Evidence of meeting #65 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was irb.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Ray Ivany  President and Vice-Chancellor, Acadia University
Frank McKenna  Deputy Chair, Corporate Office, TD Bank Group
Clerk of the Committee  Ms. Erica Pereira
Peter Halpin  Executive Director, Association of Atlantic Universities
Sofia Descalzi  Chairperson, Canadian Federation of Students (Newfoundland and Labrador)
Natasha Clark  International Student Advisor, Memorial University of Newfoundland

4:50 p.m.

NDP

Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

The members will get a chance to vote on this. I will be sure of that. I am coming to the end of my comments about this, and committee members will know that when I make comments like this it's not to drag out the time, but rather to make my point clear. I hope the members will understand that, and I will be looking forward to seeing how the committee members vote on this motion.

As I was saying, Mr. Chair, this contributes to the stress on the IRB and the NGOs like the Inland Refugee Society of B.C. If hearings are delayed, claimants remain in the IRSBC system; they simply don't have the capacity to deal with it because they don't get any funding.

Refugee claimants are resilient and ready to integrate, but they are met with barriers that prolong their settlement and their reliance on social services. An increase in front-end support when refugee claimants are at their most vulnerable would ensure the efficient and successful settlement and transition of this population into Canadian society. Is this what the Prime Minister meant when he tweeted, “Welcome to Canada”?

These situations are entirely preventable. The government needs to take its head out of the sand and acknowledge that things need to be addressed. A great way to start this right here at this committee would be to support this motion to study this. We can study the trend at irregular crossings and the changes that need to occur at the IRB. We can report our recommendations to the government; we can urge government action on this front; and our committee can be the place where all this starts.

I sincerely hope that the government members will support my motion today, Mr. Chair.

With that, I close, and I look forward to hearing the debate or comments from by committee members on the substance of my motion, and to an actual vote. Let's get on with it and get the work done.

4:50 p.m.

Some hon. members

Hear, hear!

4:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Borys Wrzesnewskyj

Thank you, Ms. Kwan.

Mr. Sarai, the floor is yours.

4:55 p.m.

Liberal

Randeep Sarai Liberal Surrey Centre, BC

I move that the debate be now adjourned.

4:55 p.m.

NDP

Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC

This is a case in point.

4:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Borys Wrzesnewskyj

Okay.

All those in favour?

4:55 p.m.

NDP

Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC

A recorded vote, please.

4:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Borys Wrzesnewskyj

A recorded vote.

June 7th, 2017 / 4:55 p.m.

The Clerk of the Committee Ms. Erica Pereira

The motion is that the debate be now adjourned.

4:55 p.m.

Conservative

David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON

No.

4:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Borys Wrzesnewskyj

It's a recorded vote.

4:55 p.m.

Conservative

David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON

He said “that the committee be adjourned”.

4:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Borys Wrzesnewskyj

Do you mean the meeting?

4:55 p.m.

Liberal

Randeep Sarai Liberal Surrey Centre, BC

No, I'm moving that the debate be now adjourned.

4:55 p.m.

Conservative

David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON

You said “committee”, sir.

4:55 p.m.

Liberal

Randeep Sarai Liberal Surrey Centre, BC

No, I didn't say “committee”; I said “debate”.

4:55 p.m.

Conservative

David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON

I think you did say “committee”.

4:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Borys Wrzesnewskyj

Both the clerk and analyst heard “debate”.

4:55 p.m.

Conservative

David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON

Well, I must be hearing things.

4:55 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

4:55 p.m.

An hon. member

You probably are, sir.

4:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Borys Wrzesnewskyj

I've referred to our support staff here and they all heard “debate”, so we will proceed with the recorded vote.

4:55 p.m.

The Clerk

The motion is that the debate be now adjourned.

(Motion agreed to: yeas 5; nays 4)

4:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Borys Wrzesnewskyj

I will suspend for a couple of minutes to allow the next group of witnesses to assemble.

5 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Borys Wrzesnewskyj

I'd like to call the meeting to order.

Thank you to the witnesses for their appearance today and for their patience.

We have before us, from the Association of Atlantic Universities, Peter Halpin, the executive director; from the Canadian Federation of Students—Newfoundland and Labrador, Ms. Sofia Descalzi, the chairperson; and from the Memorial University of Newfoundland by video conference, Natasha Clark, who is an international student adviser.

Welcome to all.

Mr. Halpin, I believe that you'll be starting off. You have seven minutes, please.