Citizenship and Immigration Committee on Feb. 18th, 2020

[The Clerk of the Committee, Ms. Marie-France Lafleur]

Good morning, everyone.

Honourable members of the committee, I see quorum. I must inform committee members that the clerk of the committee can only receive motions for the election of the chair. The clerk cannot receive other types of motions, entertain points of order or participate in debate.

We can now proceed to the election of the chair.

Pursuant to Standing Order 106(2), the chair must be a member of the government party.

I'm now ready to receive motions for the chair.

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

I nominate Salma Zahid.

[The Clerk]

It has been moved by Mr. Regan that Madam Zahid be the chair of the committee.

Are there any further motions?

Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion?

(Motion agreed to)

Mrs. Salma Zahid is duly elected chair of the committee.

Congratulations.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Good morning, everyone.

Thanks a lot for your trust. I really look forward to working with you all in the 43rd Parliament. I hope we will do amazing work on this committee. I've been on this committee in the last Parliament also, and we have done some important work. I look forward to working with you all, making sure we can proceed with the work of the committee.

Thank you.

The next item on the agenda is the election of the vice-chairs. I know that PROC is looking into the number of vice-chairs and that that issue is being taken up there. They have not landed on a decision. I think they will agree on that this week, so if it's okay with everyone, I propose that we postpone the election of the vice-chairs until our next meeting. Is everyone okay with that?

Yes, go ahead please.

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Salaberry—Suroît, QC]

It's good to have francophones around the table. It provides an opportunity to practise speaking French and to put the interpreters to work.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Sorry.

Yes, please.

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Salaberry—Suroît, QC]

Madam Chair, first I would like to congratulate you on your election.

Other committees that have met in recent weeks have moved motions to elect the first vice-chair and the second vice-chair. The Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs is discussing the election of the third vice-chair.

If we have consent, we could proceed immediately with the election of the first vice-chair and the second vice-chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Go ahead, Mr. Kent.

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Thank you, Chair. Congratulations on your selection today. I look forward to a productive few months ahead.

I agree with my colleague that, while the discussions are continuing at PROC with regard to the fourth party and the vice-chair, we should proceed to the appointment of the first and second vice-chairs and agree to review this again and reconsider it when PROC has come to a final decision.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Are there any further comments?

Yes, Ms. Kwan.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

I sat on another committee that proceeded as a result of a motion in the House for the health committee to have a briefing on the coronavirus issue. So it proceeded and went ahead before all of the PROC discussions were under way. If indeed the understanding, then, is for PROC to complete its discussion on the number of vice-chairs, I would prefer that we hold off until next week. My understanding is that we will sit this week, today, and likely will not have a committee meeting on Thursday, if I'm correct. Then the following week we will resume. Presumably by then PROC would have completed—one would hope—its discussion, in which case, we would be well positioned to complete the vice-chair elections.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Are there further comments?

Yes, Mr. Kent.

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

I'd like to hear from the government side.

[Marwan Tabbara, Liberal, Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON]

I support what Ms. Kwan said. There is no rush. We are going to elect a vice-chair. It doesn't really matter; it's going to be the opposition. But if PROC has not fully settled on certain decisions they are making, it's fine if we just wait another week or so.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Do you agree with Mr. Tabbara's suggestion?

Mr. Kent.

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

I would concur with that—reluctantly. I think it could be dealt with after PROC's decision, but I sense the feeling in the room and I think we should get off to a collegial start, because it may not last all that long. But certainly, I concur, and if I could, Madam Chair, I have a number of motions that I would like to put while we are in session now.

To the clerk, the first motion should be distributed.

The first motion is as follows:

That the Committee call upon Minister Mendicino to come before committee to speak about his mandate letter, provide a Ministerial overview and discuss his legislative plans

As the documents are being circulated, I'll just say that it is customary in every new Parliament to call the minister—or ministers—responsible to get an interpretation on their reading of their mandate letter, which in many cases has a number of general directions without specific direction.

That is my first motion, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Thank you, Mr. Kent.

On the motion moved by Mr. Kent, are there any comments, debate?

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

On a point of order, Madam Chair, is this properly before the committee at this meeting? Normally, of course, we'd deal with the routine motions, and the election of chair is on the agenda. I just want to clarify whether this is.

I see the clerk nodding.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

We normally do routine motions, but there is nothing preventing a member from moving a motion. It is now on the floor, and we can have a debate on it.

Mr. Tabbara.

[Marwan Tabbara, Liberal, Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON]

I don't think the government has an issue with having the minister here. We'll check his availability, and as soon as he is available we can invite him here to the committee for a one-hour meeting, along with his officials. But I think right now we just want to move the routine motions.

Do we have to deal with this motion first?

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Yes.

[Marwan Tabbara, Liberal, Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON]

Okay. Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Is there no more debate?

We can move to the vote.

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

I'd like a recorded vote.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

It will be a recorded vote on the motion.

(Motion agreed to: yeas 11; nays 0 [See Minutes of Proceedings])

The clerk and I will work it out with the minister's office, and we will come up with a date.

Next on the list is Mr. Tabbara.