All sittings← 2014-05-122014-05-14 →
Tuesday, May 13, 2014 · sitting No. 85
Commons advances fair elections act amid opposition attacks on voter ID rules
The House spent the largest share of its sitting on third reading of Bill C-23, the fair elections act. Conservative minister Pierre Poilievre told members the legislation would require every voter to present identification and would place the commissioner of Canada elections outside Elections Canada. NDP MP Craig Scott and Liberal MP Kevin Lamoureux pressed the minister on the removal of vouching for identity and on the bill's title.
In question period Prime Minister Stephen Harper told NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair that Canadian personnel were in Nigeria to assist authorities searching for schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram. Harper also told Mulcair he had received legal advice that Federal Court judge Marc Nadon was eligible for direct appointment to the Supreme Court of Canada.
Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau pressed Harper on changes to the temporary foreign worker program, saying the reforms had raised unemployment in Alberta. Harper replied that the government had already reduced low-wage applications by 30 per cent and would continue tightening the program.
Decided that day
- Bill read a third time and passed
- 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 · 2014-05-13
71Elections bill advances, one passesThe House spent most of its time on the Fair Elections Act and moved four bills forward, including one that passed third reading. Question period produced more deflections than complete answers, yet interruptions remained few and substantive debate dominated.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
Rail Transportation
NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair asked why the government had not yet used new powers to impose financial penalties on unsafe railways ten months after the Lac-Mégantic crash. Prime Minister Stephen Harper said criminal charges had been laid and the matter was before the courts.
Read the exchangeAboriginal Affairs
NDP MP Jean Crowder called for a national inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women. Justice Minister Peter MacKay said the government was acting on numerous reports and had renewed the aboriginal justice strategy.
Read the exchangeInfrastructure
NDP MP Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet said Conservative changes to the Building Canada fund were delaying projects in the middle of construction season. Infrastructure Minister Denis Lebel replied that municipalities must submit projects through their provinces and that the gas-tax agreement with Quebec was still being finalized.
Read the exchangeMeat Inspection Act
Liberal MP Mark Eyking said the Liberal Party supported Bill C-571 because it would require medical records for any horse slaughtered for human consumption. NDP MP Libby Davies thanked sponsor Alex Atamanenko for the bill.
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
- answeredForeign AffairsThomas Mulcair (NDP) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.The answer directly states the assistance Canada is providing on the ground.
There are Canadian personnel now present in Nigeria. They are there to provide liaison and to assist Nigerian authorities in their search.
- deflectedJusticeThomas Mulcair (NDP) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.The answer avoids the yes/no question about advising resignation and restates legal opinions instead.
as I have said before, we received expert legal opinion on the eligibility of Federal Court judges for appointment to the Supreme Court of Canada
- deflectedJusticeThomas Mulcair (NDP) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.The answer refuses to address the question by dismissing it as rumours and repeats prior points.
- deflectedRail TransportationThomas Mulcair (NDP) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.The answer discusses past actions and court matters but avoids committing to new financial penalties.
Since this matter will be before the courts, I have nothing more to say.
- partly answeredRail TransportationThomas Mulcair (NDP) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.The answer acknowledges ongoing work on safety but does not address the specific delay on financial penalties.
obviously this government will continue to move forward on any measure necessary to improve railway safety.
- deflectedEmploymentMr. Justin Trudeau (Liberal) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.The answer attacks the Liberal record rather than addressing adoption of their plan.
Until very recently, the Liberal Party was inundating us with demands to increase the number of temporary foreign workers to their ridings.
- deflectedEmploymentMr. Justin Trudeau (Liberal) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.The answer focuses on contradicting Liberal demands instead of responding to the proposed plan.
Until just a couple of weeks ago, the Liberal Party was continuing to demand that we bring in more temporary foreign workers.
- deflectedEmploymentMr. Justin Trudeau (Liberal) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.The answer highlights Liberal contradictions and unemployment but sidesteps fixing the program via their plan.
the Liberal Party is contradicting itself on this issue, since the party leader is asking for more temporary foreign workers.
- misdirectedEmploymentMs. Jinny Jogindera Sims (NDP) asked Jason Kenney (Conservative). loaded question.The answer addresses the review briefly then pivots to attacking the NDP's positions instead of addressing the audit request.
However, it is the NDP that wants various exemptions.
- deflectedEmploymentMrs. Sadia Groguhé (NDP) asked Jason Kenney (Conservative). substantive question.The answer states cooperation with the Auditor General but avoids committing to a new audit by referencing past work.
we have no intention of meddling in the Auditor General's work.
- misdirectedEmploymentMrs. Sadia Groguhé (NDP) asked Jason Kenney (Conservative). substantive question.The answer ignores the data question entirely and instead lists alleged NDP positions on exemptions.
it is the NDP that wants exemptions for all international musicians to come and take jobs from Canadian musicians without any screening.
- answeredEthicsMr. Alexandre Boulerice (NDP) asked Mr. Paul Calandra (Conservative). loaded question.The answer directly states that the matter was referred to authorities upon discovery and no contract was awarded.
As soon as we found out about these allegations, we referred the matter to the RCMP, the Ethics commissioner, and the Commissioner of Lobbying.
- answeredEthicsMr. Charlie Angus (NDP) asked Mr. Paul Calandra (Conservative). loaded question.The answer repeats the referral to authorities and notes the individual received no contracts.
these are allegations that concern a private individual who did not receive any government contracts.
- deflectedEthicsMr. Charlie Angus (NDP) asked Mr. Paul Calandra (Conservative). loaded question.The answer avoids the timing question and instead highlights the Accountability Act and opposition votes.
It is worth noting, of course, that as soon as we found out, we informed the Commissioner of the RCMP, the Commissioner of Lobbying, and the ethics commissioner.
- partly answeredAboriginal AffairsMs. Jean Crowder (NDP) asked Peter MacKay (Conservative). substantive question.The answer lists specific actions taken but does not address the call for a national inquiry.
We are not only listening, we are taking concrete, substantive action.
- answeredAboriginal AffairsMr. Jonathan Genest-Jourdain (NDP) asked Peter MacKay (Conservative). substantive question.The answer identifies criminality as the main cause and lists concrete measures like the national centre for missing persons.
That is why we have put in place a national centre for missing persons.
- deflectedAboriginal AffairsMr. Romeo Saganash (NDP) asked Peter MacKay (Conservative). loaded question.The answer references reports on causes but avoids giving any specific explanation and pivots to urging collaboration.
I would encourage the member opposite, and I say to him emphatically, to work with us to come forward with solutions.
- deflectedEmploymentMs. Chrystia Freeland (Liberal) asked Joe Oliver (Conservative). loaded question.The answer acknowledges losses but shifts entirely to past record and global factors without addressing the timeline for fixing the crisis.
However, our job growth record has been very strong since the depths of the global recession.
- partly answeredEmploymentJohn McCallum (Liberal) asked Jason Kenney (Conservative). substantive question.The answer directly explains the program's purpose and upcoming tightening measures but does not address the specific admission about predecessors.
We are concerned about reported incidents of abuse, and we want to ensure that this program does not lead unintentionally to distortions in the Canadian labour market
- answeredEthicsMr. Emmanuel Dubourg (Liberal) asked Mr. Joe Preston (Conservative). substantive question.The answer directly addresses receipt of documents and timeline for the committee.
I will endeavour with my hard-working committee clerk to ensure that we receive them today or by Thursday.
- partly answeredPrivacyMr. Murray Rankin (NDP) asked Kerry-Lynne D. Findlay (Conservative). substantive question.The answer explains the limited circumstances for sharing but does not address why warrant procedures are being bypassed.
Officials cannot share information on the mere suspicion of criminal activity or based on a request initiated by law enforcement authorities.
- deflectedPrivacyMr. Murray Rankin (NDP) asked Kerry-Lynne D. Findlay (Conservative). loaded question.The answer repeats prior points on rare occasions and OECD recommendations without engaging the warrant or privacy premise.
It should be noted that this legislation responds to a recommendation from the OECD for member countries to adopt such measures.
- deflectedEmploymentMr. Guy Caron (NDP) asked Joe Oliver (Conservative). substantive question.The answer highlights overall job creation but ignores the specific request to reinstate the small business hiring tax credit.
More than one million net new jobs have been created since July 2009, almost 90% of which are full time and more than 80% of which are in the private sector.
- misdirectedEmploymentMr. Nathan Cullen (NDP) asked Joe Oliver (Conservative). loaded question.The answer attacks the member's grasp of numbers rather than addressing the quality of jobs or long-term unemployment data.
The member is picking and choosing among different studies.
- partly answeredInfrastructureMs. Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet (NDP) asked Denis Lebel (Conservative). loaded question.Answer explains the provincial submission process but opens by attacking the NDP instead of directly addressing the delay claim.
the only confusion is in the minds of the NDP.
- deflectedInfrastructureMs. Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet (NDP) asked Denis Lebel (Conservative). loaded question.Answer pivots to past investments and NDP voting record rather than addressing current funding delays for municipalities.
Never in the history of this country has a government done more for infrastructure in Canada than ours.
- answeredInfrastructureMr. Fin Donnelly (NDP) asked Denis Lebel (Conservative). substantive question.Answer directly states remaining funds from prior program and new program status while pointing to available information.
this year, there is still $6 billion of the former program that will flow all across the country this summer.
- partly answeredInfrastructureMr. Matthew Kellway (NDP) asked Denis Lebel (Conservative). loaded question.Answer gives funding percentages and total investment figures but does not address the specific accusation of rule changes delaying Toronto projects.
71% of the funds of the new program go directly to municipalities in our country.
- deflectedThe EnvironmentJohn McKay (Liberal) asked Leona Aglukkaq (Conservative). loaded question.Answer lists government actions on emissions but ignores the request to meet the press and discuss the NASA ice-melt findings.
Since 2006, our government has invested significant funds in more efficient technologies, better infrastructure, and adaptation in clean energy.
- deflectedNatural ResourcesMs. Joyce Murray (Liberal) asked Greg Rickford (Conservative). substantive question.Answer highlights First Nations employment benefits but does not address consultation failures or the call to reject the pipeline.
first nations have made and will continue to make important contributions as a full partner in the development of our natural resources.
- answeredEmployment InsuranceMr. Robert Chisholm (NDP) asked Jason Kenney (Conservative). substantive question.Answer explains the tribunal's independence and notes plans to publish more decisions while directing the member to the chair.
Those charged with responsibility for the Social Security Tribunal determine what they report publicly.
- answeredEmployment InsuranceMr. Robert Aubin (NDP) asked Jason Kenney (Conservative). substantive question.Answer again states the tribunal's independence and refers the member to the chair for policy changes on publication.
The chair has said that they will be increasing the number of decisions put online.
- misdirectedGovernment AdvertisingMr. Frank Valeriote (Liberal) asked Julian Fantino (Conservative). loaded question.The answer evades the ad spending and underfunding question by attacking the member's implied position instead.
Is that member really saying that we should not be telling veterans and informing them and their families how they can access benefits?
- deflectedForeign AffairsMr. Paul Dewar (NDP) asked John Baird (Conservative). substantive question.The answer restates general leadership talking points without addressing specific actions or sanctions requested.
no government anywhere in the world, no leader of any government in the world, has stood up more strongly and more loudly than the Prime Minister of Canada when it comes to the challenges facing the people of Sri Lanka.
- misdirectedInternational TradeMs. Anne Minh-Thu Quach (NDP) asked Mr. Erin O'Toole (Conservative). loaded question.The answer attacks the NDP's trade stance rather than addressing the policy shortfall or Chamber of Commerce recommendations.
NDP members should finally show their true colours and show Canadians that they oppose trade agreements.
- partly answeredInternational TradeMr. Jean-François Fortin (Bloc) asked Gerry Ritz (Conservative). substantive question.The answer addresses the compensation question by stating the deal is not finalized and consultations are ongoing.
I am not sure anyone is entitled to compensation.