I'll call the meeting to order, please.
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. This is the 32nd meeting of Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, on Tuesday, November 3, 2009. The orders of the day are pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), a study of immigration application process wait times.
Could I have some order, please?
Before we start the meeting, I'm going to read a letter that was sent to me. Copies were sent to Mr. Bevilacqua, Monsieur St-Cyr, and Ms. Chow, but I have no idea whether other members are aware of it, so I am going to read it for the committee. The letter is addressed to me. It is dated October 29 and states:
Dear Chairman Tilson, Earlier today, during a meeting of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, Liberal MP Jim Karygiannis accused a longtime public servant in my ministry of wanting to stop the immigration of black people. While questioning Claudette Deschenes, ADM (Operations) in Citizenship and Immigration Canada, about why processing times vary across different visa offices abroad, Mr. Karygiannis said: “What happened in Kingston, Jamaica? I'll tell you what happened. They're black and you don't want to let them in.” This is slander. And it is an unconscionable attack on the integrity of the dedicated members of our professional public service. Immigration officials in Canada's missions abroad work very hard—often under trying circumstances—to process immigration applications. However, very often situations beyond our control arise that make processing immigration applications in a particular country more difficult. When officials in my ministry appear before the Standing Committee to answer questions from committee members on the policies and operations of the Department, they are entitled to be treated with respect. There is no excuse for committee members to harass, abuse, or defame public servants. If Mr. Karygiannis continues his pattern of abusing officials from my ministry when they appear before the Standing Committee, I will direct them not to appear before the committee in the future.
That's the part that concerns me most. It continues:
I urge you and committee members to censure Mr. Karygiannis for his unacceptable conduct, and to ensure appropriate respect for Canada's public servants. Yours sincerely, The Honourable Jason Kenney, PC, MP Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism
As I indicated, copies were sent to the Honourable Maurizio Bevilacqua, Thierry St-Cyr, and Olivia Chow.
So I've read that into the record.
Mr. Dykstra.