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Tuesday, September 25, 2012 · sitting No. 152

Liberals move motion to cut income inequality in supply debate

The House spent the largest share of its sitting on a Liberal motion calling for immediate steps to reduce income inequality. Liberal MP Bob Rae moved that the government roll back recent Employment Insurance premium hikes, end the new clawback of benefits, make the Family Caregiver Tax Credit refundable and take other listed actions. The motion remained before the House at adjournment.

In Question Period, NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair pressed the government on foreign takeovers and the absence of new Investment Canada Act criteria ahead of the Nexen decision. Prime Minister Stephen Harper said decisions would be made in the best interests of the Canadian economy. Liberal MP Bob Rae asked why the government continued to claw back part-time EI benefits and raise premiums while income inequality grows.

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 · 2012-09-25

Government (Conservative)OppositionOver the day: government 37%, opposition 63% of the words spokenGovernment businessGovernment business▲ Government side held the floor▼ Opposition held the floorOpened 10:0511:0012:0013:0014:0015:0016:0017:00Last speech 18:30Time of day, Ottawa · the House sat 8 h 25 min · each dot is a stretch of debate, placed at the minute it began
47Motions fail amid deflected answersThe sitting devoted most time to Business of Supply and recorded two failed opposition motions with no bills advancing. Question Period produced far more deflections than answers while the Speaker issued seven calls to order.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

Foreign Affairs

NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair said the Prime Minister had decided to boycott the United Nations General Assembly despite being in New York; Prime Minister Stephen Harper replied that it has never been the practice of any Canadian prime minister to speak every year at the assembly.

Read the exchange

Food Safety

NDP MP Malcolm Allen said the Canadian Food Inspection Agency waited two weeks to issue a recall after E. coli was found at XL Foods; Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said the agency held the product the day it was discovered and none reached store shelves.

Read the exchange

Census

NDP MP Robert Aubin said 12 per cent of municipalities had response rates below 50 per cent in the national household survey after the long-form census was abolished; Conservative MP Mike Lake said the final national response rate was 78.3 per cent and comparable to other voluntary surveys.

Read the exchange

Pensions

Liberal MP Judy Sgro said the government was turning back the clock on pension security by raising the eligibility age for old-age security; Human Resources Minister Diane Finley said the government had raised the amount seniors can earn without losing GIS benefits and introduced pension income splitting.

Read the exchange

National Defence

NDP MP Christine Moore said the government was questioning the military ombudsman’s mandate instead of acting on his report about operational stress injuries; Defence Minister Peter MacKay said the government had hired more mental health professionals and the ombudsman had noted those efforts.

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
    Foreign InvestmentThomas Mulcair (NDP) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). loaded question.The answer restates prior changes to the Investment Canada Act without addressing the promised new criteria or timeline.our government has already made changes to the Investment Canada Act to ensure that we have a strong process.
  2. deflected
    Foreign AffairsThomas Mulcair (NDP) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). loaded question.The answer avoids the specific accusations by noting the minister will speak and asserting general policy independence.The Minister of Foreign Affairs will be speaking this year.
  3. deflected
    Foreign AffairsThomas Mulcair (NDP) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). loaded question.The answer repeats the same non-practice explanation and asserts independence without addressing the UN role or merger concerns.never under any government has it been the practice of Canadian prime ministers to speak every year at the United Nations General Assembly.
  4. misdirected
    Foreign AffairsMr. Paul Dewar (NDP) asked John Baird (Conservative). loaded question.The answer pivots to praising the award and policy instead of addressing engagement or the trip criticism.Every Canadian can be proud of the principled foreign policy and the leadership of our Prime Minister
  5. misdirected
    Foreign AffairsMr. Paul Dewar (NDP) asked John Baird (Conservative). loaded question.The answer explains resource sharing then attacks the asker over Iran diplomacy rather than addressing the parliamentary review request.I do find it passing strange that the critic for the NDP seems to be encouraging us to have vibrant diplomacy with Iran, but is somehow scared of us having diplomacy with the United Kingdom.
  6. deflected
    The EconomyBob Rae (Liberal) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). loaded question.The answer lists measures taken but ignores the specific EI clawback and tax questions while attacking Liberal votes.this government takes tackling income inequality very seriously, which is why the government has brought in a number of important measures
  7. deflected
    The EconomyBob Rae (Liberal) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). loaded question.The answer contrasts studies with action and lists benefits without addressing the family inequality study vote.the Liberal Party prefers to conduct studies; on this side of the House, we prefer to take action.
  8. deflected
    Human RightsBob Rae (Liberal) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). loaded question.The answer discusses international human rights and the museum but avoids any commitment on funding Pride events.One of the initiatives of this government that I am particularly proud of is the establishment of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg.
  9. deflected
    Employment InsuranceMrs. Anne-Marie Day (NDP) asked Diane Finley (Conservative). substantive question.Answer restates general priorities without addressing the suitability definition or distance examples.We are working to help the unemployed find jobs in their regions that match their skills, in order to make life better for them and for their families.
  10. partly answered
    Employment InsuranceMs. Chris Charlton (NDP) asked Diane Finley (Conservative). loaded question.Answer begins correcting the clawback claim but does not address the personal accusations.the old system actually clawed back dollar for dollar anything—
  11. deflected
    Employment InsuranceMr. Philip Toone (NDP) asked Diane Finley (Conservative). substantive question.Answer defends government record and restates EI responsibilities without engaging seasonal industry concerns.The right to employment insurance also brings with it the responsibility to look for work.
  12. partly answered
    Foreign InvestmentMs. Hélène LeBlanc (NDP) asked Mike Lake (Conservative). substantive question.Answer notes scrutiny and points to criteria but does not address specific concerns about the chairman's comments.This transaction will be scrutinized very closely.
  13. deflected
    Foreign InvestmentMr. Peter Julian (NDP) asked Mike Lake (Conservative). substantive question.Answer repeats scrutiny claim and attacks NDP voting record instead of addressing independence concerns.I remind the hon. member that when we introduced the national security provisions in section 25 in 2009, the NDP voted against them.
  14. misdirected
    Food SafetyMr. Malcolm Allen (NDP) asked Gerry Ritz (Conservative). loaded question.Answer calls the premise false and pivots to defending CFIA actions without addressing regulatory changes.
  15. deflected
    Food SafetyMs. Ruth Ellen Brosseau (NDP) asked Gerry Ritz (Conservative). substantive question.Answer defends spending and attacks NDP votes rather than addressing the two-week delay or cuts.It is unfortunate that the NDP consistently vote against the funding and manpower for CFIA.
  16. answered
    CensusMr. Robert Aubin (NDP) asked Mike Lake (Conservative). substantive question.Answer directly supplies the national response rate and timeline for further data.The final response rate for the national household survey was 78.3% nationally.
  17. deflected
    CensusMr. Dan Harris (NDP) asked Mike Lake (Conservative). loaded question.The answer avoids the response rate question by pivoting to unrelated past debates on jail time threats.I already answered that question. The member was not in the House when we had this debate in the last Parliament as he had not been elected yet.
  18. misdirected
    Employment InsuranceMr. Scott Simms (Liberal) asked Diane Finley (Conservative). substantive question.The answer addresses a hypothetical extension of hours rather than the clawback rule change asked about.in the case of Louise, if she had worked one extra hour beyond those two days that would have been clawed back 100%.
  19. deflected
    Employment InsuranceCarolyn Bennett (Liberal) asked Diane Finley (Conservative). substantive question.The answer claims the new system is better but does not address the specific clawback complaint raised.Louise would have been better off with the new system.
  20. deflected
    Post-Secondary EducationMr. Marc Garneau (Liberal) asked Diane Finley (Conservative). substantive question.The answer attacks the Liberals' voting record instead of addressing the federal interest rate reduction proposal.it is ironic that the Liberals are trying to actually help students when they voted against everything we have done
  21. deflected
    PensionsJudy Sgro (Liberal) asked Diane Finley (Conservative). loaded question.The answer lists unrelated past measures and notes Liberal votes against them rather than addressing future social program cuts.There are two things in common: one, we introduced those and brought them in for Canadians; and two, the Liberals voted against them.
  22. partly answered
    National DefenceMs. Christine Moore (NDP) asked Peter MacKay (Conservative). substantive question.The answer defends actions on mental health supports but does not address the ombudsman's mandate challenge.We have just introduced additional supports for members of the Canadian Forces suffering from post-traumatic stress.
  23. deflected
    National DefenceMr. Jack Harris (NDP) asked Peter MacKay (Conservative). substantive question.The answer dismisses the question as rhetoric and lists general efforts without tackling the ombudsman focus issue.again the member is wrong. It is the usual rhetoric from that individual.
  24. answered
    Status of WomenMs. Niki Ashton (NDP) asked Rob Nicholson (Conservative). substantive question.The answer directly states that private members' business follows House rules without further engagement.private members' business is private members' business and the motion will be dealt with according to the rules of the House of Commons.
  25. deflected
    Status of WomenMs. Françoise Boivin (NDP) asked Rob Nicholson (Conservative). loaded question.The answer sidesteps the loaded premise about rights being taken away by redirecting to House rules and questioning the asker's reaction.Why is that so upsetting to the hon. member?
  26. deflected
    PrivacyMs. Charmaine Borg (NDP) asked Mike Lake (Conservative). substantive question.The answer promotes an unrelated bill instead of addressing when privacy laws will be updated for internet issues.this government introduced Bill C-12 , which is an important tool for ensuring a stronger digital economy in Canada.
  27. misdirected
    PrivacyMs. Charmaine Borg (NDP) asked Mike Lake (Conservative). substantive question.The answer mocks the asker about grandparents and pivots to jobs/economy rather than addressing privacy concerns from the commissioner.I am pleased that the hon. member has a grandmother or grandfather who shared information about eight-track tapes with her.
  28. partly answered
    Government AccountabilityMr. Charlie Angus (NDP) asked Tony Clement (Conservative). loaded question.The answer provides statistics on requests processed but ignores the ranking drop and the question about what the government fears.The Government of Canada, in 2010-11, for that year measured, received 41,641 new access to information requests.
  29. deflected
    Government AccountabilityMr. Charlie Angus (NDP) asked Tony Clement (Conservative). loaded question.The answer shifts to open data sets and ignores the PBO court case and broken accountability promises.there are over 272,000 data sets online right now at data.gc.ca, where all citizens can access that data
  30. misdirected
    National DefenceJohn McKay (Liberal) asked Peter MacKay (Conservative). loaded question.The answer attacks the premise by claiming to stand up for troops and quotes the ombudsman positively while ignoring the slap-down claim.
  31. deflected
    CensusCarolyn Bennett (Liberal) asked Mike Lake (Conservative). loaded question.The answer defends ideology on jail time instead of addressing the participation rate drop and evidence-based policy.this government does not hold the ideology that people should be threatened with jail time because they do not want to tell the government what their religion is.
  32. misdirected
    SportMr. Matthew Dubé (NDP) asked Mr. Rick Norlock (Conservative). substantive question.The answer completely changes topic to a prisoner needle exchange lawsuit instead of addressing sports access and infrastructure.today a lawsuit is being filed by a former prisoner claiming that the Government of Canada violated his human rights by not providing him with clean needles
  33. deflected
    Food SafetyMr. Frank Valeriote (Liberal) asked Gerry Ritz (Conservative). loaded question.The answer details CFIA actions and counters the premise on cuts but never addresses who is responsible for food safety as asked.the CFIA captured the affected food the day the E. coli was found, on September 4.
  34. misdirected
    HousingMs. Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet (NDP) asked Diane Finley (Conservative). substantive question.The answer claims credit for existing agreements then pivots to attacking the NDP vote record instead of committing to new stable funding.Unfortunately, the NDP voted against helping all of those Canadians in need.
  35. deflected
    Fisheries and OceansMrs. Carol Hughes (NDP) asked Keith Ashfield (Conservative). loaded question.The answer rejects the premise of reckless cuts by emphasizing technology upgrades but does not explain the rationale for the specific centre closure.Technology has evolved over the last number of years, and our government is investing in the Coast Guard's infrastructure to take advantage of today's technology
  36. answered
    Canadian HeritageMr. André Bellavance (Bloc) asked James Moore (Conservative). substantive question.The answer directly states the government is engaged in discussions to protect cultural events and heritage at the site.we are currently in discussions with Quebec City and the National Battlefields Commission in order to come up with a formula, a process to protect Quebec City's great cultural community and the heritage of that structure and area that is so special for Canada.
  37. answered
    Points of OrderBob Rae (Liberal) asked Mr. Ed Komarnicki (Conservative). substantive question.The answer supplies the requested update on the mine fire and miner safety status.I would like to inform the House that the fire at the Rocanville mine has been put out.