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CIMM Committee Meeting

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Minutes of Proceedings

44th Parliament, 1st Session
Meeting 106
Wednesday, June 12, 2024, 4:38 p.m. to Monday, September 23, 2024, 5:30 p.m.
Presiding
Sukh Dhaliwal, Chair (Liberal)

• Mel Arnold for Greg McLean (Conservative)
• Élisabeth Brière for Salma Zahid (Liberal)
• Marc Dalton for Larry Maguire (Conservative)
• Anju Dhillon for Salma Zahid (Liberal)
• Anju Dhillon for Shafqat Ali (Liberal)
• Jasraj Singh Hallan for Brad Redekopp (Conservative)
• Ken McDonald for Shafqat Ali (Liberal)
• Sameer Zuberi for Salma Zahid (Liberal)
Library of Parliament
• Philippe Antoine Gagnon, Analyst
• Andrea Garland, Analyst
• Martin McCallum, Analyst
Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motions adopted by the committee on Monday, February 12, 2024 and on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, the committee resumed its study of pension transferability and access to Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF), and delays in permanent residence and visas for Hong Kongers.

At 4:55 p.m., the meeting was suspended.

At 5:05 p.m., the meeting resumed.

It was agreed, — That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee extend its study on the Mandatory Provident Fund and delays for Hong Kongers by two meetings; that the Chair reinvite representatives from financial institutions, including insurance companies, officials from the Department of Finance to expand upon their testimony from June 5, 2024 along with officials from the Department of Transport and the International Civil Aviation Organization to appear on the issue of permanent residency cards and codes as they are the organizations primarily responsible for permanent residency cards in Canada as per the testimony of the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada on June 5, 2024; and that committee members be authorized to provide names of other potential witnesses to the Chair in the usual proportion to be called.

It was agreed, — That the committee proceed to sit in public.

At 5:41 p.m., the meeting was suspended.

At 6:03 p.m., the meeting resumed in public.

Motion

Salma Zahid moved, — As the Home Child Care Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot Programs will expire on June 17, 2024, and the caregiver community is very concerned about what will follow the expiry of these programs, that the committee shall prioritize the caregiver pilot study adopted December 12, 2023, scheduling and completing this study as its next order of business.

Debate arose thereon.

Motion

Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe moved, — That the debate be now adjourned.

The question was put on the motion and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Tom Kmiec, Jenny Kwan, Larry Maguire, Greg McLean, Brad Redekopp — 6;

NAYS: Shafqat Ali, Paul Chiang, Fayçal El-Khoury, Arielle Kayabaga, Salma Zahid — 5.

At 6:30 p.m., the meeting was suspended.

At 11:02 a.m., on Monday, June 17, 2024, the meeting resumed.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted by the committee on Friday, October 7, 2022, the committee resumed its study of the government's response to the final report of the Special Committee on Afghanistan.

The committee resumed consideration of a draft letter.

Motion

Greg McLean moved, — That regarding the draft letter concerning the government's response to the Final Report of the Special Committee on Afghanistan as sent to committee members on May 21, 2024, the paragraphs numbered 19, 20, and 23 be deemed adopted without amendment; that the letter and news release be then deemed adopted; that the Chair be then instructed to transmit the letter to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship on the second business day following the adoption of this motion; that the Chair then issue the news release on behalf of the committee immediately upon transmitting the letter to the Minister; that the letter and the news release be then posted to the committee’s website; and that the study be then deemed concluded.

Debate arose thereon.

At 11:15 a.m., the meeting was suspended.

At 11:19 a.m., the meeting resumed.

The debate continued.

At 11:58 a.m., the meeting was suspended.

At 12:06 p.m., the meeting resumed.

ORDERED - That, in relation to the meeting on Monday, June 17, 2024, the Clerk, in collaboration with the Chair, be instructed to edit the evidence, audio and video recordings of the meeting as requested.

The debate continued.

At 12:36 p.m, pursuant to Standing Order 115(5), the meeting was suspended.

At 1:28 p.m., the meeting resumed.

The debate continued.

At 1:30 p.m., the meeting was suspended.

At 3:37 p.m., on Monday, September 16, 2024, the meeting resumed.

The debate continued.

At 3:40 p.m., the meeting was suspended.

At 3:45 p.m., the meeting resumed.

The debate continued.

Motion

Paul Chiang moved, — That the debate be now adjourned.

The question was put on the motion and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Shafqat Ali, Paul Chiang, Marc Dalton, Fayçal El-Khoury, Arielle Kayabaga, Tom Kmiec, Greg McLean, Brad Redekopp, Salma Zahid — 9;

NAYS: Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Jenny Kwan — 2.

Motion

Paul Chiang moved, — Given that:

  • the former Conservative government under Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Jason Kenney amended the Citizenship Act to impose the first-generation limit;
  • the Ontario Superior Court of Justice found this legislative amendment unconstitutional as it violates charter rights, specifically on the grounds of mobility and equality rights;
  • the Leader of the Opposition stated that he would use the notwithstanding clause if given the chance;
  • the first-generation limit is another example of the Conservative Party stripping away rights of Canadians
  • the immigration committee has extensively studied the topic of lost Canadians;
  • the member of Parliament for Calgary Forest Lawn who is the sponsor for Senate public Bill S-245 as well as the former Conservative immigration critic, recommended the introduction of a private member's bill or a government bill to address the remaining cohort of lost Canadians;

that the Chair report to the House of Commons that, notwithstanding any standing order or usual practice of the House, Bill C-71, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act be deemed read a second time and referred to this committee.

Debate arose thereon.

Amendment

Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe moved, — That the motion be amended by adding after the words “to this committee” the following: “after the committee has completed its report on closed permits”.

Debate arose thereon.

At 4:15 p.m., the meeting was suspended.

At 4:33 p.m., the meeting resumed.

Subamendment

Brad Redekopp moved, — That the amendment be amended by replacing the words “closed permits” with the following: “closed work permits and temporary foreign workers”.

Debate arose thereon.

The question was put on the subamendment of Brad Redekopp and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Shafqat Ali, Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Paul Chiang, Marc Dalton, Fayçal El-Khoury, Arielle Kayabaga, Tom Kmiec, Jenny Kwan, Greg McLean, Brad Redekopp, Salma Zahid — 11;

NAYS: — 0.

The debate on the amendment continued.

Subamendment

Tom Kmiec moved, — That the amendment be amended by adding after the words “temporary foreign workers” the following: “, and after a carbon tax election is held so that Canadians and Québécois can vote out this tired, out-of-time NDP-Liberal coalition government”.

Debate arose thereon.

At 4:48 p.m., the meeting was suspended.

At 4:52 p.m., the meeting resumed.

At 4:52 p.m., the meeting was suspended.

At 5:04 p.m., the meeting resumed.

The debate on the subamendment continued.

Motion

Marc Dalton moved, — That the committee do now adjourn.

The question was put on the motion and it was negatived on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Marc Dalton, Tom Kmiec, Greg McLean, Brad Redekopp — 5;

NAYS: Shafqat Ali, Paul Chiang, Fayçal El-Khoury, Arielle Kayabaga, Jenny Kwan, Salma Zahid — 6.

At 5:31 p.m., the meeting was suspended.

At 11:05 a.m., on Thursday, September 19, 2024, the meeting resumed.

The debate on the subamendment continued.

Motion

Brad Redekopp moved, — That the committee do now adjourn.

The question was put on the motion and it was negatived on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Tom Kmiec, Larry Maguire, Greg McLean, Brad Redekopp — 5;

NAYS: Shafqat Ali, Paul Chiang, Fayçal El-Khoury, Jenny Kwan, Jennifer O'Connell, Salma Zahid — 6.

The debate on the subamendment continued.

At 1:01 p.m., the meeting was suspended.

At 3:41 p.m., on Monday, September 23, 2024, the meeting resumed.

The debate on the subamendment continued.

Tom Kmiec gave notice of the following motion:

That the committee, pursuant to Standing Order 108(1)(a), order the production of all documents and records to all members of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration related to Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) requests A-2022-02100, A-2022-02101, A-2022-02102, A-2022-02103 and A-2022-02104, submitted to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) concerning the January 2019 policy entitled "Claims that can be accepted without a hearing" (the "January 2019 Policy"), which have exceeded statutory deadlines since February 2023 by over 20 months, including but not limited to:

  • all records related to the development, approvals process and implementation of the January 2019 Policy, and any amendments made to it, as referenced in ATIP A-2022-02100;
  • the list of countries and subnational groups eligible for claims under the January 2019 Policy, as well as any amendments to this list, all legal or policy-making authorities behind the publication of the list, and any records showing the process by which these countries and groups were added or removed from the list, as referenced in ATIP A-2022-02101;
  • all communications between the IRB and other government departments, agencies, ministerial offices or the Prime Minister’s Office, as well as third-party stakeholders, regarding the development, finalization, and implementation of the January 2019 Policy, as referenced in ATIP A-2022-02102;
  • any records related to pilot projects undertaken prior to the announcement of the January 2019 Policy that identified specific countries or subnational groups, including records about each pilot project, funding allocations and the roles of officials involved in the projects, as referenced in ATIP A-2022-02103; and
  • aggregate data regarding claims processed under the January 2019 Policy, including positive versus negative determinations, the number of claims versus the total number of persons, and records pertaining to how claims were grouped outside the regular processing order, as referenced in ATIP A-2022-02104;

and that these documents be produced within 30 days.

The debate on the subamendment continued.

At 4:23 p.m., Brad Redekopp took the Chair.

At 4:29 p.m., Sukh Dhaliwal took the Chair.

The debate on the subamendment continued.

At 5:03, Brad Redekopp took the Chair.

At 5:11 p.m., Sukh Dhaliwal took the Chair.

The debate on the subamendment continued.

Motion

Arielle Kayabaga moved, — That the committee do now adjourn.

The question was put on the motion and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Paul Chiang, Anju Dhillon, Fayçal El-Khoury, Arielle Kayabaga, Tom Kmiec, Jenny Kwan, Larry Maguire, Ken McDonald, Greg McLean, Brad Redekopp — 11;

NAYS: — 0.

At 5:29 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.



Rémi Bourgault
Clerk of the committee