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Wednesday, May 27, 2009 · sitting No. 62

Commons debates nuclear liability bill as deficit concerns dominate question period

The House spent the largest share of its time on debate of Bill C-20, the Nuclear Liability and Compensation Act. Liberal MP Geoff Regan said the legislation requires a coherent nuclear energy policy from the government and questioned whether the proposed $650 million liability cap is adequate. Bloc Québécois MP Christian Ouellet asked whether the Liberal Party supports building more nuclear plants.

Question period focused on the economy and the growing federal deficit. Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff said the deficit had ballooned to $50 billion and asked Prime Minister Stephen Harper whether he still had confidence in Finance Minister Jim Flaherty. Harper replied that the deficits are smaller than those in the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan and are necessary to support unemployed Canadians and build infrastructure.

New Democratic Party MP Thomas Mulcair pressed Flaherty on whether the government would stop executives at the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board from paying themselves bonuses after the fund lost $24 billion. Flaherty said the board operates independently of government and that politicians should keep their hands out of the till.

Decided that day

  • C-288 passed second reading and referred to Justice committee
  • Another bill passed second reading and referred to Finance committee
  • Motion calling for prompt government action 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 · 2009-05-27

Government (Conservative)OppositionOver the day: government 34%, opposition 66% 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
59Bills Move Forward Amid InterruptionsSeveral bills advanced through second reading or introduction while three recorded votes passed on legislation and a motion. Yet twelve points of order, six speaker interventions, and mostly deflected answers in question period consumed notable time.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

Employment Insurance

Liberal MP Marlene Jennings said Finance Minister Jim Flaherty offered aerospace and forestry workers the largest deficit in Canadian history and no better access to employment insurance. Flaherty replied that the government had already committed billions of dollars in the economic action plan for retraining.

Read the exchange

Justice

Bloc Québécois MP Réal Ménard asked Justice Minister Rob Moore to remove from Bill C-31 a provision allowing police to photograph and fingerprint people before charges are laid. Moore said the measure would protect victims and law-abiding citizens.

Read the exchange

Fishing Industry

Liberal MP Siobhan Coady said fishers in Atlantic Canada are receiving the lowest prices in 20 years and asked why Finance Minister Jim Flaherty should not lose his job. Fisheries Minister Gail Shea said the government had invested in lobster marketing and credit access to increase demand.

Read the exchange

Arctic Sovereignty

New Democratic Party MP Paul Dewar said the government has left the Canadian Polar Commission without a board or chair since October 2008. Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl said the government has allocated $85 million for science research and $200 million for housing in the north.

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
    The EconomyMr. Michael Ignatieff (Liberal) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). loaded question.The response compares deficits to other countries instead of addressing confidence in the minister.The fact of the matter is that our deficits in Canada are a third to a quarter of the size of the deficit in the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan.
  2. misdirected
    The EconomyMr. Michael Ignatieff (Liberal) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). loaded question.The answer attacks the credibility of the opposition leader rather than addressing the question.I cannot fire the Leader of the Opposition , and with all the tapes I have on him, I do not want to.
  3. deflected
    The EconomyMr. Michael Ignatieff (Liberal) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). loaded question.Explains policy instead of addressing firing the minister.while unemployment and the recession worsen, this government and this Minister of Finance are spending more on infrastructure helping communities and the unemployed.
  4. misdirected
    The EconomyJohn McCallum (Liberal) asked Jim Flaherty (Conservative). loaded question.The answer criticizes the Liberals and makes a personal remark instead of addressing the question.this, from the member for Markham—Unionville who does not even know what kind of car he drives.
  5. deflected
    The EconomyJohn McCallum (Liberal) asked Jim Flaherty (Conservative). loaded question.Responds by comparing the deficit size to historical ones rather than addressing confidence.The deficits in the 1980s and 1990s, as members opposite should know, if they were living in the country at the time, approached 6% of GDP.
  6. deflected
    The EconomyMr. Gilles Duceppe (Bloc) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). loaded question.The answer discusses G20 agreements and spending instead of addressing the prime minister's competence.All of the G20 countries are in agreement on spending, creating deficits, and implementing measures to stimulate our economies.
  7. deflected
    The EconomyMr. Gilles Duceppe (Bloc) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). loaded question.Explains current spending but does not propose new measures or address the timeline.according to the Minister of Finance , it is clear that we are spending more for the unemployed, communities, and infrastructure.
  8. deflected
    The EconomyMr. Pierre Paquette (Bloc) asked Jim Flaherty (Conservative). loaded question.Describes the economic action plan instead of acknowledging failure or implementing new plans.the economic action plan is in place. Money is flowing.
  9. deflected
    The EconomyMr. Pierre Paquette (Bloc) asked Jim Flaherty (Conservative). substantive question.Answer defends existing stimulus and criticizes the vote against it instead of addressing a second plan.I do not quite understand the member opposite when he says "spend more", since he voted against the initial stimulus package.
  10. deflected
    The EconomyJack Layton (NDP) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.Answer compares deficits to other countries and attacks NDP voting record rather than addressing past decisions.I do not understand why the New Democratic Party is voting against these measures for citizens in a period of recession.
  11. misdirected
    The EconomyJack Layton (NDP) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). loaded question.Answer attacks the questioner's past coalition stance on tax cuts instead of addressing the structural deficit claim.But it should not worry the leader of the NDP because when he was in the coalition, he was all for corporate tax cuts anyway.
  12. misdirected
    The EconomyJack Layton (NDP) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.Answer attacks the NDP for inconsistency rather than addressing why infrastructure funds are not flowing.There was a day when the NDP used to stand for something. Now it is just against everything.
  13. deflected
    Employment InsuranceMarlene Jennings (Liberal) asked Jim Flaherty (Conservative). loaded question.Answer accuses Liberals of hypocrisy and tax-raising ideas instead of addressing EI access for aerospace workers.The only idea we have heard since the budget, since the economic action plan, is a plan to raise taxes for Canadians which is the last thing that should happen in the middle of a recession.
  14. answered
    Employment InsuranceMarlene Jennings (Liberal) asked Jim Flaherty (Conservative). loaded question.Answer directly explains spending on retraining and support for unemployed workers as requested.That is exactly what we did in Canada's economic action plan.
  15. deflected
    The EconomyRalph Goodale (Liberal) asked Jim Flaherty (Conservative). loaded question.Answer highlights Canada's strong position and IMF report instead of addressing specific errors on deficit and jobs.Fortunately, as the IMF confirmed on Friday in its report on Canada, Canada entered the recession in the strongest position of any country in the G7
  16. misdirected
    The EconomyRalph Goodale (Liberal) asked Jim Flaherty (Conservative). loaded question.Answer attacks Liberals on tax ideas and spending cuts instead of addressing broken promises on taxes or deficits.So, the question is, what would the Liberals cut?
  17. misdirected
    Employment InsuranceMr. Yves Lessard (Bloc) asked Jean-Pierre Blackburn (Conservative). substantive question.The response attacks the Bloc Québécois positions rather than addressing the 360-hour proposal.once again, the Bloc Québécois are continuing to be unreasonable.
  18. partly answered
    Employment InsuranceMrs. Josée Beaudin (Bloc) asked Jean-Pierre Blackburn (Conservative). substantive question.It defends the five-week extension but does not address calls for broader EI reform.our measure gives an additional five weeks of employment insurance benefits.
  19. deflected
    JusticeMr. Réal Ménard (Bloc) asked Mr. Rob Moore (Conservative). substantive question.The answer shifts to general victim-rights talking points without addressing the fingerprinting provision or presumption of innocence.if there is one thing that Canadians know they can count on from this government, it is to stand up for the rights of victims
  20. partly answered
    JusticeMr. Réal Ménard (Bloc) asked Mr. Rob Moore (Conservative). substantive question.It defends the provision but refuses to commit to removing it.If the hon. member has a problem with that, I encourage him to explain it to his constituents.
  21. deflected
    The BudgetBob Rae (Liberal) asked Jim Flaherty (Conservative). loaded question.The response explains the recession context but avoids reconciling the changed deficit projections.the world economic recession is deeper than anticipated.
  22. misdirected
    The BudgetBob Rae (Liberal) asked Jim Flaherty (Conservative). substantive question.The answer questions the member's opposition instead of addressing the projection error.what is the member opposite opposed to?
  23. misdirected
    Employment InsuranceMr. Rodger Cuzner (Liberal) asked Mr. Ed Komarnicki (Conservative). loaded question.The response attacks Liberal tax proposals rather than addressing replacement of the finance minister.What we will not do is what the Liberal Party proposes to do, which is increase taxes
  24. misdirected
    FinanceMr. Michael Ignatieff (Liberal) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). loaded question.The answer attacks the Liberal leader's hypocrisy instead of addressing resignation.The hypocrisy of the leader of the Liberal Party is breathtaking.
  25. misdirected
    Canada Pension Plan Investment BoardMr. Thomas Mulcair (NDP) asked Jim Flaherty (Conservative). loaded question.Answer addresses lack of power but then attacks the asker and another MP instead of engaging the bonus question.I think most Canadians would prefer that politicians, including the member for Wascana , keep their hands out of the till.
  26. deflected
    Canada Pension Plan Investment BoardMr. Thomas Mulcair (NDP) asked Jim Flaherty (Conservative). substantive question.Answer restates the triennial review and non-interference policy without addressing the specific bonus question.We unanimously supported the work that has been done by the plan on behalf of Canadians and reaffirmed our intention not to politically interfere with the Canada pension plan.
  27. partly answered
    Arts and CultureMrs. Carole Lavallée (Bloc) asked Mr. Dean Del Mastro (Conservative). substantive question.Answer provides funding figures but ends by attacking the Bloc instead of addressing the cut or shortfall directly.The Bloc does not care about the arts.
  28. deflected
    Arts and CultureMr. Christian Ouellet (Bloc) asked Mr. Dean Del Mastro (Conservative). substantive question.Answer pivots to criticizing the Bloc stimulus plan and voting record rather than addressing the artist's funding request.What will not help artists in Quebec is the Bloc stimulus plan.
  29. partly answered
    Fishing IndustryMs. Siobhan Coady (Liberal) asked Gail Shea (Conservative). loaded question.Answer lists support measures for fishers but does not address the Minister of Finance's job security or competence.We have provided access to credit to many fishers and many fishing businesses over the last six months.
  30. deflected
    Fishing IndustryMs. Siobhan Coady (Liberal) asked Gail Shea (Conservative). loaded question.Answer explains supply and demand theory without addressing the call for a new finance minister.That is why we have invested in the lobster industry.
  31. misdirected
    Canada-U.S. BorderMr. Brian Masse (NDP) asked Mr. Dave MacKenzie (Conservative). loaded question.Answer praises the relationship and meeting but does not address sovereignty or border militarization concerns.I do not know what he could find wrong with it.
  32. deflected
    Arctic SovereigntyMr. Paul Dewar (NDP) asked Chuck Strahl (Conservative). substantive question.Answer lists spending announcements but does not explain the lack of appointments to the Polar Commission board or chair.We have announced $200 million for housing projects in the north.
  33. misdirected
    Point of OrderMr. Michel Guimond (Bloc) asked Jay Hill (Conservative). substantive question.The answer ignores the point of order and instead attacks the asker personally while shifting to unrelated delays.I hope his heart is all right today because he certainly was very worked up.