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Thursday, June 12, 2014 · sitting No. 102

House advances citizenship overhaul and prostitution bill amid time allocation

The House spent the largest share of its sitting on third reading of Bill C-24, the Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act. Minister Chris Alexander opened debate by describing the measure as a long-overdue update that would improve service for permanent residents and citizens while raising the value of Canadian citizenship. New Democratic MP Philip Toone questioned provisions allowing revocation of citizenship acquired by birth.

Government House leader Peter Van Loan moved time allocation on Bill C-36, the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act, limiting second-reading debate to five more hours. Justice Minister Peter MacKay defended the bill as a response to the Supreme Court Bedford decision that would criminalize the purchase of sexual services while protecting victims. Opposition members criticized the repeated use of time allocation.

In Question Period, NDP leader Thomas Mulcair pressed the government on the number of Syrian refugees resettled in Canada and on the fighter-jet replacement process. Prime Minister Stephen Harper said more than 1,000 Syrian refugees had arrived and that the government would review an expert report before deciding on aircraft procurement.

Decided that day

  • Third reading of a bill passed
  • Motion on Bill C-36 passed
  • Ethics commissioner appointment approved
  • Adjournment motion defeated
  • Amendment 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 · 2014-06-12

Government (Conservative)OppositionOver the day: government 43%, opposition 57% of the words spokenRoutine proceedingsGovernment businessQuestion PeriodGovernment businessGovernment business▲ Government side held the floor▼ Opposition held the floorOpened 10:0512:0013:0014:0015:0016:0017:0018:0019:0020:0021:00Last speech 23:35Time of day, Ottawa · the House sat 13 h 30 min · each dot is a stretch of debate, placed at the minute it began
68Bills Advance Past Failed MotionsThe House devoted most of its time to debating major bills on citizenship and prostitution, advancing several measures through recorded votes and stages. A few procedural points and incomplete Question Period replies occurred, yet the majority of business remained substantive.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

Public Works and Government Services

Liberal MP Marc Garneau accused the government of accepting the military's 2010 choice without competition or full cost analysis. Minister Diane Finley replied that an arm's-length expert panel had found the Royal Canadian Air Force evaluation rigorous and impartial.

Read the exchange

National Defence

NDP MP Jack Harris said an internal review found no policy gaps despite daily sexual assaults in the forces and called for an independent inquiry. Minister Rob Nicholson said an external review ordered by the Chief of the Defence Staff was under way.

Read the exchange

Board of Internal Economy

Conservative MP Larry Miller asked when the NDP would repay $1.3 million ruled improperly spent on partisan mailings. Minister Lisa Raitt said she had spoken to Canada Post and expected repayment.

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Natural Resources

NDP MP Murray Rankin said the minister promised oil executives in New York to push the project through while telling British Columbians it would not be approved if unsafe. Minister Greg Rickford said the joint review panel report was under study and only safe projects would proceed.

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Service Canada Mandate Expansion Act

Liberal MP Frank Valeriote presented his private member's bill to create a single federal point of contact after a death. Conservative MP Cathy McLeod asked how the proposal would interact with provincial vital-statistics responsibilities.

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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
    Public Works and Government ServicesThomas Mulcair (NDP) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.The answer avoids any commitment on holding a competitive bidding process.The government will announce a decision that is in the best interests of the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces.
  2. deflected
    Public Works and Government ServicesThomas Mulcair (NDP) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.The answer sidesteps the question on making the report public or confirming a bidding process.The government has received that report.
  3. misdirected
    Citizenship and ImmigrationThomas Mulcair (NDP) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.The answer attacks the NDP on unrelated spending instead of addressing refugee numbers.the leader of the NDP should return the improper funds that his party took on mailings and offices
  4. misdirected
    Citizenship and ImmigrationThomas Mulcair (NDP) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.The answer pivots to attacking the NDP on funds rather than specifying numbers of sponsored refugees.when the NDP is going to return the public money that it took completely illicitly
  5. misdirected
    Citizenship and ImmigrationThomas Mulcair (NDP) asked Stephen Harper (Conservative). substantive question.The answer shifts to criticizing NDP spending instead of clarifying how many of the promised 200 refugees have arrived.none of this excuses the NDP from misusing public funds for partisan purposes.
  6. partly answered
    The EnvironmentMs. Joyce Murray (Liberal) asked Greg Rickford (Conservative). substantive question.The answer addresses the review process but does not commit to rejecting the project.Projects will only be approved if they are safe for Canadians and safe for the environment.
  7. deflected
    Public Works and Government ServicesMr. Marc Garneau (Liberal) asked Diane Finley (Conservative). substantive question.The answer praises the panel but does not address the lack of competitive bidding or costs.I would like to sincerely thank this panel for its service to Canada.
  8. deflected
    Public Works and Government ServicesMr. Marc Garneau (Liberal) asked Diane Finley (Conservative). substantive question.The answer defends the evaluation process without confirming plans for an open competition.we launched a seven-point plan to review all of the options available to replace the fleet of CF-18s
  9. answered
    Citizenship and ImmigrationMs. Lysane Blanchette-Lamothe (NDP) asked Chris Alexander (Conservative). substantive question.The answer directly states how many of the approved refugees are in Canada.all 1,150 Syrian refugees who have received Canada's protection so far are in Canada.
  10. deflected
    Citizenship and ImmigrationMs. Lysane Blanchette-Lamothe (NDP) asked Chris Alexander (Conservative). substantive question.The answer addresses the 200 figure but shifts to calling for more sponsors instead of explaining delays.the number of Syrian refugees sponsored by the Government of Canada whose applications have been approved has already exceeded 200, and we are going to do more.
  11. deflected
    Citizenship and ImmigrationMs. Lysane Blanchette-Lamothe (NDP) asked Chris Alexander (Conservative). loaded question.The answer avoids the UN response question by restating Canada's role and calling for sponsors.Canada is already playing an important role in this effort and we will do more.
  12. answered
    Citizenship and ImmigrationMs. Jinny Jogindera Sims (NDP) asked Chris Alexander (Conservative). substantive question.The answer gives the number in Canada but then attacks the opposition and changes subject.There are 1,150 Syrian refugees in Canada, and we have approved more than 200 government-assisted refugees to come to Canada.
  13. misdirected
    Citizenship and ImmigrationMs. Jinny Jogindera Sims (NDP) asked Chris Alexander (Conservative). substantive question.The answer ignores the in-Canada count and pivots to attacking the NDP on citizenship and unrelated spending.
  14. misdirected
    Citizenship and ImmigrationMs. Rathika Sitsabaiesan (NDP) asked Chris Alexander (Conservative). substantive question.The answer discusses NATO's history instead of explaining any link to Charter protections.NATO is the most successful military alliance in the history of the world.
  15. deflected
    Citizenship and ImmigrationMs. Rathika Sitsabaiesan (NDP) asked Chris Alexander (Conservative). substantive question.The answer avoids critics and Charter concerns by citing poll numbers and attacking the NDP.It was 80-plus%, just under the number of Canadians who want the NDP to pay back the $1.17 million.
  16. deflected
    Citizenship and ImmigrationMrs. Sadia Groguhé (NDP) asked Chris Alexander (Conservative). substantive question.The answer addresses fraud revocation but shifts to NATO comparisons and attacks the NDP instead of explaining dual-citizen treatment.Every NATO country revokes citizenship for those crimes, except for maybe Portugal.
  17. misdirected
    Citizenship and ImmigrationMr. Peter Julian (NDP) asked Chris Alexander (Conservative). substantive question.The answer ignores the refugee arrival count and instead attacks the opposition about repayments.Our question for him is this. How much of the $1.17 million have the members of the opposition paid back to Canadian taxpayers as of today?
  18. misdirected
    Citizenship and ImmigrationMr. Frank Valeriote (Liberal) asked Chris Alexander (Conservative). loaded question.The answer denies the premise and pivots to attacking the Liberal Party on residency fraud.What I said yesterday was that Trudeau had cheapened Canadian citizenship by reducing the residency requirement, by opening the door to abuse, and by putting aside these fundamental issues of principle, of allegiance to Canada, of loyalty to Canada, and making absolutely no mention of them for the years after 1977.
  19. deflected
    Citizenship and ImmigrationRalph Goodale (Liberal) asked Chris Alexander (Conservative). loaded question.The answer affirms the value of citizens but immediately shifts to residency fraud cases without addressing regret.What we are not proud of and what does not impress any Canadian is the fact that there are still thousands of cases of residency fraud being investigated by the RCMP, abuses of our citizenship program to which the Liberal Party of Canada turned an absolute blind eye.
  20. partly answered
    Citizenship and ImmigrationMr. Emmanuel Dubourg (Liberal) asked Chris Alexander (Conservative). loaded question.The answer affirms pride in the member's family but reframes to policy changes without directly rejecting the traitor label.We are proud of the stories of immigrants like the member opposite, the sacrifices they have made, the things they have done to make this a better country, and the contributions they have made.
  21. answered
    National DefenceMr. Jack Harris (NDP) asked Rob Nicholson (Conservative). substantive question.The answer directly clarifies that an external review is underway rather than an internal one.This is why the Chief of the Defence Staff is conducting an external review, not the internal review that the hon. member just referred to.
  22. misdirected
    National DefenceMr. Jack Harris (NDP) asked Rob Nicholson (Conservative). substantive question.The answer attacks the member's confidence in military leadership instead of addressing the need for an independent inquiry.that member has no confidence in the military leadership of this country.
  23. answered
    National DefenceMs. Élaine Michaud (NDP) asked Rob Nicholson (Conservative). substantive question.The answer directly states that senior ranks are not denying the problem and points to the external review.As I pointed out to the member's colleague, an external review is being conducted on the orders of the Chief of the Defence Staff.
  24. answered
    National DefenceMs. Élaine Michaud (NDP) asked Rob Nicholson (Conservative). substantive question.The answer directly corrects that the review is external and independent, not internal.There was an internal review, as I indicated, but the Chief of the Defence Staff is conducting an external independent review of these serious charges.
  25. partly answered
    Public SafetyMs. Rosane Doré Lefebvre (NDP) asked Steven Blaney (Conservative). substantive question.The answer offers assistance to Quebec but avoids committing to no-fly zones by labeling the measure limited.we are offering our assistance to the Quebec government.
  26. misdirected
    Public SafetyMs. Rosane Doré Lefebvre (NDP) asked Steven Blaney (Conservative). substantive question.The response shifts blame to the previous Quebec government rather than addressing why no permanent no-fly zones were implemented.If the previous separatist government was in such a hurry to do something about this, then why did it wait seven months to send a letter to the Canadian government?
  27. misdirected
    Natural ResourcesMr. Murray Rankin (NDP) asked Greg Rickford (Conservative). loaded question.The answer attacks the NDP on unrelated mail-outs instead of addressing the pipeline decision.Speaking of decisions, when will the NDP decide to pay back the $1.17 million it bilked Canadian taxpayers of for its illegal mail-outs?
  28. deflected
    Natural ResourcesMr. Nathan Cullen (NDP) asked Greg Rickford (Conservative). substantive question.The response restates the review process and safety framework without answering whether the project will be rejected.
  29. deflected
    Public SafetyStéphane Dion (Liberal) asked Steven Blaney (Conservative). substantive question.The answer pivots to Quebec's pride in Canada instead of explaining the six-month delay on no-fly zones.the government in Quebec City is concerned about public safety and is proud that Quebec is part of Canada.
  30. answered
    Rail TransportationMark Eyking (Liberal) asked Lisa Raitt (Conservative). substantive question.The answer directly states the line is provincial and confirms ongoing work with the provincial government and mayor.we will continue to work with the mayor of Cape Breton, Cecil Clarke, on these matters and with the provincial government as well.
  31. misdirected
    Agriculture and Agri-FoodMs. Ruth Ellen Brosseau (NDP) asked Gerry Ritz (Conservative). loaded question.The response attacks the NDP on taxpayer money instead of addressing the trade dispute with the US.what I am getting phone calls from farmers about right now is when the NDP is going to pay back all the money it has ripped off from Canadian taxpayers.
  32. partly answered
    Agriculture and Agri-FoodMs. Ruth Ellen Brosseau (NDP) asked Gerry Ritz (Conservative). substantive question.The answer describes general trade work with the US but provides no specific plan for resolving the current dispute.It is always incumbent on us to ensure that those trade routes stay open.
  33. partly answered
    Fisheries and OceansLawrence MacAulay (Liberal) asked Gail Shea (Conservative). substantive question.The answer lists past investments but does not address future measures for out-migration or fish plant labour shortages.We have invested in the lobster industry. We have invested in rationalization. We have invested in trade deals that will significantly improve the price for the fishermen at the wharf.
  34. deflected
    Air TransportationMr. Hoang Mai (NDP) asked Lisa Raitt (Conservative). substantive question.The answer explains the regulatory process and cites a lawsuit to avoid addressing the meeting request.In truth, because CUPE is currently suing Transport Canada, it would be inappropriate to meet.
  35. deflected
    The EnvironmentMs. Linda Duncan (NDP) asked Mr. Colin Carrie (Conservative). loaded question.The answer lists general conservation achievements instead of addressing caribou habitat protection or the specific claim of failure.That is why we recently launched the new national conservation plan that will enable Canadians to conserve and restore lands and waters.
  36. answered
    Citizenship and ImmigrationMrs. Maria Mourani (Independent) asked Chris Alexander (Conservative). substantive question.The answer directly provides the requested number of Syrian refugees and notes plans for more.I can confirm, once again, that 1,150 Syrian refugees have arrived in Canada.