Citizenship and Immigration Committee on Oct. 30th, 2025

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

No, I never said that.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

I'm trying to find an example where you would use this.

To me, it seems like you're trying to give yourself and your department more powers to correct mistakes in the system that were made in screening out potential fraud to begin with, which affects real people with real lives. Essentially, you're asking Parliament to give the power to cancel people who've come to Canada on permanent resident visas and temporary resident visas, without a lot of definition.

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

That is absolutely not correct—

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Then what would the example be?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

The minister of IRCC will not have these authorities.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

The Governor in Council would.

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

The decision rests with government, which would issue an order in council that would be made public.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

However, it's not Parliament, so—

[The Chair, Liberal, Julie Dzerowicz]

Ms. Rempel Garner, kindly allow her to answer the question.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

If you were on RED FM, Minister, next week and somebody asked you—

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

If I was where?

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

If you were on a RED FM panel and a radio host asked you who this applies to, what would you tell the radio host?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Again, these are meant to protect us.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Who's “us”?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

The government.... The Canadian public.... It's to protect the Canadian public from safety...major crises—

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

It's to protect them from what people?

[The Chair, Liberal, Julie Dzerowicz]

Allow her to answer the question, Ms. Rempel Garner.

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

That's what it's meant for. It's to intervene when, in the opinion of the Governor in Council, it's in the public interest to do so.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

You're telling us that you would be giving the Governor in Council powers to protect Canada from groups of immigrants? Which groups of immigrants?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

There is a rise in exploitation. I don't think I need to tell you that. There are many who are brought in and we've learned a lot of lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic that pointed to gaps in the authorities that currently exist in Canada.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Why wouldn't you just make the system work, as opposed to punishing victims of human trafficking?

This seems like you're literally saying that you're going to cancel whole groups of people's permanent resident visas without defining what that—

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

I'm absolutely not saying that.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

That's exactly what the legislation says.

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

This legislation is to make things work better.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

You said protect Canadians from people. Which people?