Evidence of meeting #28 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.
11:20 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
Okay. Ms. Lalonde has withdrawn this amendment.
(On clause 2)
We will now move to clause 2. Is there any debate on clause 2?
11:20 a.m.
Liberal
11:20 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
Is everyone ready? We'll come back to order.
We are on clause 2. Is there any debate on clause 2?
Go ahead, Ms. Lalonde.
11:20 a.m.
Liberal
Marie-France Lalonde Liberal Orléans, ON
Yes, Madam Chair, I would like to bring an amendment to Bill C-242 in clause 2, lines eight to 15. I have the amendment here in both official languages to be shared with the members of the committee, if I may.
11:25 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
Yes, you can.
That amendment will be circulated to all the members, please. I will suspend the meeting for a few minutes so that all the members and the legislative clerks can have a look at the amendment.
11:25 a.m.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
We may have a problem with it. If we suspend, we may not be able to resume if bells start. I do want to flag that.
11:25 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
The bells have started ringing, so do I have unanimous consent before we suspend the meeting that we can continue our meeting for the next 15 minutes?
11:25 a.m.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
That's fine with me. I just wondered, technically, are we allowed to resume—
11:25 a.m.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
If we receive it prior to suspending, okay.
11:25 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
Do I have unanimous consent to continue the meeting for the next 20 minutes?
11:25 a.m.
Some hon. members
Agreed.
11:25 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
The bells are ringing for 30 minutes. We can do it for 20 minutes, and then members can vote.
11:25 a.m.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
We can vote from here. Is that right?
11:25 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
Yes.
I'll suspend the meeting for a few minutes in order to allow all members to have a look at the amendment. Thank you.
11:35 a.m.
Liberal
Marie-France Lalonde Liberal Orléans, ON
Thank you, Madam Chair.
My motion in amendment reads as follows:
That Bill C‑242, in Clause 2, be amended by replacing lines 8 to 15 on page 1 with the following: Temporary resident visas — parents and grandparents
15.1 (1) The Minister may give instructions respecting an application for a temporary resident visa made by a foreign national to visit a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who is their child or grandchild, for an extended period in Canada, including instructions respecting selection criteria and conditions that may or must be imposed in respect of that foreign national, including the period authorized for their stay.
Compliance with instructions
(2) An officer must comply with the instructions before processing an application and when processing one.
Amendments to instructions
(3) An instruction that amends another instruction may, if it so provides, apply in respect of an application referred to in subsection (1) that is pending on the day on which the amending instruction takes effect.
Publication of instructions
(4) The instructions must be published in the Canada Gazette.
Act includes instructions
(5) Unless otherwise indicated, references in this Act to “this Act” include the instructions.
11:35 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
I would like to give my ruling on the amendment.
Bill C-242 amends the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to allow a parent or grandparent who applies for a temporary resident visa as a visitor to purchase private health insurance outside Canada and to stay in Canada for a period of five years. The amendment seeks to add the possibility for the minister to give other instructions respecting applications for a temporary resident visa that are not contemplated by Bill C-242.
House of Commons Procedure and Practice, third edition, states on page 770:
An amendment to a bill that was referred to a committee after second reading is out of order if it is beyond the scope and principle of the bill.
In the opinion of the chair, adding the possibility for the minister to give new instructions not envisioned in Bill C-242 is beyond the scope of the bill. Therefore, I rule the amendment is inadmissible.
11:35 a.m.
Liberal
Sukh Dhaliwal Liberal Surrey—Newton, BC
I bring a motion forward to challenge the ruling of the chair.
11:35 a.m.
Some hon. members
Oh, oh!
11:35 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
We will go to a vote.
Shall the ruling of the chair be sustained?
(Ruling of the chair sustained: yeas 6; nays 5)
11:35 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
Now we are back on clause 2. Is there any debate?
Order, please. Shall clause 2 carry?
(Clause 2 agreed to: yeas 6; nays 5)
(Clause 3 agreed to: yeas 6; nays 5)
(On clause 4)