Evidence of meeting #64 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site.) The winning word was division.
A video is available from Parliament.
4:30 p.m.
Liberal
Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB
Mr. Chair, I was quite encouraged when the government member indicated he would postpone that. I anxiously await the arrival of the new amendment, but I would request that we have a recorded vote on this one.
4:30 p.m.
Conservative
4:30 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
It is. Could I see it?
I appreciate all the help everybody's given me.
We're going to vote on amendment LIB-5. It's a recorded vote, Mr. Lamoureux.
(Amendment negatived: nays 6; yeas 5 [See Minutes of Proceedings])
Mr. Weston, your proposed amendment seems to be in order. You could move that, please.
4:30 p.m.
Conservative
John Weston Conservative West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Given the conversations we have had here and to the testimony that we have heard…
I'm persuaded that we could improve the report by ensuring that the minister does have to respond to Parliament, at least in the annual report, declaring how many times he's exercised his negative discretion.
This is I think in the spirit that we have been discussing here at the committee, as well as what we've heard from some of our witnesses. From my point of view, it's an attempt to increase the minister's accountability while making sure that what we do is consistent with other aspects of the act, and making sure that we don't breach concerns of security and other things that the government has expressed.
The amendment specifically seeks to amend Bill C-43 in clause 8, by adding at line 2 on page 3, the following:(4) The report required under section 94 must include the number of declarations made under subsection (1) and set out the public policy considerations that led to the making of the declarations.
Again, I think I am in tune with my colleagues on this side and from what I've heard from across the way on the concern that we make sure the minister is following the time-honoured requirement to be accountable to Parliament in exercising his discretion.
4:35 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
I have three speakers lined up.
I'm advised that the minister is here. I'm in the hands of the committee. We had agreed that the minister would appear on the supplementary estimates between 4:30 and 5:30. I have no idea whether we're going to have long debates on these things, so I'm at the committee's direction. We could finish this now. If we do that, I don't know when it will end.
I'm just saying that although he's not here, the minister is available now.
Mr. Dykstra.
4:35 p.m.
Conservative
Rick Dykstra Conservative St. Catharines, ON
I was going to suggest, and perhaps Mr. Weston was going to do the same, that I think we can complete our work here in five minutes.
4:35 p.m.
Conservative
4:35 p.m.
Conservative
4:35 p.m.
NDP
Jinny Sims NDP Newton—North Delta, BC
As you know, Mr. Chairman, we have raised concerns about the big umbrella of public policy. We took the minister at his word when he appeared before us the last time. We took his exact suggested criteria, and then we took his word saying that the committee may want to consider putting it into legislation. We moved that. We did not get that.
I mean, we'll support this, but I really need you to know that our major concerns around due process, and this huge umbrella that encompasses public policy, is a huge, huge issue for us.
4:35 p.m.
Conservative
Rick Dykstra Conservative St. Catharines, ON
It's not very often, Mr. Chair, that we're in the position of having the critic of the opposition agreeing with the minister and me not, but I do want to commend her and the opposition, and Mr. Weston actually, who assisted in putting this resolution together. We understand that we did need some more detail there.
This amendment perhaps, as you've stated, Ms. Sims, doesn't go as far as you would like it to. I understand and respect that, but at the same time, we have attempted in the amendment to move closer to a more detailed reporting of each of the individual cases.
You'll see that if the minister has to use negative discretion, then at least, after the bill actually receives royal assent and is implemented, you will see them noted in the report and the reasons that negative discretion was used.
It's an attempt to move in the direction you've suggested, and I think it reaches that end.
4:35 p.m.
Liberal
Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB
Very quickly, Mr. Chairperson, I do believe it's something that would be extremely rare, and that's why I would have rather seen it in our amendment. However, I thank the member for at least taking into consideration our amendment and coming up with something else.
4:35 p.m.
Conservative
4:35 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
Government amendment G-2 carries.
(Amendment agreed to)
Shall clause 8 as amended carry?
4:35 p.m.
Liberal
4:35 p.m.
An hon. member
On division.
4:35 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
(Schedule 1 agreed to on division)
We have an amendment, LIB-1.
Mr. Lamoureux, I'm going to deem it out of order. Do you want me to give reasons?
4:35 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
That amendment is out of order.
Shall clause 1 carry?
(Clause 1 agreed to on division)
Shall the title carry?
(Title agreed to on division)
Shall the bill as amended carry?
4:35 p.m.
NDP
Jinny Sims NDP Newton—North Delta, BC
Could we have a recorded vote, please.
(Bill C-43 as amended agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])