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Minutes of Proceedings

44th Parliament, 1st Session
Meeting 69
Thursday, June 1, 2023, 11:05 a.m. to 1:27 p.m.
Televised
Presiding
Salma Zahid, Chair (Liberal)

Library of Parliament
• Julie Béchard, Analyst
• Philippe Antoine Gagnon, Analyst
• Andrea Garland, Analyst
 
House of Commons
• Philippe Méla, Legislative Clerk
• Émilie Thivierge, Legislative Clerk
Department of Citizenship and Immigration
• Nicole Girard, Director General, Citizenship Policy
• Uyen Hoang, Senior Director, Legislation and Program Policy
• Erika Schneidereit, Counsel, Legal Services
• Allison Bernard, Senior Policy Analyst
• Jody Dewan, Senior Policy Analyst
Pursuant to the order of reference of Wednesday, November 16, 2022, the committee resumed consideration of Bill S-245, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (granting citizenship to certain Canadians).

The witnesses answered questions.

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

The committee resumed consideration of the amendment of Jenny Kwan, — That Bill S-245 be amended by adding after line 18 on page 1 the following new clause:

“1.1 The Act is amended by adding the following after section 9:

9.1 (1) A person who is deemed to be a citizen under paragraph 3(1)(b) from the time that they were born solely by operation of subsection 3(7.1) is deemed never to have been a citizen under paragraph 3(1)(b) if the person

(a) provides written notice to the Minister that they do not wish to be a citizen;

(b) is a citizen of a country other than Canada or, on providing the written confirmation referred to in subsection (2), will become a citizen of a country other than Canada; and

(c) does not reside in Canada.

(2) When the Minister receives a written notice from a person under paragraph (1)(a), the Minister shall, if the requirements set out in paragraphs (1)(b) and (c) are met, provide the person with written confirmation that they are deemed never to have been a citizen under paragraph 3(1)(b).”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Jenny Kwan and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Shafqat Ali, Sukh Dhaliwal, Fayçal El-Khoury, Jenny Kwan, Marie-France Lalonde, Andréanne Larouche, Wayne Long — 7;

NAYS: Tom Kmiec, Larry Maguire, Michelle Rempel Garner, Kevin Waugh — 4.

On new Clause 1.2,

Marie-France Lalonde moved, — That Bill S-245 be amended by adding after line 18 on page 1 the following:

1.2  Paragraph 5.1(4)(a) of the Act is replaced by the following:

(a) if, at the time of his or her adoption, only one of the adoptive parents was a citizen and that parent was a citizen under paragraph 3(1)(b), (c.1), (e), (g), (g.1), (h), (o), (p), (q) or (r), or both of the adoptive parents were citizens under any of those paragraphs;

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Marie-France Lalonde and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Shafqat Ali, Sukh Dhaliwal, Fayçal El-Khoury, Tom Kmiec, Jenny Kwan, Marie-France Lalonde, Andréanne Larouche, Wayne Long, Larry Maguire, Michelle Rempel Garner, Kevin Waugh — 11;

NAYS: — 0.

At 11:22 a.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 11:33 a.m., the sitting resumed.

On new Clause 1.4,

Michelle Rempel Garner moved, — That Bill S-245 be amended by adding after line 18 on page 1 the following new clause:

“1.4 The Act is amended by adding the following after Section 23:

Members of the Senate shall not be eligible to be delegated authority unless they are an appointed member of the King’s Privy Council.”

Debate arose thereon.

Tom Kmiec moved, — That the amendment be amended by replacing the words “Members of the Senate” with the words “Any Parliamentarians”.

After debate, the question was put on the subamendment of Tom Kmiec and it was negatived on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Tom Kmiec, Larry Maguire, Michelle Rempel Garner, Kevin Waugh — 4;

NAYS: Shafqat Ali, Sukh Dhaliwal, Fayçal El-Khoury, Jenny Kwan, Marie-France Lalonde, Andréanne Larouche, Wayne Long — 7.

The question was put on the amendment of Michelle Rempel Garner and it was negatived on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Tom Kmiec, Larry Maguire, Michelle Rempel Garner, Kevin Waugh — 4;

NAYS: Shafqat Ali, Sukh Dhaliwal, Fayçal El-Khoury, Jenny Kwan, Marie-France Lalonde, Andréanne Larouche, Wayne Long — 7.

At 11:50 a.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 11:58 a.m., the sitting resumed.

Tom Kmiec moved, — That Bill S-245 be amended by adding after line 18 on page 1 the following new clause:

“1.4 Section 24 of the Act is amended by adding “at an in-person citizenship ceremony” after “oath of citizenship”.”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Tom Kmiec and it was negatived on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Tom Kmiec, Larry Maguire, Michelle Rempel Garner, Kevin Waugh — 4;

NAYS: Shafqat Ali, Sukh Dhaliwal, Fayçal El-Khoury, Jenny Kwan, Marie-France Lalonde, Andréanne Larouche, Wayne Long — 7.

Tom Kmiec moved, — That Bill S-245 be amended by adding after line 18 on page 1 the following new clause:

“1.4 Section 24 of the Act is amended by adding the following:

24 (2) The Department of Citizenship and Immigration shall arrange for all oath of citizenship ceremonies to be conducted in-person, including in rural and remote communities.”

Debate arose thereon.

At 1:27 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.



Keelan Buck
Clerk of the committee