All sittings← 2013-06-032013-06-05 →
Tuesday, June 4, 2013 · sitting No. 262
Commons limits debate on bill giving property rights to first nations women
Government House leader Peter Van Loan moved a motion to allocate five more hours to third reading of Bill S-2, the Family Homes on Reserves and Matrimonial Interests or Rights Act. The motion set a deadline after which proceedings would be interrupted and every necessary question put. Conservative MP Bernard Valcourt said the bill would finally give families on reserve the same rights as other Canadians, while NDP MP Nathan Cullen and Bloc Québécois MP Matthew Dubé criticized the lack of consultation and the government's paternalistic approach.
In Question Period, NDP leader Thomas Mulcair pressed Prime Minister Stephen Harper on the date he learned of the payment from Nigel Wright to Senator Mike Duffy and on whether he had ordered Conservative senators to repay expenses. Harper replied that he learned of the matter on May 15 and repeated that any inappropriate expenses should be repaid, while accusing Mulcair of misleading the public about his knowledge of events involving the mayor of Laval.
Decided that day
- Bill S-8 passed
- Bill C-60 passed
- All listed amendments to Bill C-60 defeated
- Motion on Bill S-2 passed
- Bills C-523 and C-524 introduced
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 · 2013-06-04
66Budget bill sails through, amendments sinkThe House devoted most of its time to substantive legislation and passed two bills while rejecting a string of proposed changes to the budget implementation act. Question period produced few direct answers and several procedural interruptions occurred, but no formal points of order were raised.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 MP Ève Péclet asked why Canada had not signed the global arms trade treaty when 67 countries including close allies had done so the previous day. Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said the government would consult Canadians, firearms owners, provinces and industry before acting.
Read the exchangeRoyal Canadian Mounted Police
Liberal MP Judy Sgro said RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson had attacked victims who complained of sexual assault and harassment. Public Safety Minister Vic Toews replied that the government had introduced legislation to restore pride in the force and that the NDP had voted against it.
Read the exchangeSearch and Rescue
Liberal MP Yvonne Jones said three Griffin helicopters at 5 Wing Goose Bay were unavailable during an emergency because they were undergoing maintenance. Parliamentary Secretary Kerry-Lynne D. Findlay said the government had invested nearly $407 million in the base since 2006 and takes search and rescue responsibilities seriously.
Read the exchangeRail Transportation
Green MP Bruce Hyer said VIA Rail ridership and revenues had fallen after service reductions and asked for a national strategy. Transport Minister Steven Fletcher said alternative modes of travel explained lower ridership and that the government would not waste money on empty trains.
Read the exchangeQuestion 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
- deflectedEthicsThomas Mulcair (NDP) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.The answer ignores the question about conflicting statements and instead attacks the asker on an unrelated matter.
The real question is why the leader of the NDP, on November 16, 2010, said that he knew nothing about the activities of the mayor of Laval, which are now before the Charbonneau commission, when in fact he had known for 14 years.
- deflectedEthicsThomas Mulcair (NDP) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.The answer avoids the specific date question and pivots to attacking the asker on an unrelated past issue.
The real question is why the leader of the NDP told the public the complete opposite of what he knew about the mayor of Laval in 2010.
- deflectedEthicsThomas Mulcair (NDP) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.The answer sidesteps the question about ordering repayment and instead attacks the asker on an unrelated matter.
Why did he misinform the public of his knowledge of what the mayor of Laval was doing?
- deflectedEthicsThomas Mulcair (NDP) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.The answer evades the yes-or-no question about staff presence and turns to attacking the asker.
Why did the leader of the NDP, as a contrast, not think it important to tell the public in 2010 that he knew of questionable activity by the mayor of Laval?
- deflectedEthicsThomas Mulcair (NDP) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.The answer restates a position but ignores the contradiction raised and attacks the asker on an unrelated issue.
As I say, my statements on this matter have been very clear and very consistent, which is totally different from the hon. member, who keeps refusing to answer questions as to why his knowledge of bribery attempts were not clearly and correctly conveyed to the public and the police over a period of 17 years.
- partly answeredEthicsMr. Justin Trudeau (Liberal) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.The answer directly states the reason given by Wright but then shifts to criticizing the Liberal Party.
as I think I have said repeatedly, Mr. Wright said that he wanted to be sure that taxpayers were reimbursed.
- partly answeredEthicsMr. Justin Trudeau (Liberal) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.The answer addresses the reason for the payment but then pivots to attacking Liberal senators.
Mr. Wright has been very clear that he thought the taxpayers should be reimbursed, and he will be accountable for those matters.
- partly answeredEthicsMr. Justin Trudeau (Liberal) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.The answer gives Wright's stated position but avoids confirming any link to fundraising and attacks Liberals instead.
Mr. Wright's position is that taxpayers must be reimbursed for any inappropriate expenses.
- misdirectedEthicsThomas Mulcair (NDP) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.Answer changes subject to attack Mulcair instead of addressing what staff said to Duffy.
unlike the leader of the NDP, who continues to refuse.
- misdirectedEthicsThomas Mulcair (NDP) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.Answer avoids naming who was present and pivots to attacking Mulcair on unrelated matters.
Again, the leader of the NDP refuses to tell us why he hid the truth about the goings on of the mayor of Laval for 15 years.
- misdirectedEthicsThomas Mulcair (NDP) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.Response restates position but attacks Mulcair rather than identifying anyone present in the conversation.
- misdirectedEthicsThomas Mulcair (NDP) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.Answer discusses Wright's actions but deflects by attacking Mulcair instead of naming who instructed MacDougall.
why does the leader of the NDP, when knowing about things like bribery, think it is not appropriate for 17 years to appropriately inform the police and the public about those kinds of things?
- partly answeredEthicsThomas Mulcair (NDP) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.Answer directly states the severance is less than the amount in question before shifting to attack Mulcair.
Those amounts are obviously less than the amount in question.
- misdirectedEthicsThomas Mulcair (NDP) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.Response ignores the question about Novak and attacks Mulcair on the Charbonneau commission.
It is time for the leader of the NDP to do the same thing.
- partly answeredEthicsThomas Mulcair (NDP) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.Answer addresses the recusal by stating it was not cabinet business before attacking Mulcair.
last week the member asked if this was ever a matter of cabinet business.
- deflectedEthicsThomas Mulcair (NDP) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.Answer notes Senate independence but changes subject to attack Mulcair without naming anyone responsible.
Again, why did the leader of the NDP not tell the authorities and the public about his knowledge of the possible illegal activities of the mayor of Laval, knowledge that he had for more than 15 years?
- deflectedEthicsThomas Mulcair (NDP) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.Answer ignores the question on other senators and pivots to an unrelated NDP scandal.
Why, when knowing about envelopes stuffed full of cash, did the leader of the NDP not think it appropriate for 17 years to report these matters to the public and to the police?
- deflectedEthicsMr. Justin Trudeau (Liberal) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.Answer discusses general Senate vacancies and Liberal actions but avoids explaining the specific choice of Duffy.
For almost three years, I left the Senate vacancies unfilled.
- deflectedEthicsMr. Justin Trudeau (Liberal) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.Answer gives a brief parallel to prior government but immediately shifts to attacking Liberal positions on Senate expenses.
None of these things answers why the Liberal Party has tried to resist making Senate expenses transparent and why it is now resisting the Auditor General looking—
- deflectedEthicsMr. Justin Trudeau (Liberal) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.Answer claims prior response and pivots to rules and Liberal resistance rather than detailing the appointments.
Why is the Liberal Party in the Senate resisting having the Auditor General look at Senate expenses?
- answeredForeign AffairsMs. Ève Péclet (NDP) asked John Baird (Conservative). loaded question.Answer directly states the plan to consult before acting, addressing the call for immediate commitment.
what I said yesterday was that we would consult Canadians, firearms owners, provinces and territories and industry before the government would act, and that is exactly what we intend to do.
- deflectedForeign AffairsMr. Paul Dewar (NDP) asked John Baird (Conservative). loaded question.Answer dismisses the critic's prior remark and reiterates consultation without addressing the yes/no request.
yesterday the NDP's foreign affairs critic was suggesting that if the arms trade treaty had been in place, we would not have a civil war going on in Syria.
- misdirectedNational DefenceMr. Jack Harris (NDP) asked Kerry-Lynne D. Findlay (Conservative). substantive question.Answer explains policy on leaks but ends by attacking the opposition leader instead of addressing NIS use.
What is not clear is why the leader of the opposition hid his direct knowledge of corruption for so many years.
- answeredNational DefenceMs. Christine Moore (NDP) asked Kerry-Lynne D. Findlay (Conservative). substantive question.Answer clarifies the mandate and limits of the Military Police investigations regarding leaks.
The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service has no mandate or jurisdiction to investigate any individual or group external to National Defence and conducts only assessments related to defence activities, not media.
- misdirected41st General ElectionMr. Craig Scott (NDP) asked Mr. Pierre Poilievre (Conservative). loaded question.The answer dismisses the premise then pivots to attacking the questioner's leader on an unrelated matter.
the hon. member would do well, if he believes in a higher standard of ethics, to have his leader explain why he kept secret for 17 years his knowledge of an illegal bribe offer.
- answeredThe EnvironmentMr. Peter Julian (NDP) asked Keith Ashfield (Conservative). substantive question.The answer directly explains the government's position and recent initiative on oil-spill response.
On March 18, 2013, the government announced the world-class tanker safety initiative, which included an investment in the incident command system for the Coast Guard.
- deflectedPublic SafetyMr. Randall Garrison (NDP) asked Vic Toews (Conservative). substantive question.The answer avoids the specific RCMP warning and instead recites crime statistics and criticizes the NDP.
Unfortunately, that member and his party failed to support the measures that are turning around the issue of gun crime.
- deflectedPublic SafetyMs. Rosane Doré Lefebvre (NDP) asked Vic Toews (Conservative). loaded question.The answer ignores the cited incident and again highlights statistics while faulting the NDP.
firearms-related homicides are at their lowest point in 50 years, and homicides committed with handguns are down by 30% since 2008.
- deflectedSearch and RescueMs. Yvonne Jones (Liberal) asked Kerry-Lynne D. Findlay (Conservative). substantive question.The answer shifts to general spending commitments at Goose Bay without addressing the specific helicopter outage.
Since 2006, we have committed investments to the base totalling nearly $407 million.
- deflectedSearch and RescueMs. Yvonne Jones (Liberal) asked Kerry-Lynne D. Findlay (Conservative). substantive question.The answer offers broad praise for search-and-rescue efforts and area size but does not address the reported deficiencies.
Our search and rescue area of responsibility covers 18 million square kilometres of land and sea, an area greater than the size of continental Europe.
- partly answeredPensionsMs. Irene Mathyssen (NDP) asked Ted Menzies (Conservative). substantive question.The answer notes provincial consensus on pooled plans but does not confirm a June meeting or a CPP-increase plan.
- partly answeredPensionsMs. Lysane Blanchette-Lamothe (NDP) asked Ted Menzies (Conservative). substantive question.The answer explains shared jurisdiction and lack of consensus on CPP increases but does not state when the meeting will occur.
We have consulted with the provinces on increases to the Canada pension plan, and there was not consensus among all of the provinces to increase the cost to businesses.
- deflectedRoyal Canadian Mounted PoliceJudy Sgro (Liberal) asked Vic Toews (Conservative). substantive question.The answer pivots to legislation and opposition voting record instead of addressing confidence in the commissioner.
That is why we introduced the enhancing RCMP accountability act.
- misdirected41st General ElectionMr. Craig Scott (NDP) asked Mr. Pierre Poilievre (Conservative). loaded question.The answer begins to respond then shifts to attacking the NDP on an unrelated tax issue.
The real question is, speaking of members sitting in caucuses, why there are two members sitting in the NDP caucus who refuse to pay their taxes.
- deflectedAboriginal AffairsMr. Jonathan Genest-Jourdain (NDP) asked Bernard Valcourt (Conservative). substantive question.The answer defends the government's audit approach and notes opposition votes rather than explaining the hiring of private firms.
Once again, despite their fine rhetoric, they voted against this bill.
- partly answeredRail TransportationMr. Bruce Hyer (Independent) asked Steven Fletcher (Conservative). substantive question.The answer acknowledges declining ridership and past funding but does not address a national strategy for VIA Rail.
We are making the best possible rail service, but we are not going to have taxpayers wasting money on trains that do not have people in them.