Evidence of meeting #37 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 consultants.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:55 p.m.
An hon. member
Call the question.
5 p.m.
Conservative
5 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Norman Doyle
I'm going to hear a bit more, because I see Mr. Bevilacqua's hand, Mr. Karygiannis', and—
5 p.m.
NDP
5 p.m.
Liberal
Maurizio Bevilacqua Liberal Vaughan, ON
The point that has to be made very clearly is that whatever report we may give the finance committee has to be dated “as of...”; in other words, these are issues as of May 9, or May 7, or whatever the case may be, which implies that the committee may further study this issue. You will find that the vast majority of committee members will want to further study the issue.
5 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Norman Doyle
Okay, that was good and brief.
Mr. Karygiannis, please do likewise.
5 p.m.
Liberal
Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON
Mr. Chair, should somebody want to put the gun to our head, I would say to you that we go back to the time when the motions were put forward. This is the last motion we have, and we should go on the date. In respect to your decision, sir, I think that when a request comes in on a particular date, we should honour that request and should vote on it as of the day it comes in.
5 p.m.
Liberal
Andrew Telegdi Liberal Kitchener—Waterloo, ON
Mr. Chair, I'm not going to support the motion, seeing that we're going to issue our final report, if you will. I think we're compromising by saying we're going to issue an interim report, and I think the committee wants to study this subject greatly. This is a huge change to the Immigration Act, the biggest change I've seen since the new act came in in 1982. I dare say it's even bigger than that. I think what we want to do, since we have Mr. Khan's motion on the floor, is defeat it and then come back with a motion that we study this matter and issue a preliminary report by May 9.
5 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Norman Doyle
Let's get on to calling the question.
The last one I'm hearing is Mr. Siksay.
5 p.m.
NDP
Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
Thank you, Chair.
I'd like to propose an amendment that instead of Friday, May 9, we say Friday, May 16, because I don't think we can accomplish this important task in that period of time. I would like to move a specific amendment that we report to the Standing Committee on Finance no later than Friday, May 16.
Chair, after this one, I have another suggested amendment as well.
5 p.m.
Conservative
Ed Komarnicki Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK
No, we called the question. You have to have the vote, and we can lose. It's that simple. It's no more complicated than that.
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Conservative
5 p.m.
Liberal
5 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Norman Doyle
Order. Let's try to sort this out in a gentleman-like and lady-like fashion. I have called the question, and I'm not hearing anything until I talk to the clerk here.
5 p.m.
Conservative
Wajid Khan Conservative Mississauga—Streetsville, ON
The amendment is not acceptable. I request the chair to call the question. Whether it's defeated or passed, it doesn't matter.
5 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Norman Doyle
Not yet. Wait until I get some advice from the clerk here.
Would you put up the first amendment?
5 p.m.
Liberal
Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON
It is that, as promptly as possible the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration consider the subject matter of part 6 of Bill C-50, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on February 26, 2008 and to enact provisions to preserve the fiscal plan set out in that budget, convey its preliminary report to the Standing Committee on Finance—
