Commons debates softwood lumber bill as Liberals press on transfers

Other moments

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. deflected
   Transfer PaymentsBill Graham (Liberal) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). loaded question.Harper claims record transfers but avoids addressing specific alleged cuts or restoring funds.this government has increased transfers to the provinces.
2. deflected
   Transfer PaymentsBill Graham (Liberal) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). loaded question.Harper attacks Liberals instead of addressing withheld funds for specific programs.hearing the Liberal Party defend the provinces is like hearing the fox defend the chickens.
3. deflected
   Transfer PaymentsBill Graham (Liberal) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). loaded question.Harper repeats record transfers claim without addressing specific withheld agreements like child care or Quebec environment funds.this government has increased transfers to provinces and they are now at record levels.
4. partly answered
   Transfer PaymentsLucienne Robillard (Liberal) asked Jim Flaherty (Conservative). loaded question.Flaherty cites rising transfer totals and an Ontario quote but does not commit to restoring the cited Quebec amounts.the transfers to the provinces are $40 billion this year, increasing to $49 billion in 2011.
5. misdirected
   Transfer PaymentsLucienne Robillard (Liberal) asked Jim Flaherty (Conservative). loaded question.Flaherty blames past Liberal cuts to health care instead of addressing broken Conservative promises on fiscal imbalance or post-secondary funding.The suffering of Canadians in health care is wholly attributable to the government of the day.
6. partly answered
   Transfer PaymentsMr. Gilles Duceppe (Bloc) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.Harper notes past increases and future budget plans but offers no concrete general solution to fiscal imbalance.we increased transfers to the provinces in the last budget.
7. deflected
   Transfer PaymentsMr. Gilles Duceppe (Bloc) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). loaded question.Harper cites transfers and tax cuts but sidesteps the request for a general fiscal imbalance fix.we increased transfers to the provinces and we also cut taxes for taxpayers and for the middle class.
8. answered
   TaxationMr. Pierre Paquette (Bloc) asked Jim Flaherty (Conservative). substantive question.Flaherty clarifies the only proposed income splitting is for pensioners, directly addressing the claim about benefiting the wealthy.the only income splitting that we have proposed is income splitting for pensioners in Canada and I thank the Bloc Québécois for supporting our motion.
9. partly answered
   Transfer PaymentsMr. Pierre Paquette (Bloc) asked Jim Flaherty (Conservative). loaded question.Acknowledges fiscal imbalance recognition but pivots to income splitting without addressing the $5B measure or wealth favoritism.this is the first national government to actually recognize the issue of fiscal imbalance moving toward fiscal balance and that is a constructive discussion that is ongoing.
10. answered
    National DefenceJack Layton (NDP) asked Mr. James Moore (Conservative). substantive question.Directly states no deal signed and RFP not yet issued, refuting the secrecy premise.no deal has been signed. The RFP has yet to go out.
11. misdirected
    National DefenceJack Layton (NDP) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.Ignores committee request and attacks NDP position on military spending instead.What I find interesting is that no matter how much the NDP says it supports the military, as soon as we actually want to spend money on the military, the NDP objects.
12. deflected
    Regional Economic DevelopmentDenis Coderre (Liberal) asked Jean-Pierre Blackburn (Conservative). loaded question.Defends current tools and budget limits without addressing the broken Marshall plan promise.We have been creative enough to implement six new tools to support regional economic development.
13. deflected
    Regional Economic DevelopmentDenis Coderre (Liberal) asked Jean-Pierre Blackburn (Conservative). loaded question.Dismisses criticism with sarcasm instead of engaging the policy reversal claim.Maybe the member is having some problems.
14. answered
    Transfer PaymentsJohn McCallum (Liberal) asked Jim Flaherty (Conservative). substantive question.Provides specific transfer figures showing increases rather than the claimed cuts.transfers to other levels of government, provinces, territories and municipalities, are rising from $40 billion this year to $49 billion in 2011.
15. misdirected
    Transfer PaymentsJohn McCallum (Liberal) asked Jim Flaherty (Conservative). loaded question.Ignores cancellation question and attacks prior Liberal record instead.It was a lot worse in the 1990s.
16. partly answered
    Fisheries and OceansMr. Raynald Blais (Bloc) asked Loyola Hearn (Conservative). substantive question.Confirms attendance at the meeting but does not address specific proposals like quota caps or fee reductions.We will be attending, as we did in Newfoundland and Labrador, and as we did in the maritime provinces.
17. deflected
    Fisheries and OceansMr. Raynald Blais (Bloc) asked Loyola Hearn (Conservative). rhetorical question.The answer invites the member to a meeting but never addresses depoliticizing quotas or using scientific facts.This is a gathering so that collectively the entire industry can work together to find solutions to the tremendous amount of problems we have.
18. partly answered
    Agriculture and Agri-FoodMr. André Bellavance (Bloc) asked Chuck Strahl (Conservative). substantive question.The answer acknowledges the crisis and mentions ongoing federal-provincial negotiations but provides no firm timeline or confirmation of a tailored program.This will help us get the funds necessary and get them out to those farmers as quickly as possible, hopefully within a few weeks.
19. misdirected
    Agriculture and Agri-FoodMr. Luc Malo (Bloc) asked Mr. Jacques Gourde (Conservative). substantive question.The answer attacks the Bloc Québécois record instead of addressing the urgency of aid for Saint-Amable farmers.I would like to point out that, in its 16 years of existence, the Bloc Québécois has not introduced a single program to help farmers in Quebec.
20. deflected
    Transfer PaymentsRalph Goodale (Liberal) asked Jim Flaherty (Conservative). loaded question.The answer discusses general transfer increases and future meetings but avoids any guarantee that equalization will be additional to the cited amounts.With respect to the other point the hon. member raises relating to equalization, it is an ongoing discussion.
21. deflected
    Transfer PaymentsRalph Goodale (Liberal) asked Jim Flaherty (Conservative). loaded question.The answer shifts to provincial surpluses and debt comparisons rather than confirming the explicit 100% promise on non-renewable resources.In fact, the total surpluses in the provinces this year are $13.4 billion.
22. deflected
    Transfer PaymentsMr. Michael Savage (Liberal) asked Jim Flaherty (Conservative). loaded question.The answer lists new spending items but does not confirm restoration of the cancelled Atlantic agreements.we have fully funded the trust transfers for post-secondary education, for infrastructure, for aboriginal and off reserve housing and for public transit.
23. misdirected
    Transfer PaymentsMr. Michael Savage (Liberal) asked Jim Flaherty (Conservative). loaded question.The answer mocks the questioner's reference to prior Liberal budgets instead of addressing the broken-promise claim on transfers and equalization.forgive me for trying to figure out which one of the Liberal budgets the member opposite is speaking about.
24. deflected
    TaxationMs. Judy Wasylycia-Leis (NDP) asked Jim Flaherty (Conservative). loaded question.The answer highlights existing disability supports but never explains how income splitting would be funded or whether taxes would rise.I think the hon. member knows, since I had these discussions with her prebudget, we increased the funding for families with children with disabilities in budget 2006
25. deflected
    TaxationMs. Judy Wasylycia-Leis (NDP) asked Jim Flaherty (Conservative). loaded question.Answer addresses only income splitting details while ignoring funding cuts, rising costs, and broken promises.It is a major change in tax policy for pensioners and seniors, particularly for them, and it was supported by the member opposite, and I thank her for her support, and by her party.
26. answered
    HealthMs. Ruby Dhalla (Liberal) asked Tony Clement (Conservative). loaded question.Answer directly counters claims with specifics on announcement, first nations support, and increased funding.The announcement that I made earlier this week to help some of the most vulnerable Canadians in our society is very specific.
27. deflected
    HealthMs. Ruby Dhalla (Liberal) asked Tony Clement (Conservative). rhetorical question.Answer avoids any timeline or action plan and pivots to vague praise of government record.Canadians know that under this government they can expect more and they get more.
28. misdirected
    Income TrustsMr. Ken Boshcoff (Liberal) asked Jim Flaherty (Conservative). loaded question.Answer attacks the opposition's past handling instead of addressing email volume or senator's statement.I assume the member opposite is referring to his party's handling of this issue last year in terms of a disaster, of emails, of RCMP investigations, of half measures, of market fluctuations.
29. deflected
    Income TrustsMr. Ken Boshcoff (Liberal) asked Jim Flaherty (Conservative). loaded question.Answer discusses general tax fairness principles but sidesteps the request to forward emails or respond to the senator's comment.I welcome the member opposite to think about the best interests of Canada: to think about who is going to pay the taxes next year and the year after that
30. deflected
    Wage Earner Protection Program ActMrs. Carole Lavallée (Bloc) asked Jean-Pierre Blackburn (Conservative). substantive question.Answer repeats the vague phrase without providing any specific date despite repeated requests.
31. misdirected
    Manufacturing IndustryMrs. Claude DeBellefeuille (Bloc) asked Maxime Bernier (Conservative). substantive question.Answer attacks the Bloc Québécois instead of addressing the effectiveness of the older worker program for the laid-off employees.It is a program that the Bloc Québécois could have never delivered, because it is destined to remain an opposition party forever.
32. answered
    AutismMr. Blair Wilson (Liberal) asked Tony Clement (Conservative). loaded question.Answer cites the new announcement and Autism Society support while contrasting with prior Liberal record.I would only read the headline from the Autism Society of Canada website news release in reply, where the Autism Society of Canada welcomes the announcement from the federal Minister of Health in support of Canadians with autism spectrum disorders.
33. partly answered
    National DefenceMr. Dennis Bevington (NDP) asked Gordon O'Connor (Conservative). substantive question.The answer addresses cleanup actions but ignores the failure to inform northern Canadians.as soon as that incident occurred, the defence department moved quickly to clean it up.
34. deflected
    National DefenceMr. Dennis Bevington (NDP) asked Gordon O'Connor (Conservative). loaded question.The response avoids questions on transparency, reporting, and apology by shifting to past cleanup spending.all the necessary actions were taken to clean up the spill.
35. partly answered
    TourismMr. Marcel Proulx (Liberal) asked Jim Flaherty (Conservative). loaded question.The answer explains the policy rationale and tourism investment but does not address compensating for specific losses.the government invests more than $300 million each year in the tourism industry in Canada.