Conservative Motion for Liberal Obstruction of Justice

 Meeting  Requested by Four Members of the Committee to Discuss their Request to  Undertake a Study of the Coming into Force Date of the College of  Immigration and Citizenship Consultants ActPursuant  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 BondClerk of the committee