CIMM Committee Meeting

Notices of Meeting include information about the subject matter to be examined by the committee and date, time and place of the meeting, as well as a list of any witnesses scheduled to appear. The Evidence is the edited and revised transcript of what is said before a committee. The Minutes of Proceedings are the official record of the business conducted by the committee at a sitting.

For an advanced search, use Publication Search tool.

If you have any questions or comments regarding the accessibility of this publication, please contact us at accessible@parl.gc.ca.

Previous day publication Next day publication

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

Meeting No. 33

Monday, November 22, 2010

The Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration met at 3:31 p.m. this day, in Room 7-52, 131 Queen St., the Chair, David Tilson, presiding.

Members of the Committee present: Josée Beaudin, Olivia Chow, Rick Dykstra, Nina Grewal, Robert Oliphant, Thierry St-Cyr, David Tilson, Justin Trudeau, Tim Uppal, Alice Wong and Borys Wrzesnewskyj.

Acting Members present: Joe Preston for Terence Young.

In attendance: House of Commons: Wayne Cole, Legislative Clerk . Library of Parliament: Daphne Keevil Harrold, Analyst ; Anna Gay, Analyst.

Witnesses: Department of Citizenship and Immigration: Brenna MacNeil, Director, Social Policy and Programs; Elaine Ménard, Legal Counsel, Legal Services.

Pursuant to the Order of Reference of Thursday, September 23, 2010, the Committee resumed consideration of Bill C-35, An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

The Committee resumed its clause-by-clause study of the Bill.

The witnesses answered questions.

The Committee resumed consideration of the amendment of Olivia Chow, — That Bill C-35, in Clause 2, be amended by adding after line 11 on page 3 the following:

“(9) Every foreign national who seeks to enter or remain in Canada must disclose the use of any entity, or person acting on its behalf, that has provided services to assist the foreign national in connection with an application under this Act.”

After debate, by unanimous consent, the amendment was withdrawn.

Olivia Chow moved, — That Bill C-35, in Clause 2, be amended by adding after line 11 on page 3 the following:

“(9) The Minister may, at the request of a foreign national in Canada who is subject to a removal order, stay the order if the Minister is of the opinion that the foreign national received services from a person who is alleged to have committed an offence under subsection 91(1); the stay may remain in effect until a decision is made with respect to that offence.”

The Chair ruled the proposed amendment inadmissible because it was beyond the scope of the Bill, as provided on page 766 of House of Commons Procedure and Practice, Second Edition.

Clause 2, as amended, carried.

On new Clause 2.1,

Olivia Chow moved, — That Bill C-35 be amended by adding after line 11 on page 3 the following new clause:

“2.1 Section 117 of the Act is amended by adding the following after subsection (1):

(1.1) Evidence that 40 or more passengers of a vessel each possess a document in contravention of paragraph 122(1)(a) is, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, proof that any individual serving as a crew member of the vessel knowingly organized, induced, aided or abetted the coming into Canada of one or more persons in contravention of subsection (1).”

The Chair ruled the proposed amendment inadmissible because it was beyond the scope of the Bill, as provided on page 766 of House of Commons Procedure and Practice, Second Edition.

Clause 3 carried.

On Clause 4,

Olivia Chow moved, — That Bill C-35, in Clause 4, be amended by replacing line 19 on page 3 with the following:

“time after”

After debate, by unanimous consent, the amendment was withdrawn.

Rick Dykstra moved, — That Bill C-35, in Clause 4, be amended by replacing line 19 on page 3 with the following:

“time within, but not later than, 10 years after”