Citizenship and Immigration Committee on July 24th, 2018

[The Chair, Liberal, Rob Oliphant]

I would just remind both the witness and the member that to speak one at a time would be helpful for the interpreters.

[Pierre Poilievre]

Mr. Chair, the question was how much it would cost to house people in hotels. The witness has now said that he does not have an answer to that question.

[Adam Vaughan, Liberal, Spadina—Fort York, ON]

That's not what I said. I was answering your question.

[Pierre Poilievre]

I want to move on to another question, then, if he cannot answer that one.

[Adam Vaughan, Liberal, Spadina—Fort York, ON]

I will answer that one—

[Pierre Poilievre]

He has indicated that he does not know the cost of busing people from the border to their next location. He does not know what the cost will be—

[Adam Vaughan, Liberal, Spadina—Fort York, ON]

You're putting words in my mouth—

[Pierre Poilievre]

—to house them in individual hotels.

[Adam Vaughan, Liberal, Spadina—Fort York, ON]

—and I refute the conclusions you've reached with your own facts.

[Pierre Poilievre]

My question then is this. How many illegal border crossers have entered into this country since your government took office?

[Adam Vaughan, Liberal, Spadina—Fort York, ON]

Again, you're asking deliberate questions that are outside the area of responsibility—

[Pierre Poilievre]

Do you know the answer?

[Adam Vaughan, Liberal, Spadina—Fort York, ON]

You're asking questions that are outside.... You have the Minister of Immigration coming next. I'm sure he can give you those answers.

[Pierre Poilievre]

So you don't—

[Adam Vaughan, Liberal, Spadina—Fort York, ON]

My responsibility to this is to the housing file.

[Pierre Poilievre]

Sorry, Mr. Chair, my questions are very narrowly focused on the facts. I've asked the member who's responsible—

[Adam Vaughan, Liberal, Spadina—Fort York, ON]

They aren't narrowly focused on the ministry I represent.

[Pierre Poilievre]

—for speaking on behalf of the largest department in the Government of Canada—Employment and Social Development. He is responsible for all the housing programs and social services related to the entry of illegal border crossers into this country. I have asked him what the expenditure, the cost will be to put people in hotels. What will be the cost to bus them around?

[Adam Vaughan, Liberal, Spadina—Fort York, ON]

As a—

[Pierre Poilievre]

I've asked him if he even knows how many illegal border crossers have arrived since his government took office, and so far he has not been able to answer a single one of these questions.

Let me ask you another question.

[Adam Vaughan, Liberal, Spadina—Fort York, ON]

Well, let me try to answer the question before you tell me I can't answer it.

[Pierre Poilievre]

Maybe you will have more luck with this next question. How much have all levels of government had to spend, to date, on illegal border crossers since your government took office?

[Adam Vaughan, Liberal, Spadina—Fort York, ON]

I'm responsible for the housing part of the equation, and on the housing part of the equation there is a mixed model in terms of the delivery of the system. So, for example, if you are given a work permit and you move—and the average stay in a hotel is less than three months—into a private residence and you pay your own rent with a job, it doesn't appear as—

[Pierre Poilievre]

How much?

[Adam Vaughan, Liberal, Spadina—Fort York, ON]

—a cost on the government books.