee Canada
We are prepared to accept that. For children, for minors, it goes quickly.
Lost Canadian Organization
I could suggest that if this bill does not pass, then the age 28 rule continues, and a lot of people will start losing their citizenship under that 28 rule who are second generation born abroad. So it's actually imperative to go forward, for those second-generation people, to pass this bill.
Historian, Canadian War Brides
Yes, this can't continue. It cannot continue, absolutely.
Can I speak?
