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Wednesday, September 27, 2006 · sitting No. 54

Commons debates softwood lumber bill as cuts spark opposition attacks

The House spent the largest share of its time debating the Softwood Lumber Products Export Charge Act, 2006 at the government orders stage. NDP MP Peter Julian said the bill forces British Columbia communities to surrender half a billion dollars in duties. Liberal MP Robert Thibault said the agreement returns only 81 per cent of duties that tribunals awarded to Canadian producers.

Question period featured repeated exchanges on program reductions. Liberal MP Bill Graham said the government eliminated the court challenges program and youth employment measures aimed at visible minorities. Conservative MP John Baird said no reductions were made to summer employment programs for disadvantaged youth and that the government is reallocating funds to priorities such as clean drinking water on first nations reserves.

Bloc Québécois MP Gilles Duceppe said the Prime Minister is reneging on a promise to resolve the fiscal imbalance. Conservative MP Jim Flaherty said discussions with the provinces continue and that a fiscal update will address equalization and transfers.

Decided that day

  • Second Report of the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates passed

From the Hansard record of the sitting. Full Hansard

No CPAC Question Period upload is on file for this day. CPAC’s channel goes back to December 2019.

Who held the floor · 2006-09-27

Government (Conservative)OppositionOver the day: government 34%, opposition 66% of the words spokenQuestion PeriodGovernment business▲ Government side held the floor▼ Opposition held the floorOpened 14:0015:0016:0017:0018:00Last speech 18:35Time of day, Ottawa · the House sat 4 h 35 min · each dot is a stretch of debate, placed at the minute it began
38Deflections rule, one report passesThe sitting devoted most speaking time to substantive topics yet produced almost no legislative progress. Question period yielded few straight answers while only a single committee report was adopted.AI-rated Score out of 100; the verdict and the answer ratings behind it are a model’s reading. How the AI rates this

AI-rated The sitting score and the rating of each answer come from a language model reading Hansard. How the AI rates this

Other moments

The Environment

Bloc Québécois MP Bernard Bigras said the Prime Minister's remarks on climate science show he prefers to protect oil companies over the environment. Conservative MP Rona Ambrose said the government's plan addresses atmospheric pollution and climate change beyond the Kyoto protocol.

Read the exchange

Public Safety

Liberal MP Marlene Jennings said the government is slashing gun control funding despite record surpluses. Conservative MP Stockwell Day said resources have been redirected to more officers on the streets and mandatory sentences for gun crimes.

Read the exchange

Agriculture

Liberal MP Wayne Easter asked whether the agriculture minister or his parliamentary secretary was involved in a letter-writing campaign against the Canadian Wheat Board. Conservative MP Chuck Strahl said no one on the government side approached any company to write letters.

Read the exchange

Health

NDP MP Penny Priddy asked when the health minister would deliver the promised patient wait time guarantee. Conservative MP Tony Clement said the government has increased health transfers by $1.1 billion and the escalator by 6 per cent.

Read the exchange

Forest Industry

Liberal MP Blair Wilson said the government cut $11.7 million promised for the pine beetle infestation in British Columbia. Conservative MP Gary Lunn said the sum was an unfulfilled Liberal commitment and that the current government has allocated $200 million to the file.

Read the exchange

Question Period, exchange by exchange

AI-rated Each answer’s rating (answered, partly answered, deflected, answered something else) is a model’s reading of the exchange. How the AI rates this

  1. answered
    Government ProgramsBill Graham (Liberal) asked John Baird (Conservative). loaded question.The answer directly refutes the premise that cuts affect francophone minorities under the Official Languages Act.let me make it clear that none of the cuts affect the Official Languages Act.
  2. deflected
    Government ProgramsBill Graham (Liberal) asked John Baird (Conservative). loaded question.The answer avoids the specific program cuts by pivoting to unrelated spending increases and attacking the questioner.the Leader of the Opposition never lets the facts get in the way of a good argument.
  3. misdirected
    Government ProgramsBill Graham (Liberal) asked John Baird (Conservative). loaded question.The answer addresses one point then shifts to attacking the member's voting record instead of the cuts.The member voted against every single good initiative contained in our budget and he is going to have to defend that at the next election.
  4. misdirected
    Government ProgramsLucienne Robillard (Liberal) asked Maxime Bernier (Conservative). loaded question.The answer ignores the economic development cuts and instead attacks the member's budget votes.She voted against the last budget. She should be ashamed.
  5. partly answered
    TaxationLucienne Robillard (Liberal) asked Jim Flaherty (Conservative). loaded question.The answer discusses ongoing meetings and papers on fiscal balance but does not address the broken promise claim directly.We issued a paper with the budget this year about restoring fiscal balance in Canada.
  6. partly answered
    TaxationMr. Gilles Duceppe (Bloc) asked Jim Flaherty (Conservative). loaded question.The answer explains the consensus-seeking process but sidesteps the accusation of reneging on the promise.it is very important that we try to reach a consensus with the provinces and territories about these important issues
  7. deflected
    TaxationMr. Gilles Duceppe (Bloc) asked Jim Flaherty (Conservative). loaded question.The answer focuses on constructive discussions without addressing the claim of misleading Quebeckers.our discussions with our colleagues in Quebec, as in the other provinces and territories, have been very constructive and cordial.
  8. partly answered
    TaxationMr. Pierre Paquette (Bloc) asked Jim Flaherty (Conservative). loaded question.The answer notes the multi-faceted nature and ongoing talks but does not refute the pretext accusation.We will continue with the discussions, as we said we would. We are on track.
  9. deflected
    TaxationMr. Pierre Paquette (Bloc) asked Jim Flaherty (Conservative). loaded question.The answer discusses provincial taxing powers and ongoing discussions without addressing the appointment or denial of fiscal imbalance.it is important for all of us to remember that the provinces have taxing powers and that, generally speaking, they should use their taxing powers to pay for purely provincial programs.
  10. deflected
    TaxationJack Layton (NDP) asked Jim Flaherty (Conservative). loaded question.The answer promotes the government's approach and criticizes the prior government without addressing the specific claim of reneging on commitments.we are moving toward restoring fiscal balance in Canada.
  11. deflected
    TaxationJack Layton (NDP) asked Jim Flaherty (Conservative). loaded question.The answer dismisses the accusations and restates general goals without engaging the claims about tax increases or secret deals.I do not know where to go with that.
  12. partly answered
    Government ProgramsSue Barnes (Liberal) asked John Baird (Conservative). loaded question.The answer affirms support for the Charter but does not address the abolition of the program or future attacks on rights.yes, each and every member of this caucus supports the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
  13. misdirected
    Government ProgramsMr. David McGuinty (Liberal) asked John Baird (Conservative). loaded question.The answer defends past actions on Montfort Hospital instead of addressing the court challenges program cuts for Franco-Ontarians.I was very proud when I called Mrs. Gisèle Lalonde, president of S.O.S. Montfort, to tell her that the hospital would not be closed.
  14. answered
    Government ProgramsMr. Omar Alghabra (Liberal) asked John Baird (Conservative). loaded question.The answer directly rejects the premise that the program elimination is meant to silence courts.
  15. deflected
    Government ProgramsDominic LeBlanc (Liberal) asked John Baird (Conservative). loaded question.The answer defends the government's record by comparing to Liberal cuts rather than addressing the specific program elimination.Why are they protesting so loudly this time when the Liberal government had already made major cuts to official languages?
  16. partly answered
    IndustryMr. Paul Crête (Bloc) asked Maxime Bernier (Conservative). loaded question.The answer confirms the program still exists with funding but does not address the claimed negative impacts or ideological motivations.Today, we are investing $275 million in this program.
  17. deflected
    IndustryMrs. Carole Lavallée (Bloc) asked Maxime Bernier (Conservative). substantive question.The answer highlights unrelated investments instead of addressing the mentioned cuts to the technology partnerships program.They told me that they were very happy with our decision to invest in the armed forces and in tactical aircraft, and to invest over $13 billion that will benefit the aerospace industry across Canada.
  18. partly answered
    Textile IndustryMrs. Claude DeBellefeuille (Bloc) asked Jean-Pierre Blackburn (Conservative). substantive question.The answer explains the CANtex cuts and prior low usage but does not address the factory closures or layoffs.As for the CANtex program to help the textile industry, approximately $5 million will be cut this year and $11 million next year.
  19. deflected
    The EnvironmentMr. Bernard Bigras (Bloc) asked Rona Ambrose (Conservative). loaded question.The answer promotes the government's plan without engaging the loaded premise about the Prime Minister's comments or intentions.Our plan addresses atmospheric pollution and climate change.
  20. partly answered
    Public SafetyMarlene Jennings (Liberal) asked Stockwell Day (Conservative). loaded question.The answer defends the shift in spending priorities but does not directly explain how changes to gun control enhance safety.We have taken those valuable resources and put them where citizens want to see them: more officers on our streets, safety programs, more dollars going to deal with gun smuggling at the borders and mandatory sentences for people who commit crimes with guns.
  21. answered
    Public SafetyMarlene Jennings (Liberal) asked Stockwell Day (Conservative). substantive question.The answer directly agrees with and affirms the call to make prohibited firearms harder to obtain.Our plan is to look into ways to make it more difficult to obtain a firearm, a prohibited firearm in particular.
  22. deflected
    Forest IndustryMr. Blair Wilson (Liberal) asked Gary Lunn (Conservative). substantive question.The answer attacks the prior Liberal commitment rather than addressing why the current government cut the pine beetle funding.the $11.7 million was actually an old Liberal promise. The money was never committed and it was never spent.
  23. deflected
    Government ProgramsMr. Nathan Cullen (NDP) asked John Baird (Conservative). loaded question.The answer pivots to general principles of fiscal responsibility without addressing the specific oil industry subsidy accusation.We will ensure that every tax dollar is spent wisely and well.
  24. deflected
    The EnvironmentMr. Nathan Cullen (NDP) asked Rona Ambrose (Conservative). loaded question.Answer ignores oil sands question and pivots to unrelated mercury regulation.That was quite the impression, Mr. Speaker.
  25. deflected
    Canadian HeritageMauril Bélanger (Liberal) asked Bev Oda (Conservative). substantive question.Answer claims delivery of funding but does not address the broken promise on museum funding levels.
  26. deflected
    Canadian HeritageMauril Bélanger (Liberal) asked Bev Oda (Conservative). substantive question.Answer defends policy without reversing or increasing the cut to the museums assistance program.We will continue to fund the museums.
  27. misdirected
    AgricultureWayne Easter (Liberal) asked Chuck Strahl (Conservative). loaded question.Answer attacks the asker and denies involvement without addressing the fake letter campaign details.it is good to see the member for Malpeque up on his hind legs talking about agriculture, sort of.
  28. misdirected
    AgricultureWayne Easter (Liberal) asked Chuck Strahl (Conservative). loaded question.Answer mocks the asker with conspiracy reference and shifts to unrelated past Liberal failures.I am surprised the member could say that without wearing his tinfoil hat on a grassy knoll.
  29. deflected
    Canadian HeritageMr. Maka Kotto (Bloc) asked Bev Oda (Conservative). substantive question.Answer avoids reversing the funding cut and instead calls for a new policy.They want a good museum policy.
  30. deflected
    Social developmentMr. Thierry St-Cyr (Bloc) asked Jean-Pierre Blackburn (Conservative). loaded question.Answer ignores the ideological choice comparison and pivots to regional economic measures.I have listened to the comments of the opposition members and I feel that they should be more respectful of the work that we do in terms of economic development.
  31. misdirected
    Government ProgramsMr. Michael Savage (Liberal) asked Peter MacKay (Conservative). loaded question.Answer attacks the Liberal leadership candidate instead of addressing the social economy funding cuts.what is truly embarrassing is a member from Atlantic Canada supporting the only Atlantic Canadian MP in the Liberal leadership contest who advocates the axing of ACOA
  32. partly answered
    HealthMs. Penny Priddy (NDP) asked Tony Clement (Conservative). loaded question.The answer addresses wait time progress and funding but ignores the specific promise timeline and minister's absence.In fact, there has been great progress made throughout the country when it comes to reducing wait times, as a result I might add, of the commitment of this new Conservative government to increase the pot for transfer payments for health by fully $1.1 billion and to increase the escalator for health care funding by 6%.
  33. deflected
    HealthMs. Penny Priddy (NDP) asked Tony Clement (Conservative). loaded question.The answer shifts responsibility to provinces without addressing federal funding priorities or wait time guarantees.In fact the British Columbia case that she referenced is being dealt with by the British Columbia minister.
  34. deflected
    Government ProgramsMr. Scott Simms (Liberal) asked John Baird (Conservative). substantive question.The answer pivots to the surplus instead of addressing the criticized program cuts.those of us on this side of the House were a bit concerned. We had a $13.2 billion surplus and--