Citizenship and Immigration Committee on March 12th, 2008

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

Follow-up of recommendations of members of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration in a previous Parliament for an appointment to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

Order in Council appointments of Berto Volpentesta and Dominique Setton-Lemar

Committee Business

Meeting with a member of the Somaliland Parliament

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

4:45 p.m.

Liberal

Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

4:45 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Norman Doyle

I am aware, Mr. Karygiannis, that I owe you an extra minute, given the fact that I cut you off in the--

4:45 p.m.

Liberal

Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON

Plus 30 seconds for now.

Mr. Volpentesta, I looked over your resumé. When somebody makes a resumé they certainly list all their accomplishments, the boards they belong to, and if somebody owns a company or is part of a company, they certainly put that down.

Are you still part of Cannex, sir? Do you have interest in Cannex right now?

4:45 p.m.

Member, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

Berto Volpentesta

Right now I'm wrapping up my files in Cannex.

4:45 p.m.

Liberal

Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON

Were you sole proprietor of Cannex--50%, 30% owner?

4:45 p.m.

Member, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

Berto Volpentesta

I'm not a sole proprietor, I'm a senior--

4:45 p.m.

Liberal

Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON

What percentage did you have in the past?

4:45 p.m.

Member, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

Berto Volpentesta

Zero percent.

4:45 p.m.

Liberal

Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON

Now, or...?

4:45 p.m.

Member, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

Berto Volpentesta

At all times.

4:45 p.m.

Liberal

Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON

Who was the president of the company?

4:45 p.m.

Member, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

Berto Volpentesta

The president...well, the sole proprietorship is to Arlene Martirez.

4:45 p.m.

Liberal

Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON

So Arlene was your boss. You were working for her; you were not part of the board.

4:45 p.m.

Member, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

Berto Volpentesta

Well, yes, that's correct.

4:50 p.m.

Liberal

Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON

You hesitated there.

4:50 p.m.

Member, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

Berto Volpentesta

There is no board; it's a sole proprietorship.

4:50 p.m.

Liberal

Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON

Is it a limited company?

4:50 p.m.

Member, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

Berto Volpentesta

It's a registered sole proprietorship. It's not a corporation at all.

4:50 p.m.

Liberal

Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON

So you're an employee.

4:50 p.m.

Liberal

Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON

Yes.

4:50 p.m.

Liberal

Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON

The Cannex website, which was still up at three o'clock today, says, “All immigration performed at Cannex Immigration Specialists is handled by Mr. Berto Volpentesta”. So she owns the company and you did the work?

4:50 p.m.

Member, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

Berto Volpentesta

I do the immigration work, yes.

4:50 p.m.

Liberal

Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON

What other work do they do?

4:50 p.m.

Member, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

Berto Volpentesta

She is responsible for liaison with clients, marketing services, advertising, things like this.

4:50 p.m.

Liberal

Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON

Do you have any personal relation to the...?