Citizenship and Immigration Committee on June 11th, 2013

[The Vice-Chair (Ms. Jinny Jogindera Sims (Newton—North Delta, NDP)), NDP, Jinny Sims]

I'd like to call our meeting to order and welcome our guests.

Would you would like to start, Sharon?

[Sadia Groguhé, NDP, Saint-Lambert, QC]

Madam Chair—

[The Vice-Chair (Ms. Jinny Jogindera Sims), NDP, Jinny Sims]

I have a guest who is ready to start.

[An hon. member]

[Inaudible—Editor]

[The Vice-Chair (Ms. Jinny Jogindera Sims), NDP, Jinny Sims]

I have a guest who can start right now.

[A voice]

[Inaudible—Editor]

[The Vice-Chair (Ms. Jinny Jogindera Sims), NDP, Jinny Sims]

Yes.

Sharon...?

[Sharon Chomyn, Director General, International Region, Department of Citizenship and Immigration]

Thank you.

Good morning, Madam Chair and members of the committee.

My name is Sharon Chomyn. I am the director general of the international region for Citizenship and Immigration. I am pleased to appear before you today and hope that our testimony will be helpful as you undertake your study on the temporary resident visa for visitors.

The role of the international region is to, on the one hand, deliver programs and implement policy and operational changes overseas, and on the other hand, to use the knowledge and expertise available at our visa offices abroad to inform the development of new policies and programs. In both cases, the objective remains—

[Chungsen Leung, Conservative, Willowdale, ON]

I'm sorry. May I interrupt?

[Sharon Chomyn]

—to be as facilitative as possible for genuine applicants while minimizing risks to Canadians.

[The Vice-Chair (Ms. Jinny Jogindera Sims), NDP, Jinny Sims]

Excuse me for just one second.

[Chungsen Leung, Conservative, Willowdale, ON]

Madam Chair, according to the agenda, we were supposed to start with committee business, so may I request that...?

[The Vice-Chair (Ms. Jinny Jogindera Sims), NDP, Jinny Sims]

Well, we've started with the guest speaker. We have started. I called the meeting to order. We will do the committee business at the end.

[Chungsen Leung, Conservative, Willowdale, ON]

At the end?

[The Vice-Chair (Ms. Jinny Jogindera Sims), NDP, Jinny Sims]

Yes, 15 minutes before we finish. Thank you.

[Sharon Chomyn]

While I will be concentrating on the temporary resident visa program, many of my comments, in terms of our efforts towards ensuring program integrity and modernizing our operations—

[Costas Menegakis, Conservative, Richmond Hill, ON]

I have a point of order.

[The Vice-Chair (Ms. Jinny Jogindera Sims), NDP, Jinny Sims]

My apologies.

Yes?

[Costas Menegakis, Conservative, Richmond Hill, ON]

Madam Chair, with all due respect, I think you need unanimous consent to change the agenda now. Perhaps the clerk can give us the ruling.

[The Vice-Chair (Ms. Jinny Jogindera Sims), NDP, Jinny Sims]

Well, I started the meeting—

[Costas Menegakis, Conservative, Richmond Hill, ON]

It doesn't matter. You need unanimous consent to change the agenda, I believe.

[The Vice-Chair (Ms. Jinny Jogindera Sims), NDP, Jinny Sims]

I will seek advice from the clerk.

[Rathika Sitsabaiesan, NDP, Scarborough—Rouge River, ON]

On this same point, Madam Chair, if I may...?

[The Vice-Chair (Ms. Jinny Jogindera Sims), NDP, Jinny Sims]

Yes, please.

[Rathika Sitsabaiesan, NDP, Scarborough—Rouge River, ON]

Thank you.

When you made the decision, I guess, the ruling or decision to move forward, there were no voices of dissent at that point. Our witness has started, and I believe that just out of respect for our witness, who has already commenced and is in mid-word, mid-sentence, maybe we should continue with the chair's ruling. Since there was no voice of—