Evidence of meeting #82 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site.) The winning word was chair.
A video is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Roxanne James Conservative Scarborough Centre, ON
Mr. Chair, the point of order I am putting forward is that Mr. Dykstra actually had the floor.
Conservative
Roxanne James Conservative Scarborough Centre, ON
He never passed the floor back to anyone else around this table. He had the floor. He was speaking. He was interrupted by the chair, but he still had the floor. He was not finished what he was saying. That's my point of order, whether you respect that point of order or not.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Kevin Lamoureux
I know. Yes.
Ms. Sims, is this to deal with the same point of order?
NDP
Jinny Sims NDP Newton—North Delta, BC
I was in the chair. I made a ruling. I got challenged. The challenge was that we should really be going back to committee business. The challenge was defeated and so we went back to committee business. That part of Mr. Dykstra being in the order was over, because we were now back to the beginning of the agenda.
We went back to the beginning of the agenda, which was committee business. I recognized a speaker. She started to speak. The only reason I gave up my seat was so that I could come here and move that motion. It was not with the understanding that I would just be sitting here. So I would go back to the chair. I came here specifically at that time to move that motion, because somebody was speaking to a motion that was not moved, even though everybody has it in front of them.
I am basically seeking guidance from the chair at this stage. I gave up my seat to come here and put it on the floor—not to speak to it—and then to go back to my seat. I only stepped out for that moment and that was, I think, what I said.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Kevin Lamoureux
I want to bring it back to its simplest form. That is, the moment I assumed the chair, I was provided a list of speakers. My ruling would be that we follow the list of speakers. Unless there's a point of order or a challenge of the chair, I would say that we should go back to Ms. Groguhé to finish her comments. Then Rick can immediately follow her and move in camera or do whatever he wants, but I have to go by the list.
There was some acknowledgment in the list in the sense that she had already started. The point of order should have been raised prior to Sadia even starting her comments.
If we can allow her to finish her comments, I suspect she's not going to be long or someone will raise a point of order right away. Let's let her finish the comments, and then we'll go to you, Rick.
Sadia.
NDP
Sadia Groguhé NDP Saint-Lambert, QC
In terms of the notice of motion that was introduced on June 5, 2013, we feel that it is very important to be able to deal with the legislation that says that those born outside Canada after 1947 can obtain their Canadian citizenship whereas those born before 1947 cannot. With this notice of motion, we hope to correct that situation. Moreover, the current situation limits the transfer of citizenship to children who are born outside the country, meaning the second generation.
Under those circumstances, people do not know what their status is. People wish to obtain Canadian citizenship but, with this piece of legislation, we are clearly preventing them from doing so. Naturally, various MPs' offices have had to deal with those types of applications and people are perplexed by the situation they are in. In addition, that also creates a great deal of damage. Those people want to belong to Canada but they are being rejected.
It is really crucial that we think about what amendments to make to the legislation. Mr. Chair, we want to see those shortcomings addressed because they are putting those people into a very problematic situation.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Conservative
Liberal
NDP
Jinny Sims NDP Newton—North Delta, BC
I would like a recorded vote.
(Motion agreed to: yeas 6; nays 4)
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Kevin Lamoureux
We will be going in camera.
Kent, Lillian, Sharon, our apologies for what we have to go through. You will have to leave the room, and I'm not sure how—
Isabelle Dumas Procedural Clerk, Committees Directorate, House of Commons
No, they can stay. We're going to turn it off.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Kevin Lamoureux
We're going to mute, so please don't hang up. We're going to hit the mute button apparently, so we'll let the technicians take care of that.
We'll suspend.
[Proceedings continue in camera]
