Citizenship and Immigration Committee on June 5th, 2023

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Yes, Mr. Kmiec. Just give us a second while the amendment is distributed.

Okay. Everybody has it.

Mr. Kmiec, you can start reading CPC amendment 14.

[Tom Kmiec, Conservative, Calgary Shepard, AB]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I move that Bill S‑245 be amended by adding after line 18 on page 1 the following new clause:

1.4 Section 24 of the Act is amended by adding the following: Part VI, section 24.1 Respecting holidays and days of significance to promote Canada's multicultural identity 24.1 Citizenship ceremonies may not be scheduled on enumerated days of significance. The Minister or the Department must take steps to offer alternative days in accordance with the respect and promotion of Canada's multicultural identity.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Thank you, Mr. Kmiec.

[Tom Kmiec, Conservative, Calgary Shepard, AB]

I can explain the logic of this amendment.

It's really in the title: “Respecting holidays and days of significance to promote Canada's multicultural identity”. I think we'd all agree that there are very few people who would show up to a citizenship ceremony on Christmas Day or Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day or any other major holiday of the year. There are many people who celebrate holidays that are not recognized right now in statute, that are not either directly referred to...or these holidays are on a different calendar. They may be on a lunar calender. There are the Julian and Gregorian calendars in different Christian denominations, so it does sometimes move around in the year. Just as we shouldn't expect someone to come when it is their New Year's celebration, whether it is Rosh Hashanah or one of the others—Vaisakhi is an excellent one—we shouldn't expect them to come on their New Year's. They're going to be with family and they should spend it with family.

The department should be mindful of it, as should the minister, and therefore they can work around those days. There are 365 days in the year. I don't think it's too much to ask that the department find days that work for new Canadians who are about to take the oath of citizenship and not force them to do so on a date that is of significance to them.

Thank you, Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Thank you, Mr. Kmiec.

We will vote on amendment CPC-14.

(Amendment negatived: nays 7; yeas 4)

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Mr. Kmiec, go ahead.

[Tom Kmiec, Conservative, Calgary Shepard, AB]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

We're on CPC-15, and there's CPC-16 afterwards, as well.

On CPC-15, unfortunately, if we had passed the previous one, Chair, then we wouldn't need this one now, but this is the amendment.

I move that Bill S‑245 be amended by adding after line 18 on page 1 the following new clause:

1.4 Section 24 of the Act is amended by adding the following: Respecting holidays and days of significance to promote Canada's multicultural identity 24.1 (1) Citizenship ceremonies may not be scheduled on Simbang Gabi.

Simbang Gabi is a devotional nine-day series of masses attended by Filipino Catholics, usually celebrated during Advent from December 16 to December 24 in preparation for Christmas Day. It's regarded as an important tradition to praise and worship God. This religious tradition encourages community development and camaraderie among parishioners through a common effort of prayer, celebration, fellowship and charity. It's especially important to Filipino Catholics.

Thank you, Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

We will be voting on amendment CPC-15.

(Amendment negatived: nays 7; yeas 4)

Mr. Redekopp, go ahead.

[Brad Redekopp, Conservative, Saskatoon West, SK]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I have another amendment I'd like to move, and I believe we have another one after this one as well.

I will move that Bill S-245 be amended by adding after line 18 on page 1 the following new clause:

1.4 Section 24 of the Act is amended by adding the following:

Respecting holidays and days of significance to promote Canada's multicultural identity

24.1(2) Citizenship ceremonies may not be scheduled on Undas.

I'll just wait until everybody has it, and then I'll continue.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Yes, it has been distributed.

Mr. Redekopp, you can please continue.

[Brad Redekopp, Conservative, Saskatoon West, SK]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

This is a Filipino holiday. They take this day to remember their deceased friends and family, and it allows them to celebrate those who have gone on before them. My friend Mike from Saskatoon told me of the importance of these Filipino holidays to maintain the unique Filipino culture.

As an interesting note, where did the name Undas come from? Filipinos have a habit of shortening words to make them simpler, and this name is a short form of Día de Todos los Santos or “day of all saints”. All Saints' Day is what this is celebrating.

Again, I think it's important that we recognize and are sensitive to the other cultures that are in our country. That's why I'm moving this amendment, and I would welcome everybody's support.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Thank you.

Mr. Redekopp has moved amendment CPC-16, so we will take the vote on this amendment.

(Amendment negatived: nays 7; yeas 4)

Mr. Redekopp, you have the floor.

[Brad Redekopp, Conservative, Saskatoon West, SK]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I have another one to do, and there will be another one after this.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Can you give us a second while it is being distributed?

Okay, go ahead.

[Brad Redekopp, Conservative, Saskatoon West, SK]

This is our amendment 17, and there will be another one, Madam Chair.

I move that Bill S-245 be amended by adding after line 18 on page 1 the following new clause:

1.4 Section 24 of the Act is amended by adding the following:

Respecting holidays and days of significance to promote Canada's multicultural identity

24.1(3) Citizenship ceremonies may not be scheduled during the Lunar New Year.

Again, this is very important. There are 365 days in the calendar when we can schedule citizenship ceremonies. We want to make sure we respect the different cultures and people in our country. We're a multicultural country. Lunar New Year is one of these days.

I have a note here from a friend of mine named Tang, and he said that they celebrate Lunar New Year because it is the first day of the new year, and everyone would come back home no matter where they were. They might work in another province or even in another country, but their families expect them to be reunited with them. My friend William said that the new year is an important family reunion occasion, so those who are living or working far away would return home prior to the holiday.

You can see that, if there were a citizenship ceremony scheduled on that day, people who celebrate Lunar New Year simply wouldn't be there. This is why I believe it's important that we respect that. We, of course, want to encourage people to attend citizenship ceremonies, so let's reflect that in the way that we schedule them. That's why this is here.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Thank you, Mr. Redekopp.

We have CPC amendment 17 on the floor. Seeing no debate, we will vote.

(Amendment negatived: nays 7; yeas 4)

Mr. Kmiec, go ahead.

[Tom Kmiec, Conservative, Calgary Shepard, AB]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I have CPC-18, followed by CPC-19 right afterwards.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

If you can just give us a second, this is being distributed so that everyone can have it.

Okay, Mr. Kmiec, you can continue, please. The amendment has been distributed to all the members.

[Tom Kmiec, Conservative, Calgary Shepard, AB]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I move that Bill S‑245 be amended by adding after line 18 on page 1 the following new clause:

1.4 Section 24 of the Act is amended by adding the following: Respecting holidays and days of significance to promote Canada's multicultural identity 24.1 (4) Citizenship ceremonies may not be scheduled during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

This is a fairly important holiday. The mid-autumn festival is also called the moon festival or the mooncake festival. If you haven't had mooncake, Madam Chair, I highly recommend it. I've had it many times before with my family. The festival “is a celebration of the rice harvest and many fruits [that go along with it]. Ceremonies are held both to give thanks for the harvest and to encourage the harvest-giving light to return again in the coming year. It is also a reunion time for families”.

Families would be unable to attend should they have a family member who is about to take the oath of citizenship. Therefore, it should not be scheduled on that day so that they can spend time with family. The citizenship ceremony should happen on a different day.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

We have CPC amendment 18 on the floor. Seeing no further debate, we will vote.

(Amendment negatived: nays 7; yeas 4)

Mr. Kmiec, go ahead.

[Tom Kmiec, Conservative, Calgary Shepard, AB]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I'm just giving you notice now that there is a CPC-20 after this.

Should I wait until CPC-19 is distributed?

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Yes, just give us a second.

Okay, Mr. Kmiec, you can continue. CPC-19 has been distributed.

[Tom Kmiec, Conservative, Calgary Shepard, AB]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I move that Bill S‑245 be amended by adding after line 18 on page 1 the following new clause:

1.4 Section 24 of the Act is amended by adding the following: Respecting holidays and days of significance to promote Canada's multicultural identity 24.1 (5) Citizenship ceremonies may not be scheduled on Diwali.

Diwali is the festival of lights. It's the most important holiday in the Hindu calendar. It symbolizes the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. It's also celebrated with several other religions in India—I thought I should note that.

I think it's important that we not hold citizenship ceremonies on those days because we have many residents of Canada becoming citizens who are faithful Hindus. Therefore, we should make sure that we respect Diwali.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Thank you, Mr. Kmiec.

(Amendment negatived: nays 7; yeas 4)

Mr. Kmiec, go ahead.

[Tom Kmiec, Conservative, Calgary Shepard, AB]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

This is CPC-20. There is a CPC-21 coming as well, so I give you notice.

This could all have been avoided if we had just voted for the first one.