Evidence of meeting #17 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was amendment.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Sabreena Ghaffar-Siddiqui  Professor and Member, Ontario Steering Committee, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
MD Shorifuzzaman  Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant, Guide Me Immigration Inc.
Aleks Selim Dughman-Manzur  Co-Executive Director, Programming and Advocacy, Rainbow Refugee Society
Sharalyn Jordan  Chair, Rainbow Refugee Society
Clerk of the Committee  Ms. Stephanie Bond

12:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid

I call the meeting to order.

We have a subamendment, which was proposed by Mr. Genuis on the floor.

Please begin, Mr. Genuis.

12:45 p.m.

Conservative

Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB

I think there was a request for me to read it again. There was also a suggestion that we add a timeline, but we can't subamend a subamendment. We need to vote on the subamendment first, and then we can discuss a timeline after that.

The revised text would remove the reference to Standing Order 109 and would instead say, “that the government be asked to provide a comprehensive response by letter”.

12:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid

Seeing no further debate on that, we will take a vote on the subamendment proposed by Mr. Genuis.

(Subamendment agreed to: yeas 6; nays 5)

Go ahead, Mr. Genuis, and then Ms. Lalonde.

12:45 p.m.

Conservative

Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB

As promised, I'd like to add another subamendment, which is to add the words “within 30 days” to the end of the existing amendment.

12:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid

Okay, we have another subamendment to add the words “within 30 days”.

Go ahead, Ms. Lalonde.

12:45 p.m.

Liberal

Marie-France Lalonde Liberal Orléans, ON

I was just going to ask the clerk to read the new motion as it now reads, but it's okay.

12:45 p.m.

Liberal

Sukh Dhaliwal Liberal Surrey—Newton, BC

We're not voting on it, so let's go forward.

12:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid

We can go to the vote on the subamendment proposed by Mr. Genuis.

(Subamendment agreed to: yeas 6; nays 5)

We now have the motion as amended on the floor.

Go ahead, Ms. Lalonde.

12:45 p.m.

Conservative

Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB

I have a point of order, Madam Chair. Did you say “the motion as amended” or “the amendment”? Are we still on the main amendment?

12:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid

I'm sorry about that.

To provide clarification, we are on the amendment as amended. The amendment was proposed by Ms. Kwan and amended after the two subamendments.

Please go ahead, Ms. Lalonde.

12:45 p.m.

Liberal

Marie-France Lalonde Liberal Orléans, ON

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

I ask the committee's indulgence in my bringing an amendment to the motion that Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe brought in, and I would like to read it.

12:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid

Are you proposing a subamendment to the amendment proposed by Ms. Kwan?

12:45 p.m.

Liberal

Marie-France Lalonde Liberal Orléans, ON

Yes.

12:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid

We are on the amendment as amended.

12:45 p.m.

Liberal

Marie-France Lalonde Liberal Orléans, ON

Yes. Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm a little confused now.

I'll read it very slowly. It's that the chair not table the report to the House until the government letter has been provided, and that the letter be included.

12:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid

Ms. Lalonde has proposed a subamendment to the amendment proposed by Ms. Kwan that the chair not table the report until the letter is provided.

Ms. Lalonde, is this what you're proposing?

12:50 p.m.

Liberal

Marie-France Lalonde Liberal Orléans, ON

Yes.

12:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid

Okay.

Ms. Kwan.

12:50 p.m.

NDP

Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I don't think I can support this amendment because the purpose of this is for the chair to table the report when the committee has voted on it and then for the minister to respond. It's then we would get that response, not the other way around. The process should not be driven by the minister, with our getting the response before we table it. I don't think that would be appropriate.

12:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid

Seeing no further debate, we can vote on this subamendment proposed by Ms. Lalonde.

(Subamendment negatived: nays 6; yeas 5)

We are back on the amendment proposed by Ms. Kwan, as amended.

Seeing no further debate, can we please take a vote on the amendment proposed by Ms. Kwan and as amended by the subamendments by Mr. Genuis?

We will have it read by Madam Clerk before we proceed to the vote.

12:50 p.m.

The Clerk

Just so it's clear to everyone, what was voted on was to replace the request for the Standing Order 109 report. Is that everybody's understanding? It's to request a government letter within 30 days, in addition to Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe's motion.

12:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid

Mr. Genuis.

12:50 p.m.

Conservative

Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB

Just for further clarification, it would specifically add the text “that the government be asked to provide a comprehensive response by letter within 30 days”.

It would add that text to the existing motion, which hasn't been otherwise amended.

12:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid

Is everyone clear? Can we vote on that?

Ms. Lalonde.

12:50 p.m.

Liberal

Marie-France Lalonde Liberal Orléans, ON

It's within 30 days of what? I just want a clarification from the clerk or you, Madam Chair.