Evidence of meeting #23 for Official Languages in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was tests.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Clerk of the Committee  Ms. Christine Holke
Lucie Lecomte  Committee Researcher
David Manicom  Acting Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic and Program Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Corinne Prince-St-Amand  Director General, Integration and Foreign Credentials Referral Office, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Stefanie Beck  Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Donald Cochrane  Senior Director, International Region, Department of Citizenship and Immigration

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS

Second, there will be a ten-minute presentation on the roadmap, and then questions for 20 minutes. Bing, bang, all done!

That way, we will be sure to have it.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

René Arseneault Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB

I agree with you.

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Sylvie Boucher Conservative Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC

I do too. We have to get organized.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

René Arseneault Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB

So, Mr. Samson, there would be two blocks of 10 minutes per witness.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS

Exactly, during the hour.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

René Arseneault Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB

We would take time out of the hour, but it is still...

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS

That would only be the case for people for whom we schedule an hour. People for whom we schedule 30 minutes would have just 10 minutes.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

René Arseneault Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB

All right.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS

This is so they can discuss both subjects. It also depends on the group.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

René Arseneault Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB

Is it complicated to let our witnesses know to prepare on that basis?

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Denis Paradis

Madam Clerk, do you have the answer?

September 27th, 2016 / 9:05 a.m.

The Clerk of the Committee Ms. Christine Holke

It is not that it is complicated to let them know, but some witnesses have their own specialty. Certainly, I will do what the committee wants me to do. Some will probably tell me that they cannot speak to the roadmap, for example. There will probably be choices to make and we will have to reorganize everything, particularly for Thursday, but we can do it.

That is why we sent a statement. The statement was adopted at the last meeting and it was sent to the witnesses.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS

I agree with my colleague Mr. Arseneault. Some groups specialize in one subject but not the other. That does not correspond to our objective. Those groups are going to have only 30 minutes. The groups that are able to address both subjects are going to have an hour. That is what is going to contribute to our work.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Denis Paradis

We are going to start next week. On Thursday, we will see how things go with the two groups who are to appear before us.

Mr. Choquette, you have the floor.

9:05 a.m.

NDP

François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC

I have a question about the speaking time.

How is that going to work? Will it be different, or not?

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Denis Paradis

We are going to spend one hour with the group. We will see on Thursday how easy it is for us to operate and whether we will have to make adjustments next week.

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Sylvie Boucher Conservative Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC

I think that is the best way to proceed.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Denis Paradis

Since we are in agreement, we will not change anything. We will try to proceed somewhat as Mr. Samson suggests, but without being inflexible. We will simply see how things can work.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

René Arseneault Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB

To avoid unpleasant surprises, I would like to make sure that this will not apply on Thursday.

9:05 a.m.

The Clerk

No.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

René Arseneault Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB

The witnesses have been invited and they have received the statement, so we will not have any unpleasant surprises. There will not be ten-minute blocks divided between immigration and the roadmap. On the other hand, that is how we will operate after that.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS

That will be starting on Thursday?

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Denis Paradis

No, that will be starting next week.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS

It is necessary because the two groups we are meeting with can easily address each subject for 10 minutes. They specialize in this area. There will not be any problems. They are actually going to want to speak to both subjects for 20 minutes. I can guarantee it. Rather than asking to speak to the two subjects for 20 minutes, we will ask them to speak for 10 minutes, then we will go to questions, and so on. We are not going to change anything.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Denis Paradis

All right.