Evidence of meeting #16 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was asked.
A recording is available from Parliament.
9:15 a.m.
Conservative
9:20 a.m.
Attorney, As an Individual
Please summarize, because we're over time already.
9:20 a.m.
Member, Caregivers Support Services
One Wednesday after I cleaned the house of Sonia and Sukhbir and then Sukhbir dropped me off at Ruby's house, it was already 12 o'clock in the morning, and Tavinder asked me to shovel the snow. I was forced, because she was really upset, because she told me that Ruby Dhalla was coming very soon. It was a snowstorm at the time and the flight was delayed. Tavinder told me that the man who used to do this was on a vacation and he was not in Toronto at the time.
What else? On February 21, I—
9:20 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
We have a time problem, Madam. Could you conclude? If Ms. Tongson wishes to make a statement, you'll have to wind up. Members of the committee want to ask questions.
9:20 a.m.
Member, Caregivers Support Services
Okay.
On February 21, I quit. When I quit I asked Ruby Dhalla to give me my salary because I was not comfortable or happy there any more and she did not fulfill her promise to apply for the LMO for me and obtain a work permit for me. So I decided to quit. She started to yell at me and called me an opportunist. She started to say I'm stupid and am nothing here and she started to threaten me.
I said, “I just want to get my salary. I'm really not happy here.” Then I left. But I left my luggage in her residence, telling her that I would come back to get my salary, if she was ready to give it to me. On March 1, on the third day, I came back. Richelyn opened the door and she gave me the luggage.
9:20 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
Okay. I'm going to ask Ms. Tongson if she has a few brief comments to make, Mr. Sinclair, if you could emphasize that to her.
May 12th, 2009 / 9:20 a.m.
Richelyn Tongson Member, Caregivers Support Services
Good morning to all of the members of the committee.
My name is Richelyn Tongson. I am 37 years old, married with four children. I arrived in Canada on October 9, 2007.
I started to work in Ruby Dhalla's residence on February 22, 2008. My brother accompanied me there in his car. Ms. Ruby Dhalla opened the door. She shook hands with my brother and me. “I am the nanny from Akemi's agency,” I said. She introduced herself as MP for Brampton. My brother left her house.
Ruby Dhalla interviewed me in the livingroom. She asked me if I knew how to cook, and I said that I can follow recipes. She asked me if I am married and I said yes, with four kids. She asked me if I am hard-working and I said as long as I can do my duties. She asked me if I knew how to cook stir-fried noodles, and I said yes. Then, while she was lying on the couch in the living room, I took all the vegetables needed for stir-fried noodles. When I finished cooking, she took some noodles and liked them.
She talked to me, saying I would start at 7:30 a.m., but did not say what time I'd go to bed. The first trial she wanted me to do was clean the kitchen and organize the cupboards and do the laundry in the laundry room. She told me to put my things in the basement room.
Neil Dhalla came home with Sonia that night. She introduced me to her brother Neil and Sonia, saying that I was sweet and the stir-fry I made was tasty. Then Sonia asked me to take the stuff from the car into the house and put it into the basement. It was all detergent and paper towels.
As the test goes, Neil asked me to do some work for him, to shine his shoes. He showed me how. He said I had to wipe the shoes with a dry cloth first, then put the Kiwi on and brush it well until it looked shiny. He said he needs his shoes shined before he would go to work.
Then Ruby Dhalla asked me to also clean Sonia's house every Wednesday, once a week. “It is just a small basement,” she said. I said, “It's okay.”
Sonia ate dinner with Ruby and Neil that night, inside the house. The next day, Ruby showed me all over the house and told me everything must be organized. She asked if I could clean her washroom the way she wanted, and she liked how I did it. Then I started doing things in the kitchen. She asked me to cook for her.
The whole day Ruby was in the computer room and sometimes asked me to prepare food for her. She showed me how to make coffee the way she likes it. Dr. Neil Dhalla taught me how to make tea so I could give him tea when asked. I learned that all the dishes must be hand-washed, and I had to wipe the floor kneeling and using my hands. I had to dust all the furniture every day. All the washrooms had to be cleaned and sanitized, as Dr. Neil likes them to be.
Their mother wasn't home for a few days. In the days when the mother wasn't there, I was the one who served Ruby and Dr. Neil.
9:25 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
I'm sorry, Ms. Tongson, we're going to have to end this. I'm going to ask you to pick out a couple of points. Members of the committee will want to be able to ask questions, and we're literally running out of time. Please conclude.
Thank you.
9:25 a.m.
Member, Caregivers Support Services
Okay. When their mother came back, it started that I had to follow everyone's orders about what to do. She was with me all the time in the house and drove me sometimes to the clinic at night after the clinic hours.
Dr. Ruby started asking me about my documents.
9:25 a.m.
Attorney, As an Individual
Richelyn, if you could summarize, Mr. Chair wants--
9:25 a.m.
Attorney, As an Individual
Mr. Chair, I'm sorry. I'm asking her if she can possibly summarize. Obviously this is difficult for her.
9:25 a.m.
Member, Caregivers Support Services
Okay. Dr. Ruby said all the documents needed for my papers are birth certificate, marriage contract, and passport. I handed all my documents to her last March 15, I think in the morning before she goes somewhere else, to her office or somewhere. But she said I would receive my work permit in only one week's time.
9:25 a.m.
Conservative
9:25 a.m.
Liberal
Maurizio Bevilacqua Liberal Vaughan, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I'd like to thank the witnesses for appearing in front of us.
We are indeed studying this important issue related to migrant workers. I do have some questions in order to better understand the circumstances surrounding the statements we have just heard.
The first question is to both Ms. Gordo and Ms. Tongson, just to establish a few things for the record.
Did anyone help either of you prepare for today's committee appearance?
9:25 a.m.
Liberal
9:25 a.m.
A voice
Pura Velasco.
9:25 a.m.
Liberal
Maurizio Bevilacqua Liberal Vaughan, ON
Have either of you had any contact with anyone from Minister Kenney's office or other federal officials over the last two or three weeks?
9:25 a.m.
Member, Caregivers Support Services
I never had any contact with a minister or anyone or with a politician. I never had any connection.