CIMM Committee Meeting

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MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

Meeting No. 27

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

The Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration met in camera at 3:29 p.m. this day, in Room 7-52, 131 Queen Street, the Vice-Chair, Lysane Blanchette-Lamothe, presiding.

Members of the Committee present: Lysane Blanchette-Lamothe, Joe Daniel, Hon. John McCallum, Costas Menegakis, Ted Opitz, Jasbir Sandhu, Devinder Shory and Rathika Sitsabaiesan.

Acting Members present: Scott Simms for Hon. John McCallum and David Wilks for Chungsen Leung.

In attendance: Library of Parliament: Julie Béchard, Analyst ; Sandra Elgersma, Analyst.

Witnesses: Air India 182 Victims Families Association: Bal Gupta, Chair. Coalition of Progressive Canadian Muslim Organizations: Salma Siddiqui, President. As an individual: R. Reis Pagtakhan, Immigration Lawyer. Immigrant Québec: Jonathan Chodjai, Chair, Governing Council.

The Committee proceeded to the consideration of matters related to Committee business.

It was agreed, — That on Monday May 26, 2014, the Committee hear from witnesses in relation to its study on Strengthening the Protection of Women in our Immigration System for the first hour and that the second hour be devoted to giving drafting instructions to the Analysts.

It was agreed, — That a proposed budget in the amount of $ 22, 400.00, for the study of the subject matter of Bill C-24, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts, be adopted.

At 3:32 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 3:33 p.m., the sitting resumed in public.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted by the Committee on Tuesday, April 1, 2014, the Committee resumed its study of the subject matter of Bill C-24, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts.

Bal Gupta and Salma Siddiqui made statements and answered questions.

At 4:22 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 4:25 p.m., the sitting resumed.

Jonathan Chodjai, by videoconference from Montreal, Quebec, and R. Reis Pagtakhan made statements and answered questions.

Costas Menegakis raised a point of order, stating that the member currently speaking should allow the witnesses enough time to answer questions without interrupting the witnesses.

RULING BY THE CHAIR

The Chair ruled that the member has the right to use her time for question as she wishes to.

Whereupon, Costas Menegakis appealed the decision of the Chair.

The question: "Shall the decision of the Chair be sustained?" was put and the decision was overturned, by a show of hands: YEAS: 3; NAYS: 4.

Questioning of the witnesses resumed.

Rathika Sitsabaiesan moved, — That, notwithstanding the motion of the Committee of Tuesday, April 1st, 2014, the Committee schedule three (3) hours to hear witnesses on the subject matter of Bill C-24, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts.

Debate arose thereon.

Costas Menegakis moved, — That the Committee proceed to sit in camera.

The question was put on the motion and it was agreed to, by a show of hands: YEAS: 4; NAYS: 2.

At 4:59 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 5:00 p.m., the sitting resumed in camera.

At 5:13 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.

Julie Lalande Prud'homme
Clerk of the Committee

2014/06/17 11:39 a.m.