Public Safety Committee on Sept. 25th, 2018

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

—a lot of money, Minister.

My question, to be clear, is that my understanding now is that you do not have a mandate to stop people from illegally crossing the border from safe spaces like upstate New York and claiming asylum in Canada—that it's just spending the money.

[Bill Blair]

No. I would disagree entirely with—

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

Okay. Great—

[Bill Blair]

—that characterization, but my responsibility is to ensure that Canadian law is upheld—

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

Great—

[Bill Blair]

—and Canadian humanitarian principles are adhered to—

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

I would just say to both the minister and the member that it works a lot better when you don't talk over each other. If we could just let the question be the question and the answer be the answer...?

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

On a point of order, Mr. Chair, just to be clear, I should just clarify the rules. This is my time.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

It is your time. I don't disagree with you.

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

I have been asking the minister a yes-or-no question, which he has not answered, so just to be clear, I'm managing my time, thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

That's actually not a point of order—

[Ruby Sahota, Brampton North, Lib.]

I have a point of order, Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

—but I do take your point.

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

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

I would reiterate the point that for the purposes of clarification it works better when we don't talk over each other. Thank you.

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

Thank you, so—

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Excuse me. I'm sorry, Ms. Rempel.

Ms. Sahota?

[Ruby Sahota]

My point of order is in response to Ms. Rempel. Asking a question is not badgering the witness and I think that's what's happening here.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Okay. Again, that's not so much a point of order as a point of interruption.

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

May I respond to that?

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

We're starting to use up your time, though.

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

Okay. I'm at a minute and 50 seconds now?

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Yes.

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

All right. Thank you.

Minister, for clarification, you have not stated that your mandate is to reduce people, so I'll ask you a simple question. What is the tolerable limit, per your mandate, for people illegally crossing the border from upstate New York and claiming asylum in Canada and subsequently abusing our asylum system? What is the number that you're managing to in your mandate?

[Bill Blair]

I would much prefer that people would present themselves at regular border points, and we're going to do everything possible to encourage that, including in discussions with the United States.