Madam Speaker, I listened with great interest to my colleague's account. This is clearly a very difficult circumstance for the people actually involved.
We deal with 210 or 212 countries on a regular basis in terms of immigration. It is an extraordinary thing.
I, for example, live in a riding which does not consider itself particularly “ethnic” and yet I represent between 60 and 70 first generation nationalities. I know there are colleagues on this side from the great cities of Canada who also represent 200 different first generation Canadians. I mention that to the member, not as an excuse, but as a fact. It is very complex out there and our embassies struggle with a variety of people.
By the way, when I say 210 to 212, if we are dealing with a country like India they may well be dealing with not just five or six official languages but with hundreds of other languages. There are difficulties and I know my colleague is aware of them.
I, like the member, work as hard as I can on immigration cases. Does he, as a member of parliament, ever consider dealing with people in the department here in Canada? I know e-mail is a wonderful thing, but when it gets complicated and has gone on for 12 months, does he ever pick up the phone and deal directly with the embassies? He is clearly fluent in both of our official languages and can do that.
I have one last question to ask the member. What is the relevance of this to the Speech from the Throne?