Citizenship and Immigration Committee on June 9th, 2010

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

On clause 20, we have amendment G-5.2.

Ms. Chow.

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

Mr. Chair, I have a series of amendments, NDP-10, NDP-11, and NDP-11.1. They're really about information-gathering on the public hearings. I withdrew the requirement for the public hearings earlier on, so these are just echoing what I was trying to do earlier, because I was worried that eight days was not enough. So all of these are unnecessary at this point.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Thank you, Ms. Chow.

Mr. Dykstra, on amendment G-5.2.

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

I so move.

(Amendment agreed to) [See Minutes of Proceedings]

(Clause 20 as amended agreed to)

(Clauses 21 and 22 agreed to)

(On clause 23--Right to counsel)

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

On clause 23, there is a Bloc amendment.

[Thierry St-Cyr, Bloc, Jeanne-Le Ber, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

The first book contained amendment BQ-8. I'm not going to introduce it, instead I'm going to introduce amendment BQ-8.1. Both have the same objective but are worded differently. In both cases, the idea is to provide a clarification to ensure that the right to be accompanied by counsel also applies to the preliminary interview that takes place at the very start of the process. I wanted that to be absolutely clear. That's the purpose of this amendment.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Monsieur Coderre, is there debate?

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

I want to understand. The expression "à leurs frais" means at the individual's expense, doesn't it?

[Thierry St-Cyr, Bloc, Jeanne-Le Ber, QC]

Yes.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

That's good.

[Thierry St-Cyr, Bloc, Jeanne-Le Ber, QC]

It can also be at the minister's expense.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Thank you.

(Amendment agreed to) [See Minutes of Proceedings]

(Clause 23 as amended agreed to)

(On clause 24--Abandonment of proceeding)

Ms. Chow, you must have said something. I have the amendment on clause 24 struck out. You must have withdrawn that.

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

Yes, because it's also part of that information-gathering, the interview in the beginning. It's the same thing I was talking about.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Okay.

(Clause 24 agreed to)

(On clause 25)

On clause 25, we have amendment G-6.

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

Mr. Chair, I move amendment G-6.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Ms. Chow.

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

Mr. Chair, I assume that this is for the minister to decide within the time standard that's going to be set out. I assume that the regulations will be presented later on, perhaps once the regulations are presented by the department, I guess in a month or so. I don't know how long it would take to put the timelines together. It's in the Canada Gazette anyway, but perhaps that can be sent to committee members for their information so it's clear how much time there is in each of the categories. As an undertaking, is that a problem?

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

I don't think that's going against what would be normal procedure, except to say that it is probably going to be more than a month.

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

Or however long it would take. I don't know how long it would take for them to write the regulations--

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

Right.

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

--but the sooner the better.

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

Fair enough. Thanks.

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

It's easy for me to say.

(Amendment agreed to) [See Minutes of Proceedings]

(Clause 25 as amended agreed to)

(On clause 26)

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

On clause 26, we have a Bloc amendment.