Citizenship and Immigration Committee on Feb. 12th, 2009

[Rick Dykstra, Conservative, St. Catharines, ON]

According to my notes at the subcommittee, I agree with all of the report as it was outlined. The only thing that's missing is a final paragraph or sentence indicating that we had agreed at subcommittee to continue on until March 12 with unfinished business from the 39th Parliament, including undocumented workers, temporary foreign workers, and/or Iraqi refugees.

[Maurizio Bevilacqua, Liberal, Vaughan, ON]

That's true.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

We seem to be in agreement with that.

Mr. Bevilacqua.

[Maurizio Bevilacqua, Liberal, Vaughan, ON]

If we could just add what the parliamentary secretary stated to this report, it would actually be complete. It could be a friendly amendment to the first report, which I would gladly move.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

So we're all set until March 12. That settles that.

Mr. Bevilacqua is moving that the first report of the subcommittee, as amended, be adopted.

(Motion agreed to)

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

We now move to the motions of Ms. Chow.

Ms. Chow.

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

Mr. Chair, just before the motions, I'm wondering whether you could call a subcommittee meeting before March 12 so that we can then in a few weeks' time plan what we would do after the break.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Absolutely. I'll have to let you know. That's a good idea, and we'll do that.

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

Thanks, because sometimes if we wait until it happens it gets confusing.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

You're absolutely right.

Ms. Chow, the floor is yours. You have some motions to make.

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

The first one deals with consultants. We were going to have the report back here. I've been persuaded that rather than doing it that way, apparently the department or the minister may choose to take some action on the whole issue of regulating consultants. I thought it best to wait for a little while, not that we are short of things to do.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Are you withdrawing that, or setting it down? What are you doing?

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

I'll stand it down until the end of March or in the spring.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

She's not moving it.

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

I'm not moving that.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

We'll just take the position you're not moving it.

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

Thanks. I will just table it and leave it there.

May I move on to the next one?

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Sure.

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

The other one is about spousal sponsorships. Let me speak quickly about the spousal sponsorship motion.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Perhaps you could move it officially, please.

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

For some reason it was not circulated, which I don't quite understand.

Oh, it's combined. Thank you.

It's motion number two:

The Committee recommends that the government allow any applicant (unless they have serious criminality) who has filed their first in-Canada spousal or common law sponsorship application to be entitled to a temporary work permit and an automatic stay of removal until a decision is rendered on their application.

And that this motion be reported to Parliament if adopted by this committee.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Do you wish to speak to it?

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

Yes. Given that we have a—

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

A point of order, Mr. Karygiannis.

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

Mr. Chairman, I was wondering if these are two separate motions or part and parcel of the same motion.