NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan helped draft the bill alongside the Liberals. She attempted to push it through by asking for unanimous consent from MPs, but Conservatives voted against it twice.
"I've talked to family members who've been separated from their loved ones because of this unjust law that Conservatives brought in 15 years ago," the Vancouver East NDP MP said last month. "I've talked to family members where their children are deemed stateless, lost in the system, because of this unjust, punitive, unconstitutional law."
If the federal government is not given another court extension before Bill C-71 passes, it may be up to the immigration minister himself to decide individual citizenship cases.
"If it doesn't come through we're sort of in no man's land," Miller said before Wednesday's court extension. "Basically, it's my discretion deciding who's Canadian or not. Obviously, that shouldn't be up to the discretion of a minister."
Anyone affected by the 2009 change will be able to apply online for a Canadian citizenship certificate. The government also has a digital tool that can help you find out if you are Canadian.
