Evidence of meeting #73 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 study.
A recording is available from Parliament.
September 26th, 2023 / 5:05 p.m.
Liberal
Arielle Kayabaga Liberal London West, ON
She's just asking a question. I don't think she's making an amendment.
Liberal
Salma Zahid Liberal Scarborough Centre, ON
A friendly amendment has been made by Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
Now I have it all straightened out. This is good. It seems as though everyone was nodding their heads. It seems as though everyone is in agreement.
Go ahead, Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe, and then we'll have Mr. Redekopp.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
Just to be clear, the text of Ms. Kwan's amendment will say “at least three meetings”. Is that correct? If not, we can defeat this amendment and she can move another amendment that says “at least three meetings”. It's just a matter of procedure.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
Let Mr. Clerk add that wise wording and read it to you.
Mr. Clerk, go ahead.
The Clerk
Perhaps I'll read the motion as I've understood it, to make sure everyone is on the same page if we're deciding on it.
The way I put it together with the amendment, it would be as follows:
That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee undertake a study of closed work permits issued by IRCC and their impact on temporary foreign workers and the findings related to Canada's Temporary Foreign Worker program by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, Tomoya Obokata; that the committee invite the United Nations Special Rapporteur to appear before the committee for one hour; that the committee devote at least three meetings to conduct this study; that the committee invite the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship and IRCC and ESDC officials to testify for one hour each, and invite any other witnesses the committee deems necessary; and that the committee report its findings and recommendations to the House.
Liberal
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
That made sense to me. The only question I have is about the officials. We have the IRCC officials plus ESDC officials. Are they all coming at the same time for one hour, or do we want there to be two separate hours?
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Thank you.
As I intended, it will be the minister who will come for one hour. Then it will be IRCC and ESDC officials for one hour.
NDP
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
Thank you.
I don't see any debate on the motion or amendment. Is everyone in favour of the motion?
(Amendment agreed to)
(Motion as amended agreed to)
NDP
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
Ms. Kwan, can I take 20 seconds? We are still in public. I forgot to tell you, just in case any of the members want this meeting to be in camera.
Liberal
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Thank you.
To that end, Mr. Chair, the committee has passed a motion already, and I'm going to read it into the public record so people know what we're talking about:
That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee conduct a study on people with temporary status and undocumented people in Canada, including those who are subject to removal from Canada and/or have a warrant for their arrest, examine their experiences and contributions to Canada's economy, options on how to regularize their status, and explore regularization initiatives implemented in other countries; that the committee invite government officials and expert witnesses in this field; that the study consist of up to five meetings; that the committee report its findings to the House; and that pursuant to Standing Order 109, the government table a comprehensive response to the report.
I would like to move a motion for the committee to incorporate the evidence we have received from the motion that we just passed on the UN rapporteur's comments and on the closed work permit motion to also be allowed to be considered under this study.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
I have a technical question. Are we limiting the evidence to just that piece of the evidence, or is it all the evidence from the study? If the minister talked about something that's relevant, can that be pulled, or is it limited to that UN part?
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
It's that all the evidence we received from that study be allowed to be incorporated and considered under this study.
Liberal
Salma Zahid Liberal Scarborough Centre, ON
Yes, I think we should not restrict it to certain testimony. We can just have a motion that the evidence from the closed work permits study, as is needed, can be added to the study on the undocumented workers.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
I agree with that.
Jenny, the way you worded it sounded restrictive to me. I think it could just refer to the study. I don't think it needs to say, “the study of blah blah blah”. I think it's just that study, as long as we know it's the evidence from that study. That's all.