For Immediate Release January 25, 2007

Komarnicki responds to Liberal
criticism regarding the citizenship
status of ‘Lost Canadians’

Ottawa (January 25, 2007) -- Ed Komarnicki, MP, (Souris-Moose Mountain).

Ed Komarnicki, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, the Hon. Diane Finley, P.C., M.P., expressed indignation at Liberal MP Jim Karygiannis’s blatant attempt to politicize the issue of Canadian citizenship.

“Mr. Karygiannis identifies some anomalies that have developed under the Citizenship Act that need to be addressed, but to suggest the Minister ought to resign after being in the department for just 21 days over an issue that has been brewing for 60 years is ludicrous,” said Komarnicki.

“This is not something that arose overnight, this situation of Canadians who were born outside the country has existed for many many years, since 1947 in fact, when for much of that time Canada had a Liberal government in power. Liberal Minister after Liberal Minister was aware of the problem and did nothing to help citizens caught up in this issue.”

“It is duplicitous now for Mr. Karygiannis to be saying the Liberals were just about to fix these problems had they not lost power. His Liberal government, with majorities in the House, created and passed legislation in 1947 and again in 1977, legislation that is today creating such concern for those affected. The Liberals had 13 years, 11 of those with majorities, during which to fix these problems, and didn’t.”

Minister Finley has made these cases a priority and she will use all the powers available to her as Minister under the Citizenship Act to resolve these cases as quickly as possible. Minister Finley has directed her department to deploy the resources necessary to do so.”

“This is just another example of Liberal talk and Conservative action. Minister Finley did not create this problem. But she will fix it for the benefit of all Canadian citizens.”