Citizenship and Immigration committee  Thank you very much. Before I start, I want to make one correction. I don't want to appear under false pretenses. I am not a former member of the Immigration and Refugee Board. I am a former member of the advisory panel to the Immigration and Refugee Board. The panel was the p

Citizenship and Immigration committee  As part of our process we would examine, read over, all applications and résumés of those who had passed a certain low threshold, and that would consist, I suppose, over the three years our committee existed, of probably about five hundred to six hundred applications. We also w

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I could stop here. I'd just like to set out briefly for you—

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I want to very briefly set out for you why we felt there was a problem with what the report proposed and the government said it accepted. First, if it ain't broke don't fix it. The selection process we had in place was working extremely well. We were getting extremely good candi

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Thank you for the question. Before I answer, there is one thing I want to say. In my opening statement I indicated that we felt the fix was in when I talked about Mr. Harrison's report. I didn't mean to say that Mr. Harrison was in cahoots with anyone. I regretted it as soon as

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Nobody came out and said that to us directly. We heard rumours that this is what was being said about us. If indeed people were saying that, they obviously knew very little about those of us who were on the panel. We were all very committed to making this non-partisan and to pick

Citizenship and Immigration committee  You're quite correct that the selection of board members has been a matter of importance for the CCR for quite a long time. We felt, from very personal experience for most of us, that there was an inconsistency in the quality of appointees to the refugee board. When the new sele

Citizenship and Immigration committee  It was. In fact, up until the last year my reports back to my executive were very positive—that things were working, this was a good system, and we should support it. Over the last year my reports have been getting less and less positive, to the point where in November 2006 I got

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Absolutely not. I don't know the political background of my fellow committee members, and I don't think it's important that I do. I can tell you that in the many meetings we had over three years, not once did any member of our committee make a comment or bring forward a considera

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I want to comment on the fact that in Mr. Harrison's report there really isn't justification given for why the minister needs to have a say in naming people to the selection committee. It's put forward that this is the minister's prerogative, and this is what was intended in the

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Absolutely not. I have very great admiration for Jean-Guy Fleury and his ability to avoid politics in his job. I don't know how he did it, because it's such a minefield of politics. I've known him for many years. Before I was on this advisory panel I also sat on a committee cal

Citizenship and Immigration committee  That is, I understand, the recommendation that was made.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  My position, regarding the comment you made about what was originally proposed in 2004, is that whatever was stated in writing at that point—and I don't recall back in 2004 exactly what was said—

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I'm sure it's correct. The fact of the matter is that this wasn't what happened.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Yes.