Parliament AIIndependent · non-official

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Wednesday, April 16, 2008 · sitting No. 80

RCMP search of Conservative headquarters dominates question period

Oral questions on the RCMP search of Conservative Party headquarters consumed the largest share of the sitting. Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion pressed Prime Minister Stephen Harper on why a search warrant was needed if the party had already provided all requested information to Elections Canada. Harper replied that the matter is before the courts after the party initiated legal action.

Government orders on amendments to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act followed, with NDP members arguing that mandatory minimum sentences are ineffective. Members also debated changes to the Criminal Code on investigative hearings and recognizance with conditions for terrorism cases.

Decided that day

  • S-212 passed second reading
  • C-26 passed second reading
  • C-537 introduced
  • Fifth report of human resources committee adopted
  • Amendment to motion defeated

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 · 2008-04-16

Government (Conservative)OppositionOver the day: government 39%, opposition 61% of the words spokenQuestion PeriodGovernment businessPrivate members▲ Government side held the floor▼ Opposition held the floorOpened 14:0515:0016:0017:0018:00Last speech 19:10Time of day, Ottawa · the House sat 5 h 5 min · each dot is a stretch of debate, placed at the minute it began
60Bills Move While Answers EvadeThe House advanced two bills through second reading and adopted one committee report after recorded votes. Most Question Period responses were deflected or misdirected despite high time on substantive topics.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

Gasoline Prices

NDP Leader Jack Layton asked why the government is providing an additional $1.5 billion to oil-sands companies instead of helping families facing high fuel and food costs. Harper said the 2007 budget removed special incentives for the sector and the NDP voted against the measures.

Read the exchange

Afghanistan

Bloc Québécois MP Francine Lalonde questioned Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier over contradictory statements on the Kandahar governor and said the minister had handcuffed President Karzai. Bernier said the government is working for better governance and security under UN resolution 1806.

Read the exchange

Justice

Bloc Québécois members asked the justice minister to stop debate on private member's Bill C-484, which they said could reopen the abortion issue. Minister Rob Nicholson said each member decides how to treat the bill and pressed the Bloc on its position on drug and auto-theft legislation.

Read the exchange

Minister of the Environment

Liberal MP David McGuinty asked Environment Minister John Baird why he gave internal poll results to a contractor linked to the Friends of Science group. Baird said he had never met the individual and had never heard of the organization until the previous day.

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. deflected
    Elections CanadaStéphane Dion (Liberal) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.The answer avoids explaining the search warrant by redirecting to ongoing legal proceedings.This is a legal matter between Elections Canada and the Conservative Party.
  2. deflected
    Elections CanadaStéphane Dion (Liberal) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.The answer repeats the legal action claim without addressing why a search warrant was issued.it was the Conservative Party who initiated this lawsuit.
  3. misdirected
    Elections CanadaStéphane Dion (Liberal) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). loaded question.The answer attacks prior unrelated allegations instead of addressing the in-and-out scheme question.those allegations are completely untrue, just as allegations made against the Minister of the Environment and the OPP were completely untrue
  4. deflected
    Elections CanadaMr. Michael Ignatieff (Liberal) asked Peter Van Loan (Conservative). rhetorical question.The answer changes the subject to Elections Canada's interpretation and ignores the character question with a sarcastic opening.on the subject of bulletproof vests, I do not want to comment on the leader's attire for Liberal caucus meetings.
  5. misdirected
    Elections CanadaMr. Michael Ignatieff (Liberal) asked Peter Van Loan (Conservative). loaded question.The answer attacks Liberal members' past lawsuits against Elections Canada rather than addressing contempt for institutions.It is a terrible thing for someone to take on Elections Canada, which is what the member for Toronto Centre just did with his lawsuit against Elections Canada.
  6. deflected
    Elections CanadaMr. Gilles Duceppe (Bloc) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). loaded question.The answer sidesteps the comparison to Chrétien by restating that the party initiated legal action.it was the Conservative Party that initiated legal action against Elections Canada.
  7. partly answered
    Elections CanadaMr. Gilles Duceppe (Bloc) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.The answer addresses transparency by noting proceedings will be public but does not release the warrant details.By nature, these proceedings will be public.
  8. deflected
    Elections CanadaMr. Michel Guimond (Bloc) asked Peter Van Loan (Conservative). substantive question.The answer avoids the raid question by shifting to unequal treatment of parties by Elections Canada.it is the different treatment of the parties that is the problem.
  9. deflected
    Elections CanadaMr. Michel Guimond (Bloc) asked Peter Van Loan (Conservative). loaded question.Answer refuses to produce warrant and pivots to unrelated complaints about Elections Canada treatment.the search warrant is a matter of a legal proceeding and we will let the legal proceeding unfold where it will.
  10. deflected
    Gasoline PricesJack Layton (NDP) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). loaded question.Answer ignores current gas price solution and instead highlights a past NDP budget vote.this government removed funding and tax incentives for this sector in the 2007 budget.
  11. misdirected
    Gasoline PricesJack Layton (NDP) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). loaded question.Answer attacks the NDP leader's truthfulness rather than addressing the funding or price issues raised.it is time the leader of the NDP told the truth
  12. partly answered
    Elections CanadaMarlene Jennings (Liberal) asked Peter Van Loan (Conservative). loaded question.Answer addresses document provision but shifts to defending the spending practice instead of the candidate coercion claim.we have provided all documents that Elections Canada has asked for in this regard before yesterday's extraordinary and unusual action.
  13. deflected
    Elections CanadaMarlene Jennings (Liberal) asked Peter Van Loan (Conservative). loaded question.Answer justifies the practice by claiming other parties do the same rather than addressing the specific candidate statements.Other parties do exactly the same type of spending.
  14. misdirected
    Elections CanadaGarth Turner (Liberal) asked Peter Van Loan (Conservative). substantive question.Answer ignores the legality question and instead attacks the asker's personal integrity and floor-crossing history.This is the same fellow who said that anybody who ever crossed the floor should go to the people for ratification of that decision.
  15. deflected
    Elections CanadaGarth Turner (Liberal) asked Peter Van Loan (Conservative). loaded question.Answer claims compliance and questions the raid's necessity while raising an unrelated Liberal camera crew point.We do not know why any search by Elections Canada was necessary because we provided every document required.
  16. deflected
    AfghanistanMs. Francine Lalonde (Bloc) asked Maxime Bernier (Conservative). substantive question.Answer ignores the contradiction about Kandahar governance and instead states general policy goals and a UN resolution.I am a great champion of human rights in Canada and Afghanistan.
  17. misdirected
    AfghanistanMs. Francine Lalonde (Bloc) asked Maxime Bernier (Conservative). loaded question.Question embeds multiple unsupported premises and sarcasm; answer ignores them to attack the Bloc instead.The Bloc does not want to help the Afghan people build better lives for themselves.
  18. deflected
    JusticeMs. Johanne Deschamps (Bloc) asked Rob Nicholson (Conservative). loaded question.Question assumes the bill recriminalizes abortion; answer evades by demanding Bloc positions on unrelated bills.I want to get their help on ID theft, auto theft and drug bills.
  19. deflected
    JusticeMrs. Carole Freeman (Bloc) asked Rob Nicholson (Conservative). loaded question.Question assumes back-door reopening of abortion debate; answer pivots to unrelated drug bill.While I am on my feet, I would like to know where the Bloc Québécois stands on our drug bill.
  20. answered
    Minister of the EnvironmentMr. David McGuinty (Liberal) asked John Baird (Conservative). loaded question.Question assumes improper access to polls; answer directly denies any connection or knowledge.
  21. misdirected
    Minister of the EnvironmentMr. David McGuinty (Liberal) asked John Baird (Conservative). loaded question.Question accuses of illegal ads; answer attacks the asker personally rather than addressing facts.What the Liberal member for Ottawa South is doing is saying things with which he has no ability to provide one ounce of truth to back them up.
  22. answered
    Minister of the EnvironmentSue Barnes (Liberal) asked Gordon O'Connor (Conservative). substantive question.Question asks for specifics on an investigation; answer states lack of awareness plainly.I am not aware of any investigation.
  23. deflected
    Minister of the EnvironmentSue Barnes (Liberal) asked John Baird (Conservative). loaded question.Question alleges illegal third-party ads; answer launches into broad attack on Liberals instead of replying.Members of the Liberal Party have exposed just how bankrupt intellectually they are--
  24. deflected
    Elections CanadaMr. Charlie Angus (NDP) asked Peter Van Loan (Conservative). loaded question.Question demands admission of breaking laws; answer restates their legal interpretation without addressing the demand.We think that is absurd and we do not think that is fair
  25. deflected
    Elections CanadaMr. Charlie Angus (NDP) asked Peter Van Loan (Conservative). loaded question.Answer shifts to other parties' practices and court case rather than addressing the specific accusations of rule-jigging and intimidation.It has been going on for years. Duff Conacher said that on television.
  26. misdirected
    AfghanistanBob Rae (Liberal) asked Maxime Bernier (Conservative). substantive question.Answer attacks the Liberal Party's stance on human rights instead of addressing which official is correct on the governor.But in Afghanistan the Liberal Party does not stand up for the Afghan people, does not stand up for good governance.
  27. deflected
    AfghanistanBob Rae (Liberal) asked Maxime Bernier (Conservative). substantive question.Answer restates a motion and calls for support instead of addressing the criticism of public pressure on Afghanistan's government.I would like the Liberal Party to do more than simply vote with us on the motion, but also to help us create good governance in Afghanistan.
  28. misdirected
    EthicsKen Dryden (Liberal) asked Mr. James Moore (Conservative). rhetorical question.Answer attacks the questioner's voting record instead of addressing the Prime Minister's silence on the vote-buying allegation.it is a little bit ironic to hear the member for York Centre asking other people to stand up in the House of Commons.
  29. deflected
    EthicsKen Dryden (Liberal) asked Mr. James Moore (Conservative). rhetorical question.Answer counts questions and criticizes missed topics instead of addressing the Prime Minister's lack of response.They are 150 questions on something that did not happen, and they are 150 questions that they did not ask on the environment, on trade, justice issues, or farmers.
  30. deflected
    JusticeMr. Réal Ménard (Bloc) asked Rob Nicholson (Conservative). substantive question.Answer points to other bills needing support instead of addressing ending double credit for time served.I would ask the hon. member just to spend a couple of minutes to worry about the agenda that is presently before Parliament.
  31. misdirected
    JusticeMr. Réal Ménard (Bloc) asked Rob Nicholson (Conservative). substantive question.Answer attacks the Bloc's past positions on house arrest instead of answering whether accelerated parole review will be abolished.This is the same political party that was supporting house arrest for arsonists and a whole group of people.
  32. partly answered
    Canadian Wheat BoardWayne Easter (Liberal) asked Gerry Ritz (Conservative). loaded question.Answer explains the minister's actions with the pilot project but does not address the Privacy Act violation claim.When I found out that only 25 farmers took part in this pilot, I thought it was a good opportunity to phone them all personally to find out what exactly worked
  33. misdirected
    Post-Secondary EducationMs. Denise Savoie (NDP) asked Monte Solberg (Conservative). loaded question.Answer ignores the service-centre complaint and pivots to budget praise plus an attack on the NDP vote.We got it done, but the NDP voted against it.
  34. misdirected
    Post-Secondary EducationMs. Denise Savoie (NDP) asked Monte Solberg (Conservative). loaded question.Answer refuses to discuss the contract and instead accuses the member of rhetoric while repeating that the NDP voted against the budget.Again, the NDP gets up with all this rhetoric, and then turns around and votes against the very solutions that are necessary to fix the problem.
  35. deflected
    Points of OrderMr. Michel Guimond (Bloc) asked Mr. Steven Blaney (Conservative). substantive question.Answer offers no clarification on the point of order and instead expresses pride in local workers.I am very proud to live in Sainte-Marie.