Finance committee  Can I respond to that, Mr. Chairman, in terms of what you said there, in terms of a Canadian? There is of course a separate process, as members know, leading to citizenship. So there are various points on the continuum, beginning from a temporary foreign worker or a student, that can allow people to gain permanent residency, and then thereafter, should they meet application processes, to in fact become a Canadian.

Finance committee  Not on point of entry, no.

Finance committee  It would not give the minister that authority, insofar as it is inconsistent with the overall objectives of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, which, for one, requires the government to ensure that the immigration program supports economic competitiveness and family reunification, and that it also provides protection to those in need.