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Tuesday, June 1, 2021 · sitting No. 108

Commons debates unredacted lab documents in supply motion

The House spent the largest share of its sitting on a Conservative supply motion moved by Michael Chong that would order the production of unredacted Public Health Agency of Canada documents concerning the 2019 shipment of Ebola and Henipah viruses to the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the subsequent dismissal of two scientists. The motion, which also requires review by the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel, remained before the House at adjournment.

In Question Period, Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole pressed the government on the same documents and on security clearances granted to the scientists, while NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh demanded an end to litigation against Indigenous children and residential-school survivors. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians was the proper forum for sensitive national-security questions and reiterated that compensation for survivors would be provided.

The House also held a lengthy take-note debate on the discovery of remains at the former Kamloops residential school, with members from all parties expressing condolences and calling for accelerated work on Truth and Reconciliation Commission calls to action 71 to 76.

Decided that day

  • S-230 advanced to second reading
  • S-4 moved forward in first chamber

From the Hansard record of the sitting. Full Hansard

Question Period – June 1, 2021. Video from CPAC. Watch on YouTube

Who held the floor · 2021-06-01

Government (Liberal)OppositionOver the day: government 38%, opposition 62% of the words spokenGovernment businessGovernment business▲ Government side held the floor▼ Opposition held the floorOpened 10:0512:0013:0014:0015:0016:0017:0018:0019:0020:00Last speech 21:45Time of day, Ottawa · the House sat 11 h 40 min · each dot is a stretch of debate, placed at the minute it began
52Bills creep ahead amid school debateThe House spent most of its time on supply and residential schools, advancing two bills while question period produced mostly deflected answers. Few procedural interruptions occurred and no votes were held.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

Airline Industry

Bloc Québécois MP Xavier Barsalou-Duval asked the government to withhold further support from Air Canada until executives return $20 million in bonuses paid after the receipt of nearly $6 billion in federal aid.

Read the exchange

Canadian Heritage

Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet warned the Prime Minister that failure to pass Bill C-10 by the end of June would carry a heavy political cost in Quebec.

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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

Conservative MP Jasraj Singh Hallan asked when the government would create a permanent refugee program for persecuted LGBTQ individuals, prompting Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino to cite Canada's leading role in refugee resettlement.

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Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999

Liberal MP Mark Gerretsen said the government would not support Bill C-204 because its prohibition on exporting plastic waste for final disposal is unlikely to be effective.

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Agriculture and Agri-Food

Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau told the House that dairy producers have already received more than $1 billion in compensation for trade agreements and that further payments are scheduled.

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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. answered
    Indigenous AffairsErin O'Toole (Conservative) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). substantive question.The answer directly affirms continued work on the specified calls to action.we will continue to work on these calls to action.
  2. deflected
    Public SafetyErin O'Toole (Conservative) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). loaded question.The answer avoids the specific allegations by pivoting to the creation of a parliamentary committee.That is why we encourage the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians to look at issues like this
  3. misdirected
    Public SafetyErin O'Toole (Conservative) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). loaded question.The answer attacks the opposition's past record instead of addressing the current security questions.The fact that the Conservative leader just referred to it as "the Prime Minister's secret committee" goes to part of the problem of why the Conservative government, under Stephen Harper, for 10 years refused to bring in any oversight
  4. deflected
    Public SafetyErin O'Toole (Conservative) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). substantive question.The answer redirects to the parliamentary committee without providing any details on clearances or approvals.This committee has the power and ability to study the most sensitive issues around national security.
  5. misdirected
    Public SafetyErin O'Toole (Conservative) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). loaded question.The answer accuses the asker of scoring partisan points rather than addressing the China policy questions.we see once again that the Conservative leader and the Conservative Party will never hesitate to try to score partisan political points, including on the backs of our own national security.
  6. partly answered
    Canadian HeritageMr. Yves-François Blanchet (Bloc) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). substantive question.The answer expresses hope for passage but does not commit to ensuring it passes this month.we hope to pass this bill by the end of the session.
  7. deflected
    Canadian HeritageMr. Yves-François Blanchet (Bloc) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). loaded question.The answer blames Conservatives and recounts past actions instead of addressing the deadline or consequences.It is indeed concerning that the Conservatives are once again standing in the way of Canadian and Quebec culture
  8. partly answered
    Indigenous AffairsMr. Jagmeet Singh (NDP) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). substantive question.The answer affirms compensation and work on child services but does not directly answer whether court fights will stop.Every survivor deserves compensation. We will be there for that.
  9. deflected
    Indigenous AffairsMr. Jagmeet Singh (NDP) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). loaded question.The answer discusses healing and compensation efforts but avoids any commitment on stopping court actions.As for compensation, we have recognized as a government that compensation will be given to residential school survivors.
  10. deflected
    Public SafetyMichael Chong (Conservative) asked Marc Garneau (Liberal). substantive question.The answer states support for the investigation but refuses to address document access or lab notes.as we have said before, the two individuals in question are no longer employed at the laboratory, and we cannot provide any further details.
  11. misdirected
    Public SafetyMichael Chong (Conservative) asked Patty Hajdu (Liberal). substantive question.The answer pivots to accusing the opposition of stoking fear instead of addressing access for U.S. investigators.While the opposition continues to stoke fear, we will remain focused on stopping the spread of COVID-19
  12. misdirected
    Public SafetyMr. Pierre Paul-Hus (Conservative) asked Patty Hajdu (Liberal). substantive question.The answer attacks the Conservatives' motives on national security rather than confirming any lab collaborations.either Conservatives do not understand national security or they do not care.
  13. deflected
    Public SafetyMr. Pierre Paul-Hus (Conservative) asked Patty Hajdu (Liberal). substantive question.The answer repeats that documents were provided with redactions but evades the yes/no on agreement.I would encourage the Conservative Party not to put the national security of Canadians at risk for partisan gain.
  14. deflected
    Public SafetyMr. Garnett Genuis (Conservative) asked Patty Hajdu (Liberal). substantive question.The answer again accuses Conservatives of partisan games and does not address Parliament's privileges.I encourage the Conservative Party to put the national security of Canadians in the forefront and stop these partisan games.
  15. deflected
    Public SafetyMr. Garnett Genuis (Conservative) asked Patty Hajdu (Liberal). substantive question.The answer reiterates minimal redactions and urges focus elsewhere without committing to full unredacted handover.the redactions were minimal, to protect the confidentiality of the situation.
  16. partly answered
    Airline IndustryMr. Xavier Barsalou-Duval (Bloc) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). substantive question.The answer addresses executive compensation limits but does not confirm withholding funds until bonuses are returned.The support for Air Canada comes with clear limits on executive compensation.
  17. deflected
    Airline IndustryMr. Xavier Barsalou-Duval (Bloc) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). loaded question.Answer notes compensation caps but avoids addressing withholding funds until bonuses repaid.I want to note that in negotiating our support for Air Canada, we established clear caps on executive compensation.
  18. partly answered
    Indigenous AffairsMrs. Cathy McLeod (Conservative) asked Carolyn Bennett (Liberal). substantive question.Answer details some funding and registry work but does not commit to full support for all investigations.In budget 2019, we allocated $33.8 million to engage with indigenous communities on how to implement calls to action 74 to 76 and—
  19. answered
    Indigenous AffairsMrs. Cathy McLeod (Conservative) asked Marc Miller (Liberal). substantive question.Answer directly commits to mental health support and references outreach to affected communities.
  20. deflected
    Airline IndustryMrs. Stephanie Kusie (Conservative) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). loaded question.Answer asserts limits exist but does not address why executive compensation was included despite prior demands.The member is mistaken because the reality is that support for Air Canada comes with clear limits on executive compensation.
  21. deflected
    Airline IndustryMrs. Stephanie Kusie (Conservative) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). loaded question.Answer repeats emphasis on limits but sidesteps the claim that workers were not prioritized over executives.let me be very clear. The government absolutely believed that limits on executive compensation were a priority in our negotiations with Air Canada.
  22. deflected
    Indigenous AffairsMs. Rachel Blaney (NDP) asked Marc Miller (Liberal). loaded question.Answer discusses compensation paths but avoids committing to stop court proceedings against First Nations children.We continue to work with the three competing court cases to ensure fair compensation to those who have suffered harm.
  23. answered
    Fisheries and OceansMr. Gord Johns (NDP) asked Bernadette Jordan (Liberal). substantive question.Answer affirms treaty rights and describes the flexible plan allowing moderate livelihood fishing.We have put in place a plan this year that allows them to fish for that moderate livelihood as we work toward long-term agreements.
  24. partly answered
    TelecommunicationsPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked François-Philippe Champagne (Liberal). substantive question.Answer affirms ongoing work on affordability and competition but does not confirm the 25% reduction commitment.As he knows, we are still working toward offering affordable prices to every Canadian in the country.
  25. deflected
    TelecommunicationsPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked François-Philippe Champagne (Liberal). substantive question.The answer promotes general policies without addressing the 25% price cut promise.That is why our government, since day one, has been relentless in promoting competition to lower prices, while working to improve quality and increase the coverage of telecom services in Canada.
  26. deflected
    Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipMr. Jasraj Singh Hallan (Conservative) asked Marco Mendicino (Liberal). substantive question.Responds with general achievements on refugees without addressing the request for a permanent program.We have worked very closely with the LGBTQ2 community to ensure that members of that community are able to resettle to Canada despite the challenges that have been posed by COVID-19.
  27. deflected
    Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipMr. Martin Champoux (Bloc) asked Marco Mendicino (Liberal). rhetorical question.The response repeats prior remarks instead of addressing the interpretation issue raised.as I said, for the last three years in a row, Canada has led the world when it comes to resettling refugees
  28. misdirected
    Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipMr. Jasraj Singh Hallan (Conservative) asked Bardish Chagger (Liberal). loaded question.The response shifts to attacking the opposition instead of addressing the refugee program concerns.What is unfortunate is that the member is very bold to ask that question when just yesterday we were debating Bill C-6 in regard to protecting LGBTQ2 rights for Canadians.
  29. answered
    Official LanguagesMs. Christine Normandin (Bloc) asked Pablo Rodriguez (Liberal). substantive question.Addresses the concern by stating they are collaborating with Quebec.On the contrary, we are working with Quebec.
  30. partly answered
    Official LanguagesMs. Christine Normandin (Bloc) asked Mrs. Marie-France Lalonde (Liberal). substantive question.Explains the government's approach but does not directly respond to allowing Quebec to enforce Bill 101.In our reform, we plan to offer protection for French as the language of work and of service in Quebec and in certain communities across the country with a large francophone population.
  31. misdirected
    Public SafetyMs. Lianne Rood (Conservative) asked Patty Hajdu (Liberal). loaded question.The answer accuses the opposition of partisan games rather than addressing the collaboration with China.In terms of national security, clearly the Conservatives are playing a dangerous game.
  32. misdirected
    Public SafetyMr. Marty Morantz (Conservative) asked Patty Hajdu (Liberal). loaded question.Responds by accusing the Conservatives of partisan games instead of providing new information.I would encourage the Conservative Party not to put the security of Canadians at risk for partisan gain.
  33. partly answered
    HousingMr. James Cumming (Conservative) asked Ahmed Hussen (Liberal). substantive question.The answer lists specific government housing measures but does not address timing or factors like tariffs and mortgage rules.That is why we are proposing an annual 1% tax on the value of non-resident, non-Canadian-owned residential real estate that is considered to be vacant or underused.
  34. partly answered
    Agriculture and Agri-FoodMr. Richard Lehoux (Conservative) asked Marie-Claude Bibeau (Liberal). substantive question.The answer references a budget announcement and ongoing work but provides no timeline or new action for processors.I would remind my hon. colleague that in the last budget, we announced compensation for Canada's dairy, poultry and egg processors.
  35. deflected
    SeniorsMr. Luc Berthold (Conservative) asked Deb Schulte (Liberal). loaded question.The answer offers general assurances on seniors without addressing Phoenix compensation delays or forms for retirees.We are working very hard to make sure that all seniors receive the payments and the benefits that they are entitled to.
  36. misdirected
    Public SafetyMr. Glen Motz (Conservative) asked Bill Blair (Liberal). loaded question.The answer shifts to criticizing the opposition's gun control stance and voting record instead of addressing current violence.I would remind the member that we promised Canadians we would strengthen gun control, while his party has promised Canadians that it would weaken it.
  37. answered
    The EnvironmentMs. Elizabeth May (Green) asked Jonathan Wilkinson (Liberal). substantive question.The answer directly explains the bill's use of science and lists specific amendments being added to strengthen it.We will be further strengthening this bill to include a number of amendments, including a 2025 review of our 2030 target and an interim emissions reduction objective for 2026
  38. deflected
    Points of OrderMr. Gérard Deltell (Conservative) asked Mr. Mark Gerretsen (Liberal). substantive question.The answer addresses procedural rules on virtual participation but avoids the core concern about in-person attendance requirements.They are participating virtually. This goes to the rules we adopted.
  39. answered
    Points of OrderMr. Gérard Deltell (Conservative) asked David Lametti (Liberal). substantive question.The answer directly clarifies the use of a prop during a prior question as requested.When he asked a question during question period, I believe he used a prop, a milk carton, in delivering his question.