Citizenship and Immigration Committee on May 14th, 2008

[Jim Karygiannis, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

I'm glad you brought that up, sir. Do you know how many exotic dancers were allowed into Canada last year, sir?

[Joseph Ben-Ami]

No, but the reason I'm illustrating—

[Jim Karygiannis, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

Sir, you mentioned exotic dancers. My question is very simple. Do you know how many were allowed into Canada last year?

[Joseph Ben-Ami]

It's irrelevant.

[Jim Karygiannis, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

It is very relevant. You used it as an example, sir.

[Joseph Ben-Ami]

That's exactly why I used it.

[A voice]

A cheap shot.

[Jim Karygiannis, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

It is a very cheap shot, because only 0.0006% of the people who came into Canada last year as temporary workers were exotic dancers.

[Joseph Ben-Ami]

Okay. I honestly—

[Jim Karygiannis, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

Are you going to call it to order or stop the clock?

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Mr. Ben-Ami.

[Joseph Ben-Ami]

I didn't mean anything by that. I said I was being provocative, but I could change it to taxi drivers, I could change it to lumberjacks. The point is that the government should have the ability to determine who gets into the front of the line.

[Jim Karygiannis, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

Mr. Ben-Ami, you're telling me that the minister should have the right, on her own, to decide, with absolutely no parliamentary oversight, how the system goes.

[Joseph Ben-Ami]

Yes.

Sorry, it's Mr. Karygiannis, right?

[Jim Karygiannis, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

Yes. Is that what you're telling me, sir?

[Joseph Ben-Ami]

I have been around here for a long time. I'm not aware of any minister who ever does anything arbitrarily, without a great deal of input from the department or oversight by Parliament--

[Jim Karygiannis, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

Hold on. Mr. Ben-Ami, sir, I'm using your words.

[Jim Karygiannis, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

Let me answer the question.

[Jim Karygiannis, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

I'm using your words, Mr. Ben-Ami.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Order.

Mr. Karygiannis, let Mr. Ben-Ami finish, please.

[Joseph Ben-Ami]

If you're asking me—

[Jim Karygiannis, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

Are you running my questions, or am I running my questions?

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

I am running this meeting, and I can tell you that Mr. Ben-Ami is going to finish his answer.

[Jim Karygiannis, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

You don't like the questions. That's what you're telling me.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

I am allowing Mr. Ben-Ami to finish.

Order, please.

Mr. Ben-Ami, finish.