Citizenship and Immigration Committee on May 14th, 2008

Evidence of meeting #45 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 changes.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Consideration of 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

Committee Business

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Corinne Pohlmann Vice-President, National Affairs, Canadian Federation of Independent Business

Jon Garson Vice-President, Policy Development Branch, British Columbia Chamber of Commerce

Joyce Reynolds Executive Vice-President, Government Affairs, Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association

Elizabeth Lim Lawyer, Lim Mangalji Law Group, Status Now! - Campaign in Defense of Undocumented Immigrants

Vikram Khurana Director, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada

Joseph Ben-Ami President, Canadian Centre for Policy Studies

Andrea Seepersaud Executive Director, Inter-Cultural Neighbourhood Social Services

Patrick Hynes Employment Advocate, Enhanced Language Training Program, Inter-Cultural Neighbourhood Social Services

Pierre Gauthier Refugee Outreach Committee, St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church

Shafiq Hudda Director, Islamic Humanitarian Service

5 p.m.

Liberal

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?

5 p.m.

President, Canadian Centre for Policy Studies

Joseph Ben-Ami

No, but the reason I'm illustrating—

5 p.m.

Liberal

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?

5 p.m.

President, Canadian Centre for Policy Studies

Joseph Ben-Ami

It's irrelevant.

5 p.m.

Liberal

Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON

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

5 p.m.

President, Canadian Centre for Policy Studies

Joseph Ben-Ami

That's exactly why I used it.

5 p.m.

A voice

A cheap shot.

5 p.m.

Liberal

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.

5 p.m.

President, Canadian Centre for Policy Studies

Joseph Ben-Ami

Okay. I honestly—

5 p.m.

Liberal

Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON

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

5 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Norman Doyle

Mr. Ben-Ami.

5 p.m.

President, Canadian Centre for Policy Studies

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.

5:05 p.m.

Liberal

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.

5:05 p.m.

President, Canadian Centre for Policy Studies

Joseph Ben-Ami

Yes.

Sorry, it's Mr. Karygiannis, right?

5:05 p.m.

Liberal

Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON

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

5:05 p.m.

President, Canadian Centre for Policy Studies

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--

5:05 p.m.

Liberal

Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON

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

5:05 p.m.

Liberal

Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON

Let me answer the question.

5:05 p.m.

Liberal

Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON

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

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Norman Doyle

Order.

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

5:05 p.m.

President, Canadian Centre for Policy Studies

Joseph Ben-Ami

If you're asking me—

5:05 p.m.

Liberal

Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON

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

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

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.

5:05 p.m.

Liberal

Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON

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

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Norman Doyle

I am allowing Mr. Ben-Ami to finish.

Order, please.

Mr. Ben-Ami, finish.