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C-212 — An Act to establish the Office of the Ombud for the Department of Citizenship and Immigration and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts
Every bill summarized in plain language. Not clear enough? Ask for an explanation.
C-212
An Act to establish the Office of the Ombud for the Department of Citizenship and Immigration and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts
NDP
In progress
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BILL C-212
An Act to establish the Office of the Ombud for the Department of Citizenship and Immigration and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts
Last activity : Outside the Order of Precedence
NDP
In progress
Commons · 1st2025-06-18Commons · 2ndCommons · 3rdSenate · 1stSenate · 2ndSenate · 3rdRoyal assent
Sign-in required — one request per person, no anonymous requests
What it does, in plain language
- Creates the Office of the Ombud for the Department of Citizenship and Immigration to make sure departmental practices are fair, unbiased, non-racist and non-discriminatory.
- Sets a seven-year term for the Ombud, appointed by the Governor in Council after consulting party leaders and with approval by both the Senate and the House of Commons, renewable once.
- Requires the Ombud to be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, gives them deputy-minister rank, bars other employment, and places the head office in the National Capital Region.
- Lets anyone file a complaint about unfairness, bias or discrimination in a departmental decision, act or omission; the Ombud can also investigate on their own initiative or at the Minister's request.
- Gives the Ombud power to summon witnesses, take evidence under oath and demand documents, but blocks access to Cabinet confidences.
- Requires the Minister to tell the Ombud what action was taken on recommendations, and to explain any recommendation not followed.
- Sets a fine of up to $2,000 for knowingly obstructing the Ombud or making false or misleading statements.
- Requires an annual report within three months of each fiscal year-end, tabled in Parliament and posted online within 30 days, plus a parliamentary review of the Act every five years.
- Comes into force 180 days after royal assent, and adds the new office to the Access to Information Act, the Privacy Act and the Financial Administration Act.
🤖 AI-generated from the bill’s official text as introduced — may not reflect amendments adopted since.
✋ What does “challenging” mean?
Clicking “Ask for an explanation” is a citizen request for the bill's sponsor to explain it in plain language — and for us to keep an eye on it together.
An account (email) is required — one request per person, no anonymous requests. 🔥 At 1,000 requests on the same bill, a public post is made, in the hope an MP agrees to sponsor a petition to the House.
It works on any bill, including one that has already received royal assent — that is often the one people want to understand.
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Every recorded vote — who voted what, and by what margin.
On the “who voted what” detail — the House of Commons publishes each member's name for every recorded (nominal) vote (Yea / Nay / paired). The by-member breakdown above (the "+" button on each row) comes directly from that official source (ourcommons.ca), not an estimate. The party shown next to each name is taken from the current House roster; people who have since left the House appear separately under "Former members".
How to read a vote
Recorded vote
Members vote one by one and each choice is entered in the public record. That is what lets us say exactly who voted what — no interpretation.
Passed is not law
A passed vote clears ONE stage. A bill must pass both chambers and then receive royal assent before it becomes law.
Paired is not absent
In the Commons, two members from opposing sides can agree not to vote: their voices cancel out. It is neither an absence nor an abstention.
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