Evidence of meeting #65 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 amendments.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

J. Randall Emery  Executive Director, Canadian Citizens Rights Council, As an Individual
Nicole Girard  Director General, Citizenship Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration

4:50 p.m.

Liberal

Sukh Dhaliwal Liberal Surrey—Newton, BC

No, but you said that folks talked to the Liberal Party.

4:50 p.m.

Executive Director, Canadian Citizens Rights Council, As an Individual

4:50 p.m.

Liberal

Sukh Dhaliwal Liberal Surrey—Newton, BC

Can you tell me who those folks are?

4:50 p.m.

Executive Director, Canadian Citizens Rights Council, As an Individual

4:50 p.m.

Liberal

Sukh Dhaliwal Liberal Surrey—Newton, BC

Who did you talk to on the Liberal side? Can you tell me?

4:50 p.m.

Executive Director, Canadian Citizens Rights Council, As an Individual

J. Randall Emery

Sure. I spoke with Vanessa Cranston.

4:50 p.m.

Liberal

Sukh Dhaliwal Liberal Surrey—Newton, BC

On which day did you talk?

4:50 p.m.

Executive Director, Canadian Citizens Rights Council, As an Individual

J. Randall Emery

I don't remember.

4:50 p.m.

Liberal

Sukh Dhaliwal Liberal Surrey—Newton, BC

Did she tell you all these amendments by their numbers that—

4:50 p.m.

Executive Director, Canadian Citizens Rights Council, As an Individual

4:50 p.m.

Liberal

Sukh Dhaliwal Liberal Surrey—Newton, BC

You also mentioned meeting Madam Kwan. Is the meeting you're talking about the meeting that happened in the committee meeting, or a meeting besides the committee meetings?

4:50 p.m.

Executive Director, Canadian Citizens Rights Council, As an Individual

J. Randall Emery

As I said, I don't recall exactly when—

4:50 p.m.

Liberal

Sukh Dhaliwal Liberal Surrey—Newton, BC

No, but I'm not asking you when. All I'm asking you is whether the meeting you're referring to was a committee meeting or a meeting outside this committee room.

4:50 p.m.

Executive Director, Canadian Citizens Rights Council, As an Individual

J. Randall Emery

I don't recall. I mean, I don't think it was in this committee meeting. It was verbal. It wasn't in writing.

4:50 p.m.

Liberal

Sukh Dhaliwal Liberal Surrey—Newton, BC

If you can't even recall, I'm just.... It's amazing that you can point a finger at the Bloc and then point a finger at Madam Kwan. How can we trust you that the information you're giving to the committee is true?

4:50 p.m.

Executive Director, Canadian Citizens Rights Council, As an Individual

J. Randall Emery

I am here to answer truthfully. I'm answering truthfully.

4:50 p.m.

Liberal

Sukh Dhaliwal Liberal Surrey—Newton, BC

I'm going to give you another chance, then, to process this. You're saying that you don't even remember, when you talked to Madam Kwan, whether it was in the committee room or outside it.

How many times have you talked to Madam Kwan outside the committee room?

4:55 p.m.

Executive Director, Canadian Citizens Rights Council, As an Individual

J. Randall Emery

Perhaps about four times, maybe.

4:55 p.m.

Liberal

Sukh Dhaliwal Liberal Surrey—Newton, BC

In any of those instances, did she bring in and tell you exactly these amendments...the government and the NDP amendments that you referenced in the letter?

4:55 p.m.

Executive Director, Canadian Citizens Rights Council, As an Individual

J. Randall Emery

As I understood her statements from the last meeting, she said that she shared a general strategy with me and other stakeholders.

4:55 p.m.

Liberal

Sukh Dhaliwal Liberal Surrey—Newton, BC

It's okay to share general strategy, but you—

4:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid

I'm sorry for interrupting, Mr. Dhaliwal. Your time is up.

We will now proceed to Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe.

Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe, you have six minutes. Please begin.

4:55 p.m.

Bloc

Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC

Thank you, Madam Chair.

This is not the committee meeting I was expecting.

Mr. Emery, I was prepared to shed some light on what happened, but I had not anticipated what came next. You and I have never talked before. I even think that when you came here to testify, I wasn't even there, because I was replacing someone on another committee, is that right?

4:55 p.m.

Executive Director, Canadian Citizens Rights Council, As an Individual

J. Randall Emery

Madam Chair, I apologize. The translation is not coming through.

4:55 p.m.

Bloc

Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC

That's normal. It happens all the time.