Speech (House debate)

{
    "time": "2014-02-27 15:25:00",
    "attribution": {
        "en": "Hon. Chris Alexander (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, CPC)",
        "fr": "L\u2019hon. Chris Alexander (ministre de la Citoyennet\u00e9 et de l\u2019Immigration, PCC)"
    },
    "content": {
        "en": "<p class=\"procedural\" data-HoCid=\"3592502\"> moved that Bill <a data-HoCid=\"6401990\" href=\"/bills/41-2/C-24/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Citizenship Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts\">C-24, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts</a>, be read the second time and referred to a committee.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"3592503\" data-originallang=\"en\">Mr. Speaker, my thanks to all who are joining us for today's second reading debate on an important bill. I am delighted to rise today to speak to Bill <a data-HoCid=\"6401990\" href=\"/bills/41-2/C-24/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Citizenship Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts\">C-24</a>. the strengthening Canadian citizenship act. These are the first comprehensive reforms to our citizenship act in more than a generation, since 1977. Its aim is very clear. It is to strengthen and protect the value of Canadian citizenship. This was a commitment our government made in its most recent Speech from the Throne, and it is one that we are keeping with today's debate and by making this a legislative priority of our government.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"3592504\" data-originallang=\"fr\">As everyone knows, our government has transformed Canada's immigration system over the past eight years to better meet Canada's current needs and those of its economy and to ensure that it serves our national interests. Having done that, we must now improve the process for granting Canadian citizenship to qualified applicants. In Canada, the two go hand in hand. Immigrants want citizenship, and the quality of our immigration programs depends heavily on the quality and integrity of our citizenship program. We have to ensure that our policies and practices properly reflect the tremendous value of Canadian citizenship.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"3592505\" data-originallang=\"en\">That is the reality that has driven this legislation, that has driven our thinking, that has driven the support that this government is receiving across the country for these reforms.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"3592506\" data-originallang=\"en\">Canadians take enormous pride in their citizenship, an unprecedented pride.</p>",
        "fr": "<p data-HoCid=\"3592502\" data-originallang=\"en\"> propose que le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"6401990\" href=\"/bills/41-2/C-24/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Citizenship Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts\">C-24, Loi modifiant la Loi sur la citoyennet\u00e9 et d'autres lois en cons\u00e9quence</a>, soit lu pour la deuxi\u00e8me fois et renvoy\u00e9 \u00e0 un comit\u00e9.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"3592503\" data-originallang=\"en\">-- Monsieur le Pr\u00e9sident, je tiens \u00e0 remercier tous ceux qui sont ici avec nous aujourd'hui pour le d\u00e9bat en deuxi\u00e8me lecture de cet important projet de loi. Je suis tr\u00e8s heureux de prendre la parole aujourd'hui au sujet du projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"6401990\" href=\"/bills/41-2/C-24/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Citizenship Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts\">C-24</a>, Loi renfor\u00e7ant la citoyennet\u00e9 canadienne. Il s'agit de la premi\u00e8re r\u00e9forme exhaustive de la Loi sur la citoyennet\u00e9 depuis plus d'une g\u00e9n\u00e9ration, en fait, depuis 1977. L'objectif de cette mesure l\u00e9gislative est tr\u00e8s clair: elle vise \u00e0 renforcer et \u00e0 prot\u00e9ger la valeur de la citoyennet\u00e9 canadienne. C'est l'un des engagements que le gouvernement a pris dans le dernier discours du Tr\u00f4ne, et nous le respectons aujourd'hui en tenant ce d\u00e9bat et en faisant de cet enjeu une priorit\u00e9 l\u00e9gislative du gouvernement.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"3592504\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Notre gouvernement a apport\u00e9, comme tout le monde le sait, des changements transformationnels au syst\u00e8me d'immigration de notre pays au cours des huit derni\u00e8res ann\u00e9es, afin qu'il r\u00e9ponde le mieux possible aux besoins actuels du Canada et de son \u00e9conomie, et afin de s'assurer qu'il sert l'int\u00e9r\u00eat national. Ce faisant, nous devons aussi am\u00e9liorer le processus d'attribution de la citoyennet\u00e9 canadienne aux demandeurs qualifi\u00e9s. Au Canada, ces deux \u00e9l\u00e9ments vont de pair. Les immigrants visent la citoyennet\u00e9, et la qualit\u00e9 de nos programmes de l'immigration d\u00e9pendent en gros de la qualit\u00e9 et de l'int\u00e9grit\u00e9 de notre programme de citoyennet\u00e9. Nous devons faire en sorte que nos politiques et pratiques en la mati\u00e8re refl\u00e8tent ad\u00e9quatement la grande importance que rev\u00eat notre citoyennet\u00e9.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"3592505\" data-originallang=\"en\">Voil\u00e0 ce qui a motiv\u00e9 cette mesure l\u00e9gislative, notre r\u00e9flexion, et l'appui que re\u00e7oit le gouvernement des quatre coins du pays \u00e0 l'\u00e9gard de ces r\u00e9formes.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"3592506\" data-originallang=\"en\">Les Canadiens sont extr\u00eamement fiers de leur citoyennet\u00e9. Ils n'ont jamais \u00e9t\u00e9 aussi fiers.</p>"
    },
    "url": "/debates/2014/2/27/chris-alexander-2/",
    "politician_url": "/politicians/chris-alexander/",
    "politician_membership_url": "/politicians/memberships/4070/",
    "procedural": false,
    "source_id": "8250182",
    "h1": {
        "en": "Government Orders",
        "fr": "Initiatives minist\u00e9rielles"
    },
    "h2": {
        "en": "Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act",
        "fr": "Loi renfor\u00e7ant la citoyennet\u00e9 canadienne"
    },
    "document_url": "/debates/2014/2/27/",
    "related": {
        "document_speeches_url": "/speeches/?document=%2Fdebates%2F2014%2F2%2F27%2F"
    }
}