Evidence of meeting #28 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was csic.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Tim Uppal Conservative Edmonton—Sherwood Park, AB
You're right. There's not much we can do about the ones in other countries. But within Canada, it would definitely crack down on them.
Conservative
Conservative
Rick Dykstra Conservative St. Catharines, ON
Ms. Javier, I want to pursue that a bit further, because I don't think there are too many people sitting around the table here who disagree with your perspective that what happens in another country isn't something we have any jurisdiction over. You do understand that this is pretty much impossible for us to do.
Conservative
Rick Dykstra Conservative St. Catharines, ON
Okay. We're agreeing that we're dealing with a bill that deals with ghost consultants or with the industry here in Canada, so the bill is fairly specific. It has eight specific measures in it that are going to change the way this industry works. I haven't heard from you which of the eight pieces you actually support and which of the eight pieces you do not support.
Conservative
Rick Dykstra Conservative St. Catharines, ON
I don't want to put you in an uncomfortable position. I read one of them to Mr. Waldman, which was that the process will now begin much before applications are filed. The bill also gives the minister much stronger authority.
I certainly take Mr. Waldman's comments into account, although I think he's the first person who's come here as a witness to suggest that we're actually not giving the minister enough authority under this legislation. I actually appreciate that, because everyone else who has come here has indicated, as some of my colleagues in the opposition have indicated, that it gives the minister too much authority. He's indicated that it actually may not give him enough.
I would like to hear specifically what you like about the bill, because it does in fact go a lot further than the legislation currently in place does.
As an Individual
Okay. The way I see the bill, it's trying to regulate CSIC. I may be wrong.
Conservative
Rick Dykstra Conservative St. Catharines, ON
But that's what you just said you wanted to have happen. You said the title of the bill should be “How to Regulate CSIC”. Now you're saying that the bill actually does that.
Conservative
As an Individual
Yes, I like that part. I'm not a big fan of CSIC. I know what their problems are.
Conservative
Rick Dykstra Conservative St. Catharines, ON
I understand that. You've made that really clear this afternoon, so thanks. We have to be a little more—
As an Individual
That's right, but I do agree that the bill may be able to regulate them. All I'm saying is that it will not regulate the ghost consultants.
Conservative
Rick Dykstra Conservative St. Catharines, ON
Well, I suggest, though, that if someone's going to do business in this country as a consultant and doesn't register with what will be the new regulatory body, they will be charged. They won't be able—
Conservative
Rick Dykstra Conservative St. Catharines, ON
Well, I suppose we could sit and have this discussion on every piece of justice legislation that's brought forward. It's against the law to steal, but it doesn't mean that everyone who does steal gets caught, right?
Conservative
Rick Dykstra Conservative St. Catharines, ON
We're all agreed on that. Nothing gets us to 100%, but our goal is to get closer to 100%. If we're at 25%, which I think is a figure you're suggesting today, you'd have to agree that this bill gets us a lot closer to 100% than we currently are now.
October 25th, 2010 / 4:25 p.m.
Liberal
Borys Wrzesnewskyj Liberal Etobicoke Centre, ON
Thank you, Chair.
Mr. Waldman, just so the record is clear on this, you actually stated that you would prefer to see a government regulator as opposed to going the route that the government has taken with this legislation.
