Scleroderma Awareness Month  Mr. Speaker, members of the Scleroderma Society of Canada are here in Ottawa to meet with officials from Health Canada. They have designated June as Scleroderma Awareness Month and are working hard to inform Canadians and the government about its seriousness. Scleroderma is a progressive and chronic connective tissue disorder that causes the thickening, hardening and scarring of the skin and other organs.

Immigration and Refugee Protection Act  Mr. Speaker, I wish the hon. member would listen to everything I said. I am glad she had quotes from the newspaper, but it appears she is selective in the quotes she uses. Throughout my speech I said we would send the bill to committee. What does that mean? It means we will support it at second reading so it can be strengthened in committee.

Immigration and Refugee Protection Act  Mr. Speaker, I echo the concerns raised by my hon. colleague. There are a lot of concerns about the bill as it stands because it offers broad powers and may have negative impacts on various industries, applicants and situations. We want to work with the government, but right now the bill as it stands needs modification.

Immigration and Refugee Protection Act  Mr. Speaker, I often wonder what my colleagues across the floor would do without the Liberal Party. They are obsessed with pointing the finger at the Liberal Party. I think they do such a good job of being in opposition, they probably need to go back to that. They are incapable of accepting their responsibility as a government.

Immigration and Refugee Protection Act  Mr. Speaker, I am just wondering if the parliamentary secretary could confirm the fact that immigration officers abroad have the discretion to deny work permits or visas to foreign temporary workers if they have serious concerns about that application, regardless of health or security concerns.

Immigration and Refugee Protection Act  Mr. Speaker, I stand before the House today to participate in debating Bill C-57, An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. While I, along with my colleagues, try to debate this bill objectively and examine its components seriously, I have to admit that I am hugely disappointed that the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and the Conservative minority government continue to neglect a wide array of immigration files that deserve serious attention and immediate action.

Citizenship Act  Mr. Speaker, could the hon. member please explain to the House which jurisdiction is responsible for the verification of the authenticity of an adoption? Is it a provincial jurisdiction or is it a federal jurisdiction?

Citizenship Act  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be given an opportunity to speak on this motion today. This motion is intended to refine Bill C-14, an act that proposes to amend the Citizenship Act to extend automatic citizenship to children who are adopted and were born abroad. Bill C-14 is a Liberal bill that was introduced in the last Parliament as Bill C-76 under the previous Liberal government.

Immigration and Refugee Protection Act  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak, for the second time, to private member's Bill C-280, An Act to Amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Bill C-280 is an act that is intended to reaffirm some of the clauses that already exist in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act by calling for the establishment of an appeal mechanism for failed refugee claimants.

Business of Supply  Mr. Chair, I can say that we would be happy to solve this problem if they would step aside. When we get back in government we will solve it. The problem is that the Conservatives are the government and they are responsible to all Canadians, for protecting their charter rights and ensuring that they have equal employment access.

Business of Supply  Mr. Chair, I know the minister is aware of ITAR. ITAR is an American regulation that prevents Canadians who were born in certain countries from working on contracts that were paid for by Canadians through the Canadian government. We heard reports that the federal government had signed a deal with the American government to exempt Canadians who work with the department.

Business of Supply  Mr. Chair, does that also include Canadians who work in the private sector?

Business of Supply  Mr. Chair, I wonder if the minister agrees that ITAR violates our Constitution which guarantees equal rights to all Canadians. ITAR currently creates two classes of Canadian citizenship.

Business of Supply  Minister, ITAR covers contracts that were signed by your department. It includes employees--

Business of Supply  Mr. Chair, it includes employees who work for the minister's department, employees who work for contractors who are working for his department. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the defence minister. I am curious. If he is admitting that it violates our Constitution, why is the minister ignoring the needs of those Canadians who work for the private sector?