Thank you, Mr. Chair.
The majority of newcomers to Canada are law-abiding members of our society, and I believe that our legislation should not portray them negatively. Rather, I believe that Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the CBSA, and law enforcement should have the resources they need to keep us safe from criminals of all backgrounds.
Auditor General reports since 2000 have highlighted problems in the way our immigration laws are administered and in who actually gets into the country. Auditor General reports reveal that Canada's immigration system has problems not necessarily because of legislation flaws, but rather because of the way our laws are administered.
Reviewing Citizenship and Immigration Canada and the Canada Border Services Agency, the 2011 Auditor General's report showed that there is little training or formal training curriculum. Moreover, there is “little stability at the senior levels to provide [guidance] and on-the-job training”. There is also a lack of coordination of efforts between departments and no quality assurance framework or performance reviews.
Changing the law without addressing the problems currently in existence in the administration of the law is a serious concern and leaves little assurance for us and Canadians that our system will be better or more secure.
My question for you, Mr. Minister, is, how have these issues, highlighted by the Auditors General over and over again, contributed to the government's inability to track, detain, and remove serious non-citizen criminals?