Evidence of meeting #17 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 board.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Dominique Setton-Lemar  Member, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Berto Volpentesta  Member, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Benjamin Dolin  Member, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Krista Daley  Director General, Operations, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Nasir Hagi Ali  Member, Somaliland Parliament, As an Individual

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Norman Doyle

I'll get around to your point of order as well, Mr. Karygiannis.

The chair is--

4:05 p.m.

Liberal

Andrew Telegdi Liberal Kitchener—Waterloo, ON

No, no, this is not involved with the rules--

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Norman Doyle

Well, I await someone's reference to that in the Standing Orders. The chair is very happy to abide by the orders as laid down in the Standing Orders for the committee.

So when you're making these points of order, that the chair must stop the clock, will you please give me the reference for that as well? Because I'd be pleased to do that.

4:05 p.m.

Liberal

Andrew Telegdi Liberal Kitchener—Waterloo, ON

Mr. Chair, it's very practical--

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Norman Doyle

I'm going to Mr. Karygiannis for a point of order.

4:05 p.m.

Liberal

Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON

Mr. Chair, it's customary in the House, and it's practised by the Speaker, that when a member speaks and somebody else gets up on a point of order or a point of privilege, the clock stops.

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Norman Doyle

Is it really?

4:05 p.m.

A voice

Yes.

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Norman Doyle

Oh, is it?

4:05 p.m.

Liberal

Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON

Now, I sit very close to the Speaker and I watch this. I can see the clock and I've seen this time and time again. If you want a ruling, we can certainly ask the Speaker, and then we can move on.

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Norman Doyle

I've already indicated to Ms. Chow that we'll manage the time as effectively as we can, and she won't lose too much time on this.

4:05 p.m.

NDP

Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON

Do I start over again? Why don't I start all over again?

Oh my gosh, are there more points of order? I knew it.

4:10 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Norman Doyle

I can only listen to what our adviser, the clerk, tells me. Points of order eat into a member's speaking time. I'm not an expert on parliamentary procedure, on Marleau and Montpetit. I can only listen to the clerk on this matter.

Really, we're getting off the subject here. We're eating into the time we need to examine the witnesses, so maybe we could deal with these issues after the committee.

It will be more appropriate to allow members to pursue their questions. If the chair finds it necessary to intervene, the chair will intervene.

Ms. Chow.

4:10 p.m.

NDP

Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON

May I start over again, please?

4:10 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Norman Doyle

We'll give you six minutes.

4:10 p.m.

NDP

Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON

Mr. Volpentesta, regarding the company that you have, Cannex Immigration Specialists, you've been working there since 2004. I don't see it on your CV. Is there a reason for that? I don't see it on your resumé. I think you've been working there since 2004, as a senior partner or a senior consultant.

4:10 p.m.

Member, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

Berto Volpentesta

Right. When my business partner left in 2002 or 2003, the company was called Sadhu & Volpentesta. In around 2004, it changed to Cannex Immigration Specialists.

It should be on my resumé. It's a little line....

4:10 p.m.

NDP

Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON

I thought Cannex started many years ago. Cannex claimed they started in the 1990s. It didn't start in 2004; it started in the 1990s.

But anyway, do you still have offices in the Philippines and India?

4:10 p.m.

Member, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

Berto Volpentesta

Let's see, Cannex has an office in the Philippines, yes.

4:10 p.m.

NDP

Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON

And also in India?

4:10 p.m.

Member, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

Berto Volpentesta

Not in India, no.

4:10 p.m.

NDP

Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON

Not in India anymore? It claims that it had. Has it ever had an office in India?

4:10 p.m.

Member, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

Berto Volpentesta

In its incarnation, Sidhu & Volpentesta had offices in India, yes. Then when my business partner left, we started closing those offices.

4:10 p.m.

NDP

Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON

So Sidhu & Volpentesta is actually Cannex. It's the same company.

4:10 p.m.

Member, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

Berto Volpentesta

It's the same company.