Citizenship and Immigration committee  I think we'd probably have to go back to the transcripts of Parliament in 1946 and in 1976. In some cases, I'd have to say it was intended. For some of these individuals who lost their citizenship, this is how the law had been intended to operate by Parliament. I'm not saying tha

Citizenship and Immigration committee  The mechanism that we have is the mechanism that's in the law. That is this subsection 5(4) process. This is what we're using to resolve those cases that fall within the minister's guidelines, and that seems to be the way we have. If the committee can identify other amendments t

Citizenship and Immigration committee  The Citizenship Act has very little discretion for citizenship officers. The discretion is given to the Governor in Council to direct the minister.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Mr. Chair, last September, I believe, the government announced a series of cost-saving measures of program review, and I believe the total figure was in the range of $1 billion. In that was twenty point something or other million dollars that had been allocated a number of years

Citizenship and Immigration committee  It is indeed a difficult question to answer, because it does stray towards the line of civil servants not providing policy advice, in confidence to their minister. I would say that the legislation we have, both the 1947 and 1977 legislation, is quite old.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Probably the best example would be that piece of legislation the minister has indicated is a priority, and that's Bill C-14. We're aware that the treatment of adopted children, or children who have been adopted by Canadians outside of Canada, is not what it should be. Via the sub

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Mr. Chair, the reason why these cases are out there is because of decisions that were made by Parliament for the 1947 act, and also in 1977. As bureaucrats, our responsibility as civil servants is to implement the legislation that we have. The minister had indicated to the commit

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Yes, but what can I say? I can understand and respond in English and French. It's a question of choice.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Eric, would you like to address this?

Citizenship and Immigration committee  The way to change the law, the responsibility to change the law, is the role of parliamentarians. Our responsibility as civil servants is to implement and administer the law that we've been given. This is why the minister has asked the committee for their advice on how to change

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I believe the answer has been yes.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I might add, Mr. Chair, as well, that the minister indicated, when she was here at committee, that the priority at the moment is those individuals who are in Canada and who have spent the majority of their time in Canada.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Mr. Chair, just briefly—

Citizenship and Immigration committee  We certainly have heard the testimony or were reading the testimony of witnesses here at the committee, so we're conscious that this communication issue is a problem for us. We're going to try to be sensitive to that and encourage as many people as possible to come forward, while

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Thank you for the question. I'll ask Clark to answer part of it. On the first part of your question, dealing with the legislation, citizenship law is exceptionally complicated. And it's probably one of the rare areas of public law in which decisions made by legislators decades