Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to be back here in Ottawa this fall to represent the beautiful riding of Madawaska—Restigouche in Parliament. After spending the summer in the community with my constituents, I am thrilled to get back to our legislative work as part of a team that is determined to quickly deliver concrete results for Canadians and to build a strong Canada.

Today, we are addressing a very important issue with our study of Bill C‑3. Canadian citizenship is more than just an administrative status. It is a powerful symbol of belonging to a country. It confers certain fundamental rights, such as the right to vote and the right to travel with a Canadian passport, and it also embodies a civic responsibility, a shared identity and a deep connection to our country. To be a citizen of Canada is to be part of a collective project rooted in democracy, equality, diversity and freedom.

There are three pathways to citizenship under the Citizenship Act: by being born in Canada, through naturalization by immigrating to Canada and acquiring citizenship, or by descent if an individual is born abroad to a Canadian parent.

Today, our debate is focusing on this last pathway, which is citizenship by descent. Since 2009, the fundamental right to citizenship by descent has been unfairly restricted. Thousands of people with a real, long-term connection to Canada have been deprived of that sense of belonging. An amendment made to the Citizenship Act under Stephen Harper's Conservative government introduced an arbitrary rule commonly known as the first-generation limit. This provision means that only children born abroad to a Canadian parent who was born in Canada are automatically entitled to citizenship. In other words, if two successive generations are born outside Canada, even if the parents are active Canadian citizens, the child cannot become a citizen. This provision severed the legal and symbolic tie between Canada and many children of Canadians living temporarily abroad. Canadian families were plunged into legal uncertainty when they discovered that their children were considered foreigners in their own country.

These concerns are not theoretical. They are affecting children growing up in Canadian households abroad and families who wish to pass on to their children not just a passport, but also a Canadian identity, a cultural heritage, a sense of belonging to a community and a feeling of safety. Failing to recognize them sends a message of exclusion to those who feel like full-fledged Canadians. It is a dismissal of the contributions of our diaspora and of the reality that this is a country where familial and citizenship ties often transcend borders.

In December 2023, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruled that the first-generation limit is unconstitutional on the grounds that it violates sections 6 and 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, that is, mobility rights and equality rights. The Government of Canada did not appeal this decision, since it acknowledges that the act has had unacceptable consequences. Instead, our government is bringing forward a legislative framework that is both balanced and responsible. I sincerely believe that this was the right decision.

Today we have an opportunity, I would even say a duty, to correct an injustice. Bill C‑3 seeks to expand access to citizenship by descent beyond the first generation. It was designed with one clear objective: to restore the rights of lost Canadians while establishing a fairer framework for future generations. Once passed, Bill C‑3 will automatically grant citizenship by descent to anyone who was born abroad to a Canadian parent before the law came into force. That means that the unjustly excluded descendants of Canadians will have their status restored.

For children born after the bill comes into force, a new framework will be introduced that allows citizenship to be passed on beyond the first generation if a Canadian parent can demonstrate a substantial connection to Canada. A substantial connection is defined as being physically present in Canada for 1,095 cumulative days, or approximately three years. This requirement ensures that children who are granted citizenship have a genuine connection to Canada, without arbitrarily excluding people based on their place of birth. Some might wonder why the substantial connection test is not being applied retroactively. That is because it would be unfair to impose conditions on people who were born before the law came into force, when the criterion was not yet in place. The bill takes a forward-looking approach, setting clear, transparent, fair standards for the future.

I would like to emphasize that, since the court struck down the first-generation criterion adopted in 2009 as unconstitutional, it cannot stay in place. However, the court granted us an extension to allow Bill C‑3 to run its parliamentary course. If this bill is not passed before the ruling's suspension ends, there will be no limits anymore on citizenship by descent for all the people born to Canadian citizens abroad. People will be able to pass citizenship on to their children in perpetuity without the need for a substantial connection to Canada.

Bill C-3 seeks to strike a balance between implementing reasonable limits to automatic citizenship by descent and protecting the rights and privileges associated with Canadian citizenship. The introduction of the substantial connection criterion helps maintain a reasonable balance. Citizenship by descent will still be possible, but it will have to be rooted in a real, tangible connection with Canada. This criterion guarantees that future generations will not receive citizenship without having real ties to the country. Our goal is to preserve the value of Canadian citizenship without needlessly restricting it.

This is a modern, balanced and responsible framework. In fact, it is more rigorous than simply getting rid of the first-generation limit. It protects the integrity of our citizenship while correcting glaring injustices.

I would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that, behind the legal and administrative considerations we are discussing today, there are real people with personal stories, life experiences and sincere ties to Canada. We must remember that the decisions we make in this House can shape the destinies of individuals and entire families.

I would also urge everyone to demonstrate caution and accuracy in terms of the tone and content of our debates, particularly when dealing with issues as sensitive as access to citizenship. Provocative slogans and simplistic solutions designed to inflame social media have no place in a serious debate such as this.

We are here to legislate responsibly, not to polarize public discourse. As legislators, we have a duty to maintain a safe social environment and to consider the impact our words could have in the public sphere. We have seen what can happen elsewhere in the world when debates on citizenship and immigration are weaponized. It results in social division, stigma and a rise in intolerance and mistrust. Canada must not go down that path.

Of course, as elected officials, we have to make choices, draw lines and sometimes make difficult decisions. In the process, however, we must never forget the human dimension of our decisions or the impact that our words can have in the public sphere. Bill C‑3 is based on a reasoned, balanced approach that allows us to meet our constitutional obligations while maintaining the integrity of our citizenship.

In closing, I want to stress that Canadian citizenship instills in all of us a deep sense of belonging to the diverse, democratic and inclusive country we are proud to call our own. Our government will continue to protect the value of Canadian citizenship by ensuring that the process remains fair, transparent and rooted in sound principles. Bill C‑3 strikes a necessary balance. It corrects a past injustice toward Canadians who were deprived of their citizenship, while ensuring that, in the future, citizenship by descent is based on genuine ties to our country.

I therefore call on my colleagues from all parties to work together on advancing this important bill. As legislators, we have an opportunity to set aside partisan differences, show leadership and vision, and reaffirm our commitment to a fair and inclusive model of citizenship that reflects our shared values.

Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault

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