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Tuesday, May 15, 2012 · sitting No. 124

Commons debates environment spending amid copyright time allocation

The House spent the largest portion of the day on a general debate on all votes under Environment in the business of supply. The debate followed usual rotation rules with members allocated 15 minutes each for speeches and questions.

Government orders on the Copyright Modernization Act consumed the next largest share of the sitting. Peter Van Loan moved a time allocation motion limiting report stage to one further sitting day and third reading to one sitting day.

Question period featured clashes over old age security changes, employment insurance rules and F-35 costs. Thomas Mulcair pressed the government on projected cuts and job advice while Stephen Harper defended the measures.

Decided that day

  • Bill C-11 concurred in at report stage
  • Time allocation motion for Bill C-11 passed
  • Bill S-211 introduced
  • Bill S-1003 advanced in second chamber

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 · 2012-05-15

Government (Conservative)OppositionOver the day: government 59%, opposition 41% of the words spokenGovernment businessQuestion PeriodGovernment business▲ Government side held the floor▼ Opposition held the floor
69Copyright bill passes after amendment avalancheThe House devoted most of its time to the Copyright Modernization Act, defeating two dozen opposition amendments before concurring in the bill at report stage and limiting further debate. A handful of minor bills advanced while Question Period produced few direct answers.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

Pensions

Thomas Mulcair asked the Prime Minister to table the full cost of old age security changes after the Finance Minister cited figures of $10 billion or $12 billion. Stephen Harper replied that no reductions appear in the budget and that eligibility changes begin only in 2023.

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National Defence

Bob Rae cited the Auditor General's report on incorrect information given to Parliament about F-35 costs. Stephen Harper said the government accepted the report and would follow a multi-step process before any purchase.

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The Environment

Megan Leslie questioned why the government abolished the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy after contradictory statements from ministers. Peter Kent said the organization was no longer required and that the government does not support a carbon tax.

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Afghanistan

Hélène Laverdière asked whether the government would extend the training mission past 2014 after requests from the United States and NATO. John Baird replied that no decision has been made and that Canada remains committed until 2014.

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Employment Insurance

Rodger Cuzner described a single mother in Cape Breton who relies on EI between seasonal jobs and asked whether she would be forced to move. Diane Finley said changes would help unemployed Canadians find appropriate work in their local area.

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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
    PensionsMr. Thomas Mulcair (NDP) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). loaded question.Answer restates policy timeline without providing requested cost figures.Of course, in this budget there are no reductions to old age security.
  2. deflected
    PensionsMr. Thomas Mulcair (NDP) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). loaded question.Answer repeats eligibility timeline and ignores demand for cost disclosure.Their pensions are not being cut in this budget.
  3. misdirected
    EmploymentMr. Thomas Mulcair (NDP) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.Answer pivots to overall job numbers instead of addressing taxi-driving remark.I remind the leader of the NDP of the superior employment creation record of the country.
  4. misdirected
    EmploymentMr. Thomas Mulcair (NDP) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). loaded question.Answer highlights one minister's example rather than addressing disincentives claim.An example of that is right before all of us, right here in the Minister of State for Transport
  5. misdirected
    EmploymentMr. Thomas Mulcair (NDP) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). loaded question.Answer attacks opposition's view on disability employment instead of responding to policy critique.on the contrary, it is the Leader of the Opposition who thinks that people with a disability should be unemployed.
  6. partly answered
    The BudgetBob Rae (Liberal) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.Answer explains research duplication rationale but does not address listening to disagreeing advice.
  7. deflected
    The BudgetBob Rae (Liberal) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.Answer reiterates administrative savings without engaging on suppression of dissent.Obviously, we do not want research duplication.
  8. answered
    National DefenceBob Rae (Liberal) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.Answer directly states acceptance of Auditor General findings and outlines next steps.as we have said many times before, we have accepted the analysis of the Auditor General and we are acting on his recommendations.
  9. answered
    PensionsMs. Peggy Nash (NDP) asked Diane Finley (Conservative). loaded question.Answer directly denies any cuts and explains the policy change.this budget does not make any cuts to old age security.
  10. answered
    PensionsMs. Peggy Nash (NDP) asked Diane Finley (Conservative). loaded question.Answer gives a clear no and restates the policy.the simple answer to that is no.
  11. deflected
    The EnvironmentMs. Megan Leslie (NDP) asked Peter Kent (Conservative). loaded question.Answer shifts to carbon tax instead of addressing the reason for the cut.this government does not support a carbon tax and this government, unlike all of the parties over there, will not impose a carbon tax on hard-working Canadians.
  12. deflected
    The EnvironmentMs. Megan Leslie (NDP) asked Peter Kent (Conservative). loaded question.Answer avoids the question by noting the minister is entitled to opinions.my colleague, the Minister of Foreign Affairs , is entitled to his opinions.
  13. answered
    National DefenceMr. Matthew Kellway (NDP) asked Julian Fantino (Conservative). loaded question.Answer confirms acceptance of the report and outlines the action plan.We have, as was indicated, accepted the findings.
  14. deflected
    National DefenceMs. Hélène Laverdière (NDP) asked Julian Fantino (Conservative). loaded question.Answer rejects the premise and pivots to general commitments.that premise is absolutely incorrect.
  15. answered
    AfghanistanMs. Hélène Laverdière (NDP) asked John Baird (Conservative). substantive question.Answer states no buckling to pressure and confirms commitment only until 2014.no, this government never buckles to pressure.
  16. deflected
    AfghanistanMr. Jack Harris (NDP) asked John Baird (Conservative). substantive question.Answer questions why the member is asking and restates the existing mission.the member opposite seems to believe he already has an answer, which begs the question of why he is getting up in the House to ask it.
  17. deflected
    AfghanistanMr. Jack Harris (NDP) asked John Baird (Conservative). substantive question.Answer avoids yes/no by claiming no decision exists and restates prior commitments.there is, of course, nothing to bring to the House for a vote because there is no decision.
  18. deflected
    Employment InsuranceMr. Rodger Cuzner (Liberal) asked Diane Finley (Conservative). loaded question.Answer ignores the specific case and shifts to general labor policy talking points.The changes that we are proposing will help the unemployed find jobs in their local area and will, at the same time, address the skills shortages faced by Canadian employers.
  19. deflected
    Employment InsuranceMs. Judy Foote (Liberal) asked Diane Finley (Conservative). loaded question.Answer dismisses the premise outright and repeats general skills-shortage messaging.all those statements are completely wrong.
  20. deflected
    Employment InsuranceWayne Easter (Liberal) asked Diane Finley (Conservative). loaded question.Answer sidesteps the attack on the minister and repeats the same labor-shortage script.We want to ensure that we help Canadians who are out of work through no fault of their own to get access to those jobs
  21. deflected
    Veterans AffairsMr. Sylvain Chicoine (NDP) asked Steven Blaney (Conservative). substantive question.Answer evades the spending question by redirecting to budget support and independence of the board.I expect the review board, which is an independent organization, and its members to rigorously enforce all public administration rules
  22. misdirected
    Veterans AffairsMr. Peter Stoffer (NDP) asked Steven Blaney (Conservative). substantive question.Answer attacks the NDP's position instead of addressing the minister's oversight of the trip.The NDP is suggesting abolishing a tribunal that 4,000 veterans turn to every year.
  23. deflected
    Canadian HeritageMr. Pierre Nantel (NDP) asked James Moore (Conservative). rhetorical question.Answer avoids the friendship critique by stating the process is standard and unchanged.the selection process for candidates for this type of position is typical and standard.
  24. deflected
    Canadian HeritageMr. Andrew Cash (NDP) asked James Moore (Conservative). rhetorical question.Answer dismisses the source and restates that the process is open and transparent.The process by which we choose people for these kinds of appointments is open and transparent.
  25. deflected
    JusticeMs. Rosane Doré Lefebvre (NDP) asked Rob Nicholson (Conservative). substantive question.Answer rejects the estimate and restates bill targets instead of addressing provincial resource cooperation.I completely reject the math that says 1,000 people a day in the province of Quebec are going to get locked up for drug crimes or sex crimes.
  26. misdirected
    JusticeMs. Rosane Doré Lefebvre (NDP) asked Rob Nicholson (Conservative). substantive question.Answer attacks NDP for finding policy offensive and pivots to victims without addressing costs or placement of inmates.I appreciate that the NDP may find this offensive, but we are going after the individuals who traffic in drugs in this country
  27. answered
    Agriculture and Agri-FoodMr. Malcolm Allen (NDP) asked Gerry Ritz (Conservative). substantive question.Answer directly states the meat will not reach grocery stores and explains the limited veterinary-supervised scope.that will not be a problem because it will not be in the grocery store.
  28. deflected
    Agriculture and Agri-FoodMr. Malcolm Allen (NDP) asked Gerry Ritz (Conservative). substantive question.Answer accuses NDP of having facts backwards and criticizes their voting record instead of addressing inspector reductions or US consultations.as usual, the NDP has it completely upside down and backwards.
  29. partly answered
    HousingMr. Justin Trudeau (Liberal) asked Diane Finley (Conservative). loaded question.Answer provides funding details but dismisses the premise as crazy without fully explaining post-subsidy impacts on Quebec units.
  30. deflected
    Fisheries and OceansMs. Joyce Murray (Liberal) asked Keith Ashfield (Conservative). loaded question.Answer counters the premise by claiming improvements but does not address the cod-fisheries analogy or specific cuts.
  31. answered
    Aboriginal AffairsMs. Jean Crowder (NDP) asked John Duncan (Conservative). substantive question.Answer states the issue is before the courts and notes advertising reached 95% of claimants while awaiting judicial outcome.this issue is before the courts.
  32. answered
    Aboriginal AffairsMs. Jean Crowder (NDP) asked John Duncan (Conservative). substantive question.Answer confirms all timely claims will be processed and notes provisions for extraordinary circumstances beyond the deadline.any claimant who puts in a claim before the expiry date this fall will be processed, no matter how long that processing goes beyond that date.
  33. deflected
    Public SafetyMr. Francis Scarpaleggia (Liberal) asked Ms. Candice Hoeppner (Conservative). loaded question.Answer denies premise and restates that the registry ended without addressing provincial lists.
  34. deflected
    Aboriginal AffairsMr. John Rafferty (NDP) asked John Duncan (Conservative). loaded question.Answer gives general efficiency talk without addressing the specific program cut.We are achieving reductions by reducing the costs of operations while protecting services in communities as much as we possibly can.
  35. answered
    Air TransportationMs. Élaine Michaud (NDP) asked Denis Lebel (Conservative). substantive question.Answer directly states the matter is settled and no intervention is planned.Even if there were a regulatory change —and none is foreseen—it would in no way concern Neuville, as it is a matter that we consider settled.
  36. misdirected
    HousingMrs. Maria Mourani (Bloc) asked Diane Finley (Conservative). loaded question.Answer attacks the Bloc for opposing initiatives instead of addressing renewal of funding.Unfortunately, the Bloc opposed every initiative that we took to help these people.