Debates of June 9th, 2025

Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates (A), 2025-26

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Conservative, John Nater]

Order, please.

Time has now expired for that block, so we will move to the final block of the night.

The hon. member for Saanich—Gulf Islands has the floor.

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Chair, I will be sharing my time with the hon. member for Vancouver East. How much time do the two of us have to share?

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Conservative, John Nater]

There are four minutes remaining.

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Chair, there are two minutes to each of us then.

I begin with the Minister of Immigration. At 9:27 p.m., Minister, you said, “Legitimate asylum seekers, we want to protect you.” Minister, can you reconcile that with the expert opinion of Amnesty International and the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, who say that Bill C-2 is an attack on the human right to seek asylum?

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Conservative, John Nater]

We have a point of order from the hon. opposition leader.

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK]

Mr. Chair, the hon. member for Saanich—Gulf Islands asked a question directly to the minister. You have, correctly, reminded colleagues this evening that they should be asking their questions through the Chair. This is an important principle in our system because it provides some separation between members directly, so there is a bit of separation there. I just want to make sure of that.

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Conservative, John Nater]

The member is right. The hon. member for Saanich—Gulf Islands should go through the Chair.

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Chair, through you to the minister, how does the minister reconcile her claim with the expert opinion of the experts I cited?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Chair, I know the member works very hard for her constituents, and I appreciate that. She spoke about the borders act, which is Bill C-2. What I will say, and this is what I have said, is that the integrity of the immigration system is critical to supporting border security and assuring Canadians that the system is well managed, including protections against fraud and misuse. The border bill would provide Canada with—

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Conservative, John Nater]

The hon. member for Saanich—Gulf Islands.

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Chair, in an earlier exchange with the member for Repentigny, the Minister of Environment misinformed this House. I would like to ask if she has read subsection 5(6) of the bill, which says all the factors for consideration are purely discretionary and the cabinet may consider them.

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Chair, I have specifically referred to the factors that are in the bill. They are the factors that are in the bill, and I stand by that.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Chair, in light of Trump's travel ban that came into effect today, does the Minister of Immigration agree that the U.S. is still a safe third country?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Chair, yes.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Chair, has the department done an assessment, and will she table that assessment?

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

Mr. Chair, these are very important questions, and I take them seriously—

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Conservative, John Nater]

The hon. member.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Chair, well, will the minister table the assessment?

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

Mr. Chair, the 2024 assessment was done.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Chair, no, the travel ban was put in place today. Has the minister, and her department, done an assessment on whether or not the U.S. is still a safe third country?

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

Mr. Chair, as I already replied, yes, we do consider the U.S. as a safe third—

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Conservative, John Nater]

The hon. member.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Chair, from that answer, the minister's department has not done an assessment on the U.S., whether or not it is a safe third country, with the travel ban being imposed today.

My next question is this: Will the minister grant Jimmy Lai honorary Canadian citizenship?

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

Mr. Chair, I cannot discuss personal or individual cases on the floor of the House, for privacy reasons.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Chair, it is not a personal question. It is a simple question on whether or not the minister is willing to grant him honorary citizenship.

The government put in the program for caregivers, and many of them were actually unable to to finish the process when the system crashed. Will the minister provide alternatives for those applicants?