Parliament AIIndependent · non-official

All sittings← 2022-03-292022-03-31 →

Wednesday, March 30, 2022 · sitting No. 49

Commons allots one more day to debate bill ending some mandatory minimums

The House devoted nearly a third of its time to a motion that will limit second-reading debate on Bill C-5 to one further sitting day. Justice Minister David Lametti said the bill would reverse policies that failed to reduce crime and are being abandoned elsewhere. Conservative House leader John Brassard called the measure a get-out-of-jail-free card for offenders.

Question period featured repeated Conservative attacks on the coming budget and the April 1 carbon-tax increase. Liberal ministers countered that the economy is the second-fastest growing in the G7 and that rebates offset most of the carbon price for eight in ten households.

New Democrat Leader Jagmeet Singh pressed the government to tax record bank profits rather than protect them, while Bloc Québécois members accused the Liberals and New Democrats of abandoning seniors aged 65 to 74.

Decided that day

  • Time allocation for Bill C-5 passed
  • Motion to proceed to Orders of the Day passed
  • Bills S-7 and S-6 introduced

From the Hansard record of the sitting. Full Hansard

Question Period – March 30, 2022. Video from CPAC. Watch on YouTube

Who held the floor · 2022-03-30

Government (Liberal)OppositionOver the day: government 53%, opposition 47% of the words spokenQuestion PeriodGovernment businessPrivate members▲ Government side held the floor▼ Opposition held the floorOpened 14:0015:0016:0017:0018:00Last speech 18:50Time of day, Ottawa · the House sat 4 h 50 min · each dot is a stretch of debate, placed at the minute it began
69Bills Advance With Few InterruptionsThe sitting focused almost entirely on substantive business, with time allocated mainly to the Criminal Code and several other topics. Two motions passed and two Senate bills were introduced.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

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

Bloc Québécois MP Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe said approved Ukrainian refugees still cannot reach Canada because no chartered flights have been arranged from Poland.

Read the exchange

Public Services and Procurement

Conservative MP Pierre Paul-Hus asked when the government would end seven years of delay and commit to buying F-35 fighter jets rather than continuing to study the file.

Read the exchange

Post-Secondary Education

New Democrat MP Blake Desjarlais said the government collected $3.2 billion in student-loan payments during the pandemic and asked when it would cancel the debt.

Read the exchange

International Transgender Day of Visibility

New Democrat MP Heather McPherson marked the International Transgender Day of Visibility and called for an end to barriers in health care and government services faced by trans Canadians.

Read the exchange

Natural Resources

Conservative MP Shannon Stubbs said the environment minister's new emissions plan would cut Alberta output by 235,000 barrels a day while the natural resources minister promises a 300,000-barrel increase.

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
    FinanceMr. Luc Berthold (Conservative) asked Randy Boissonnault (Liberal). loaded question.Answer ignores the consultation query and pivots to unrelated GDP stats.First, according to StatsCan, our GDP grew at an annualized rate of 6.7%.
  2. misdirected
    FinanceMr. Luc Berthold (Conservative) asked Randy Boissonnault (Liberal). loaded question.Answer dodges the fiscal responsibility question by attacking the opposition and pushing unrelated bill.When will the other side of the House vote in favour of Bill C‑8?
  3. deflected
    FinanceMr. Luc Berthold (Conservative) asked Randy Boissonnault (Liberal). loaded question.Answer evades the budget impact query by shifting to past Conservative record and listing unrelated benefits.it is refreshing to hear the other side of the House talk about taxation after their terrible record over their 10 years in government.
  4. partly answered
    HousingMr. Dan Albas (Conservative) asked Ahmed Hussen (Liberal). substantive question.Answer addresses housing measures but does not explain the energy rating policy.We are moving forward with a housing accelerator fund that would increase the housing supply across the spectrum
  5. deflected
    Carbon PricingMr. Dan Albas (Conservative) asked Randy Boissonnault (Liberal). loaded question.Answer avoids cancelling the carbon tax by attacking a Conservative leader instead.it is no surprise to hear this from the Conservatives when their top candidate for leader, the member for Carleton , is campaigning against real action on climate change.
  6. answered
    SeniorsMr. Alain Therrien (Bloc) asked Mr. Darren Fisher (Liberal). substantive question.Answer directly explains the OAS increase decision and rationale for seniors 75+.our government has delivered on its commitment to increase OAS by 10% for all seniors aged 75 and up.
  7. answered
    SeniorsMr. Alain Therrien (Bloc) asked Mr. Darren Fisher (Liberal). substantive question.Answer explains the policy choice and lists prior supports for seniors.One of the first things we did for seniors was restore the age of eligibility for OAS back to 65 from 67, which was moved forward by the Conservatives.
  8. partly answered
    The EconomyMr. Jagmeet Singh (NDP) asked Randy Boissonnault (Liberal). substantive question.Answer lists past affordability measures but does not address the upcoming budget choice.We raised taxes on the wealthiest 1% and lowered them for the middle class.
  9. partly answered
    The EconomyMr. Jagmeet Singh (NDP) asked Randy Boissonnault (Liberal). substantive question.The answer lists past affordability measures but does not address the specific upcoming budget choice between families and corporations.We provided support to Canadians during the pandemic with Bill C‑2 ; we raised taxes on the wealthiest 1% and we cut them for the middle class; we increased the Canada child benefit.
  10. deflected
    Carbon PricingMrs. Stephanie Kusie (Conservative) asked Karina Gould (Liberal). loaded question.The answer pivots entirely to child care achievements and ignores the carbon tax request.In provinces like Alberta, that means families have already received a 50% reduction in fees.
  11. deflected
    Carbon PricingMrs. Stephanie Kusie (Conservative) asked Karina Gould (Liberal). loaded question.The answer again focuses solely on child care benefits and does not engage the carbon tax question.I have heard from parents in Alberta who talk about how important the reduction in fees in child care is
  12. answered
    Carbon PricingMr. Dane Lloyd (Conservative) asked Mr. Terry Duguid (Liberal). substantive question.The answer directly explains the quarterly rebate schedule and timing change.Of course, that is the date when Canadians will receive the climate action rebate cheques.
  13. partly answered
    Carbon PricingMr. Michael Cooper (Conservative) asked Mr. Terry Duguid (Liberal). loaded question.The answer rebuts the revenue-neutral claim with rebate figures but does not address the legion cost example.This year it is $600 in Ontario, $700 in Manitoba and $1,100 in Saskatchewan and Alberta.
  14. deflected
    Carbon PricingMr. Gérard Deltell (Conservative) asked Mr. Terry Duguid (Liberal). substantive question.The answer defends carbon pricing in principle and cites PBO figures without addressing the immediate tax increase request.pricing pollution is recognized as one of the most efficient ways to fight climate change.
  15. misdirected
    Carbon PricingMr. Gérard Deltell (Conservative) asked Randy Boissonnault (Liberal). substantive question.The answer attacks the Conservatives' voting record instead of addressing the inflation and carbon tax increase.What did the Conservatives do? They voted against it.
  16. partly answered
    Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipMr. Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe (Bloc) asked Mrs. Marie-France Lalonde (Liberal). substantive question.The answer mentions easing biometric requirements and airline partners but does not confirm an airlift.We are working with all our partners, including the airline companies.
  17. deflected
    Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipMr. Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe (Bloc) asked Mrs. Marie-France Lalonde (Liberal). substantive question.The answer lists existing programs but does not address the request for chartered flights.We have launched a new program, we have relaxed the biometric requirements and we have brought in more agents to process applications.
  18. misdirected
    TaxationMr. Chris Warkentin (Conservative) asked Mr. Terry Duguid (Liberal). substantive question.The answer promotes the policy and attacks the Conservatives rather than explaining the tax increase.The Conservatives are stuck in the past. We are looking toward the future.
  19. partly answered
    The EconomyMrs. Shelby Kramp-Neuman (Conservative) asked Mr. Darren Fisher (Liberal). loaded question.The answer details OAS and other supports but ignores the demand to address the broader economic crisis or accusations of dodging.Our Liberal government is delivering on our promise to increase OAS by 10% for those 75 and older, strengthening support for all Canadians later in life.
  20. deflected
    TaxationMr. Marty Morantz (Conservative) asked Randy Boissonnault (Liberal). substantive question.The answer lists existing benefits but does not promise no new tax increases in the budget.
  21. deflected
    HousingMr. Matt Jeneroux (Conservative) asked Ahmed Hussen (Liberal). substantive question.The answer begins to cite the national housing strategy but cuts off without addressing the specific program failures mentioned.I will just give the hon. member one example of the large national housing strategy.
  22. partly answered
    Climate ChangeMs. Laurel Collins (NDP) asked Mr. Terry Duguid (Liberal). substantive question.The answer references the emissions plan and jobs but does not address subsidies for carbon capture or oil and gas interests.I am not sure if the hon. member caught the emissions reduction plan announcement yesterday, but it is a practical road map to fight climate change and create good jobs as we build a clean economy.
  23. answered
    Post-Secondary EducationMr. Blake Desjarlais (NDP) asked Carla Qualtrough (Liberal). substantive question.The answer directly states the payment freeze until 2024 and the commitment to eliminate student debt.I am pleased to advise the member that until at least next March of 2024 students do not have to pay debt on their student loan payments, and we made a commitment, which we will make good on, to eliminate permanently student debt for students so they can go off into their careers in a position to excel, to flourish and to prosper, like every Canadian has a right to.
  24. deflected
    Public Services and ProcurementMr. Pierre Paul-Hus (Conservative) asked Filomena Tassi (Liberal). substantive question.The answer emphasizes the competitive process and complexity but does not commit to a timeline for resolving the F-35 procurement.It is imperative that we get this right, and that is why we took the time we needed to make the best decisions for Canadians and for our air force.
  25. partly answered
    Public Services and ProcurementMr. Pierre Paul-Hus (Conservative) asked Anita Anand (Liberal). loaded question.Answer provides update on fighter jet procurement but does not confirm immediate settlement of F-35 specifically.On Monday, when we announced the procurement of the 88 fighter jets and the top-ranked bidder, this brought us one step closer to a new fleet of state-of-the-art fighter jets for our Royal Canadian Air Force.
  26. deflected
    Public Services and ProcurementKerry-Lynne Findlay (Conservative) asked Anita Anand (Liberal). substantive question.Answer restates general process without addressing why costing needs further refinement after known consortium pricing.As we continue to move through this process, the details on costing will be further refined.
  27. misdirected
    Public Services and ProcurementMr. Kelly McCauley (Conservative) asked Anita Anand (Liberal). loaded question.Answer attacks Conservative record instead of addressing listed procurement delays.Unlike the Conservatives who cut billions from defence, we are providing our CAF members with the equipment they need to keep Canadians safe.
  28. misdirected
    Climate ChangeMs. Monique Pauzé (Bloc) asked Mr. Terry Duguid (Liberal). loaded question.Answer accuses Bloc of political games rather than addressing the GHG plan's handling of oil emissions.it is disappointing to see the Bloc Québécois playing political games.
  29. partly answered
    Climate ChangeMs. Monique Pauzé (Bloc) asked Mr. Terry Duguid (Liberal). rhetorical question.Answer lists emission reduction measures but does not acknowledge or refute the claim that green oil does not exist.On top of the cap to reduce oil and gas sector emissions, we are implementing the clean fuel standard to accelerate the adoption of cleaner fuel.
  30. deflected
    Climate ChangeMrs. Rachael Thomas (Conservative) asked Mr. Terry Duguid (Liberal). loaded question.Answer promotes the emissions plan and quotes reviews instead of clarifying which minister's position prevails.
  31. deflected
    Natural ResourcesMrs. Shannon Stubbs (Conservative) asked Ms. Julie Dabrusin (Liberal). loaded question.Answer discusses import reductions and future renewables instead of reconciling conflicting production increase versus cut claims.In fact, if the member is interested, the Canada Energy Regulator has said that we have imported the lowest amount of crude oil since 1988 and the majority of it comes from the United States.
  32. deflected
    Natural ResourcesMrs. Shannon Stubbs (Conservative) asked Ms. Julie Dabrusin (Liberal). loaded question.Answer emphasizes plan certainty and European support without identifying who controls the conflicting signals on oil and gas.It provides certainty to all Canadians and industry when we talk about the exports to support our European allies in this time of trouble.
  33. deflected
    The EconomyEd Fast (Conservative) asked Randy Boissonnault (Liberal). loaded question.The answer ignores the inflation plan question and pivots to unrelated GDP stats while attacking the opposition.the Conservatives continue to talk down the Canadian economy and spin economic fiction.
  34. deflected
    The EconomyEd Fast (Conservative) asked Randy Boissonnault (Liberal). loaded question.The answer vaguely defers on the budget and shifts to child care achievements instead of addressing affordability measures.we will find out in due course what is in the budget.
  35. misdirected
    The EconomyMr. Adam Chambers (Conservative) asked Randy Boissonnault (Liberal). loaded question.The answer discusses past poverty reduction programs rather than how the government will use inflation-driven revenues.From 2015, when we formed government, to 2019, we raised 1.38 million Canadians out of poverty.
  36. partly answered
    Indigenous AffairsMs. Lori Idlout (NDP) asked Ms. Jennifer O'Connell (Liberal). substantive question.The answer addresses one specific action on indigenous languages in elections but does not cover broader support and protection measures.We are currently studying with Elections Canada how to move forward on ensuring that indigenous languages are available
  37. deflected
    Climate ChangeMr. Mike Morrice (Green) asked Mr. Terry Duguid (Liberal). loaded question.The answer defends the emissions plan with external praise but avoids addressing subsidies to oil and gas or alternatives.It is getting great reviews from environmental groups to banks, to those in the resource sector.