Finance committee  I'll start with your point about discrimination. I'll actually quote someone from the Canadian Arab Federation. We've heard from Mohamed Boudjenane, who is the executive director of the Canadian Arab Federation, citing again and again at press conferences that since September 11 there has been a significant decrease in the number of permanent residency applications that have been granted to members of the Arab and Muslim community.

Finance committee  I think the reality is that we agree that the system needs to be fixed, but the way it needs to be fixed is by allocating more resources to process applications, to ensure that every single application will be looked at. People who are frustrated sitting in a queue are not the people who are falling through the cracks and coming here without documentation.

Finance committee  Clearly, that's exactly the connection that we are seeing. If we don't do something to fix the system at the front end, we're going to have more people falling through the cracks, and then we'll have to devote more resources at the back end. Today we read a press release, issued by Minister Stockwell Day, complimenting CBSA for arresting undocumented workers in a factory outside of the Greater Toronto Area.

Finance committee  First of all, I'm not the person who comes up with the legal opinions.

Finance committee  I've heard Minister Finley address questions around this issue again and again in different settings, as well as other discussions. I don't feel that I need the transcripts to read it again.

Finance committee  No, I have not had a chance to read her perspective on it, but at the same time, what the Conservative--

Finance committee  You asked a question, and I get to respond.

Finance committee  Absolutely. First of all, I'm not the person within our organization who comes up with the legal opinion. I leave that to the lawyers. My responsibility is then to communicate that legal opinion in easy-to-understand plain language to the communities that are affected. Our legal opinions have again and again told us that this is the interpretation.

Finance committee  We mean the people who fall into the cracks of the immigration system or are between status.

Finance committee  That would mean that they have fallen out of status.

Finance committee  That is accurate.

Finance committee  I think we all like to think that everybody has the best intentions, but unfortunately there is a difference between intentions and how things are written in the law and in the bill. We've heard legal opinions again and again from lawyers, and certainly I am not a lawyer so I am not here to present a legal opinion.

Finance committee  Exactly, interpreted. That's exactly the problem with the law, with these amendments, and the way they're being pushed through. Because there aren't enough community consultations, a lot of doors are still open, and a lot still needs to be reviewed and looked at. The way the wording is, it could be read that humanitarian and compassionate applications outside the country may not be looked at.

Finance committee  You can only do one in Canada.

Finance committee  First of all, we're working on a campaign; the campaign's point of unity is opposition to Bill C-50 at this moment, and a regularization program that meets the needs of undocumented workers.