Citizenship and Immigration Committee on Dec. 4th, 2025

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

This is a new one.

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

This is a new one. Ask it again, then. This is different from the one you brought up at committee.

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

Yes. Will you support an amendment to ensure that your department cannot use the part 7 powers to mass extend temporary resident visas?

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

You said “mass extend”. Did you not bring that to committee?

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

I used procedure in the House, which I can do.

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

Okay, so when we go back to the House, members will vote on that.

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

No. You're here. Is your department going to use the part 7 powers to mass extend temporary resident visas?

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

That is not the purpose for that—

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

It's a yes or a no.

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

What I'm saying is that this is not the purpose of those amendments.

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

I'm asking you—

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

The one example I will give you is from during COVID. My understanding is that workers who were here at the time working temporarily—and this is a fact—were not allowed to leave the country. I believe that was an occasion when they could have or may have extended temporary staff during COVID.

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

You do want to mass extend temporary resident visas.

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

That's not what I said.

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

That's exactly what you just said.

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

That's not the purpose of Bill C-12.

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

I take it that the purpose of those powers, based on what you just said, is to mass extend the millions of temporary resident visas in the country.

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

I believe I testified when I was here before on the immigration provisions in Bill C-2, which are identical to those in Bill C-12.

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

You didn't testify on this.

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

No, but the same thing would follow on whether you extend, or the opposite of extending—annulling.

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

You were confused in the House.

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

These are in exceptional circumstances. They are not something we look to do.

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

There are three million people in the country on temporary resident visas. That is an exceptional circumstance. It's never happened before in Canadian history. It happened under your government.

In the spring, you told me your government had no plans to remove them. You just said that if you had had these powers during COVID, you would have extended temporary resident visas. I don't want you to use your powers to extend temporary resident visas. That's bad.

Can you tell the committee whether you intend to use those powers to extend the visas or not?

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

Let me clarify: No one minister will have that power individually, whether you're extending or doing the opposite of the extension.

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

Here's the thing.