Citizenship and Immigration Committee on May 3rd, 2012

[Frank Valeriote, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

You have to let him finish.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Ms. James—

[Roxanne James, Conservative, Scarborough Centre, ON]

Yes, Chair?

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

—you have to let him finish. You asked a question. He's in the middle of his answer. Just calm down and let him finish.

[Roxanne James, Conservative, Scarborough Centre, ON]

I only have a set number of minutes, and I would like to get a yes or a no answer on my particular question, because it was very specific.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Obviously, you're not going to get that.

Ms. James, I'm not going to stop the clock, so let him finish.

Go ahead, Mr. Stanwick.

[Dr. Richard Stanwick]

The decisions about the risks and what steps to be taken have to be left to the elected officials sitting around this room. If you have to impose these conditions, and you believe there is a risk to the community, we're asking you to keep in mind how vulnerable children are and take steps to protect them. If you are going forward with Bill C-31, then we have made recommendations that, if this is the request and this is the appropriate course of action that this government decides, you please keep children in mind when you're housing them, their education, and all those things.

[Roxanne James, Conservative, Scarborough Centre, ON]

Thank you.

I commend you for your concern about the child. As a parliamentarian, I'm concerned about the child as well, but I'm also concerned about Canada as a nation and the Canadian citizens I'm responsible to.

Again my question to you, sir, is, if one of those persons who had a child with them could not be identified, do you think they should be released into the general community and be integrated without the government’s knowing exactly who this person is? It's really a simple yes or no answer, in this particular case, just this simple case.

[Frank Valeriote, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Mr. Chair, I have a point of order.

[Roxanne James, Conservative, Scarborough Centre, ON]

I'm just not getting an answer.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

What?

[Dr. Richard Stanwick]

The answer to that is—

[Frank Valeriote, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

I don't think anybody should be restricted to a yes or no answer, when there's more context that needs to be given to the question.

[Roxanne James, Conservative, Scarborough Centre, ON]

I receive the—

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

Who's chairing here? Is it Mr. Valeriote?

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

I don't know. I've lost control of the meeting.

[Roxanne James, Conservative, Scarborough Centre, ON]

And I'm not trying—

[Dr. Richard Stanwick]

Mr. Chair, I've treated the children of murderers—

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Everybody's talking.

[Ted Opitz, Conservative, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

A point of order, Mr.—

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

No.

[Ted Opitz, Conservative, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

I can't raise a point of order?

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

No.

[Ted Opitz, Conservative, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

Why?

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Because I'm dealing with Mr. Valeriote, and you guys have to wait until I finish with one point of order and another point of order. Your turn will come.

Have you finished?