Mr. Speaker, once again, several dozen special citizenship and reaffirmation ceremonies are organized every year by CIC officials. They do a great job. Some are in Citizenship Week, some on Canada Day, and sometimes with lieutenant governors and premiers. We commend them for their good work.
In this particular instance, some of the people invited did not come. The officials managing the ceremony, without any knowledge or involvement of my office in any part, handled the situation inappropriately.
I regret that. It ought not to have happened, but let us not allow it to colour the excellent work that CIC officials do in celebrating Canadian citizenship.