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Minutes of Proceedings

44th Parliament, 1st Session
Meeting 35
Wednesday, October 12, 2022, 2:35 p.m. to 4:11 p.m.
Webcast
Presiding
Salma Zahid, Chair (Liberal)

Library of Parliament
• Julie Béchard, Analyst
• Andrea Garland, Analyst
Pursuant to Standing Order 106(4), the committee commenced consideration of the request by four members of the committee to undertake the study of the coming into force date of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants Act.

Motion

Brad Redekopp moved, — That pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) the committee conduct a study into allegations of potential obstruction of justice at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada; that this study consist of at least three meetings; that the committee invite Minister Mendicino for one meeting, departmental officials for one meeting, that the Minister appear separately from officials, that the officials invited include Patrick Therrien, Counsel, Legal Services (DOJ), IRCC and Brian Smith, Assistant Director, Immigration, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada; that the third meeting be outside legal experts, and other witnesses as the committee sees fit; that these meetings be televised; that these meetings occur at the earliest opportunity possible and no later than November 4, 2022; that the Committee send for all information and documents, including: emails, briefing notes, memorandums, text messages, all electronic forms of communications, phone calls (summary notes), hand written notes and any other correspondence, communication or documentation in the possession of the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada or any subsidiary organizations relating to either the trademark case T-834-20 and related counter-suits before the federal court, or to the coming into force of section 292 of the Budget Implementation Act, 2019, No. 1, provided that:

(a) these documents shall be deposited with the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel, in an unredacted form, within 14 days of the adoption of this order;

(b) the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel redact all information that might reasonably be expected to compromise the personal contact information of individuals, and provide the redacted versions to the committee;

(c) that the Access to Information packages JUS-A2020-00969, PCO-A-2020-00569, IRCC-2A 2020-93519 (part 1, part 2 and part 3) be sent to the Parliamentary Law Clerk without redaction for the Clerk to determine if redactions can be lifted and tabled with the committee;

(d) the committee hold an in-camera meeting with the Law Clerk, within seven days of the conclusion of his redaction of the documents, in order to determine which documents could be made public; and,

(e) should the department not provide documents in their unredacted form within ten days to the Law Clerk, that the Deputy Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Refugees Canada be scheduled to appear, and the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Refugees Canada be invited to appear before the committee within 21 days of this motion passing to explain why the documents were not provided; and,

(f) should the Minister or Deputy Minister after this appearance still not turn over the documents in an unredacted form within ten days, or fail to appear within the 21 days, the Chair shall be instructed to report at their earliest opportunity to the House the following: “Your committee has requested documents from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and these documents have not been provided”.

Debate arose thereon.

At 2:41 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 2:45 p.m., the sitting resumed.

Amendment

Garnett Genuis moved, — That the motion be amended by adding the word “Privy Council Office (PCO)” after the word “departmental” and by deleting the words “no later than November 4, 2022”.

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

YEAS: Bob Benzen, Garnett Genuis, Jenny Kwan, Kelly McCauley, Brad Redekopp — 5;

NAYS: Shafqat Ali, Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Arielle Kayabaga, Marc G. Serré, Maninder Sidhu, Sameer Zuberi — 6.

After debate, the question was put on the motion and it was negatived on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Bob Benzen, Garnett Genuis, Jenny Kwan, Kelly McCauley, Brad Redekopp — 5;

NAYS: Shafqat Ali, Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Arielle Kayabaga, Marc G. Serré, Maninder Sidhu, Sameer Zuberi — 6.

Motion

Garnett Genuis moved, — That the committee report to the House that it calls on the government to immediately re-instate in-person citizenship ceremonies for all who request them, and that the committee request a government response to this motion pursuant to Standing Order 109.

Debate arose thereon.

At 3:35 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 3:40 p.m., the sitting resumed.

The debate continued

At 4:03 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 4:05 p.m., the sitting resumed.

Motion

Shafqat Ali 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: Shafqat Ali, Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Arielle Kayabaga, Jenny Kwan, Marc G. Serré, Maninder Sidhu, Sameer Zuberi — 7;

NAYS: Bob Benzen, Garnett Genuis, Kelly McCauley, Brad Redekopp — 4.

At 4:11 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.



Stephanie Bond
Clerk of the committee