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Thursday, June 16, 2022 · sitting No. 90
Commons advances bill to modernize judges' conduct reviews
The House spent the largest share of its sitting on second reading of Bill C-9, an act to amend the Judges Act. Liberal MP Gary Anandasangaree told members the legislation would replace a 51-year-old process with a more efficient and cost-effective one for reviewing the conduct of federally appointed judges. Conservative MP Rob Moore and Bloc Québécois MP Jean-Denis Garon pressed the government on delays and on the vacant victims ombudsman position.
Question period featured repeated Conservative attacks on service delays at passport offices, airports and Service Canada. Liberal MP Karina Gould replied that demand had surged after two years of pandemic restrictions and that hundreds of additional staff had been hired. The Conservatives also accused the government of losing control of basic services and of invoking the Emergencies Act without a direct request from police.
Decided that day
- Appointment of an officer of Parliament passed
From the Hansard record of the sitting. Full Hansard
Question Period – June 16, 2022. Video from CPAC. Watch on YouTube
Who held the floor · 2022-06-16
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
Privacy Commissioner
Liberal MP Mark Holland paid tribute to Philippe Dufresne, the outgoing law clerk, and welcomed his appointment as privacy commissioner, saying he had provided extraordinary counsel to the House and its committees.
Read the exchangePetitions
Conservative MP Larry Brock presented a petition from Single Seniors for Tax Fairness calling for a 30 per cent income-tax reduction for single seniors to match benefits available to couples.
Read the exchangePublic Safety
Conservative MP Alain Rayes told the House that the minister of emergency preparedness had testified no police force asked for the Emergencies Act to be invoked and called on the public safety minister to resign.
Read the exchangeTaxation
NDP MP Charlie Angus said big oil earned $100 billion in the first quarter and demanded the government tax those profits instead of leaving working families to pay record gasoline prices.
Read the exchangeCanadian Heritage
Conservative MP John Nater accused the government of ramming dozens of amendments to Bill C-11 through committee without debate and without protecting user-generated content from CRTC regulation.
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
- partly answeredGovernment PoliciesMr. Luc Berthold (Conservative) asked Karina Gould (Liberal). rhetorical question.The response acknowledges service issues and government efforts but avoids naming any minister responsible.
The government is working on it, changing the process and adding more people to serve Canadians.
- deflectedGovernment PoliciesMr. Luc Berthold (Conservative) asked Karina Gould (Liberal). rhetorical question.The answer restates general pandemic recovery plans without addressing specific ministerial failures listed.
We are adding more staff and extending working hours to ensure that we are meeting this increased demand.
- misdirectedPublic SafetyMr. Luc Berthold (Conservative) asked Pablo Rodriguez (Liberal). loaded question.The response ignores the contradiction on the Emergencies Act and instead attacks the opposition for filibustering.
The more serious issue is what they are doing while the government is working to solve the problems and challenges that Canadians are facing.
- misdirectedThe EconomyMr. Dan Albas (Conservative) asked Randy Boissonnault (Liberal). loaded question.The answer pivots to criticizing Conservative proposals rather than addressing the minister's spending or inflation response.
unlike this side of the House, the opposition has no affordability plan.
- deflectedThe EconomyMr. Dan Albas (Conservative) asked Randy Boissonnault (Liberal). substantive question.The response lists existing benefits but does not address the automatic user-fee escalator or new inflation measures.
The other side thinks it has a plan, but I know one thing from Alberta, which is that that side is all hat and no cattle.
- partly answeredPassportsMr. Alain Therrien (Bloc) asked Karina Gould (Liberal). rhetorical question.The answer explains passport staffing increases but ignores the broader accusation of failing to anticipate demand across services.
We have already hired 600 additional people and are hiring another 600.
- deflectedAccess to InformationMr. Alain Therrien (Bloc) asked Mona Fortier (Liberal). loaded question.The response highlights funding and reviews but does not address the record number of access-to-information complaints or secrecy claims.
We have invested more than $50 million in additional funding to improve access to information and we are currently proceeding with a regulatory review of the access to information process.
- partly answeredThe EconomyMr. Jagmeet Singh (NDP) asked Randy Boissonnault (Liberal). substantive question.The answer lists budget measures but does not commit to the immediate $500–$1,000 increase requested for families.
There is the Canada workers benefit, which is $2,400 for a couple and $1,200 for a single worker, as well as a $500 payment for those who are facing housing affordability challenges.
- deflectedThe EconomyMr. Jagmeet Singh (NDP) asked Randy Boissonnault (Liberal). substantive question.The answer lists existing benefits but never addresses adopting the proposed $500-$1000 increase.
We have an affordability plan, and we will follow it.
- deflectedThe EconomyMr. Michael Barrett (Conservative) asked Mélanie Joly (Liberal). loaded question.The answer avoids current spending criticism by shifting to past Conservative actions.
He referred to the expenses linked to alcohol. Stephen Harper's delegation took 348 bottles when it went to South Africa in 2013.
- misdirectedThe EconomyMr. Michael Barrett (Conservative) asked Randy Boissonnault (Liberal). substantive question.The answer attacks the opposition's voting record instead of addressing the catering or entitlement issue.
I would love to have known where that rhetoric was in support of Canadians when we were in the House trying to pass Bill C-2
- misdirectedPublic SafetyMr. Alain Rayes (Conservative) asked Marco Mendicino (Liberal). substantive question.The answer defends the decision and demands an apology from Conservatives rather than addressing the resignation demand.
On the other side, there are the Conservatives, who encouraged the illegal blockade. They must apologize.
- deflectedPublic SafetyMr. Alain Rayes (Conservative) asked Marco Mendicino (Liberal). substantive question.The answer cites police associations' support but does not address the minister's alleged loss of confidence or resignation.
The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police supports the decision.
- deflectedPublic SafetyMr. Jake Stewart (Conservative) asked Marco Mendicino (Liberal). substantive question.The answer repeats necessity and police support while ignoring the call to show evidence or resign.
Past president of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, Chief Gary Conn, said that, in their view, the Emergencies Act provided the appropriate authorities
- deflectedPublic SafetyMr. Jake Stewart (Conservative) asked Marco Mendicino (Liberal). substantive question.The answer redefines honourable action as protecting Canadians and again blames Conservatives without addressing resignation.
doing the honourable thing means protecting Canadians. That is why we invoked the Emergencies Act.
- answeredClimate ChangeMs. Monique Pauzé (Bloc) asked Steven Guilbeault (Liberal). substantive question.The answer directly explains the IPCC methodology used for emissions accounting.
Canada uses the same methodology as every country in the world, which is the one used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the IPCC.
- answeredClimate ChangeMs. Monique Pauzé (Bloc) asked Steven Guilbeault (Liberal). substantive question.The answer directly addresses the net-zero claim by explaining it as a condition and citing future non-fuel uses of oil.
This is the first time in this country's history that the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency has imposed a net-zero condition on a project.
- deflectedClimate ChangeMs. Kristina Michaud (Bloc) asked Steven Guilbeault (Liberal). loaded question.The question is loaded with repeated accusations of absurdity and oil company influence; the answer avoids them by restating the emissions cap policy.
No matter how much oil is produced, companies will have to respect this greenhouse gas emissions cap to ensure that Canada can reach its 2030 and 2050 targets.
- misdirectedTourism IndustryMs. Michelle Ferreri (Conservative) asked Randy Boissonnault (Liberal). substantive question.The answer turns to attacking the opposition's voting record instead of addressing the lack of a shown tourism plan or ArriveCAN consultation.
Who voted against it? It was that side.
- partly answeredTourism IndustryMrs. Shelby Kramp-Neuman (Conservative) asked Randy Boissonnault (Liberal). substantive question.The answer mentions ending random testing and funding but adds sarcastic remarks about the opposition rather than fully explaining actions on border delays.
Those on the other side can yell and scream all they want.
- deflectedGovernment PoliciesMr. Pat Kelly (Conservative) asked Karina Gould (Liberal). loaded question.The loaded question lists multiple failures; the answer pivots to pandemic impacts and general support without addressing specific service delivery issues.
However, what we are not doing on this side of the House is pretending that there was no pandemic, pretending that it did not have an impact on a whole wide range of industries.
- partly answeredHealthMs. Lori Idlout (NDP) asked Dan Vandal (Liberal). substantive question.The answer references policy frameworks and investments but does not specifically explain why basic local health services remain unavailable in Nunavut.
We are investing millions in health care in the north and a better partnership with Nunavummiut.
- misdirectedTaxationMr. Charlie Angus (NDP) asked Randy Boissonnault (Liberal). substantive question.The answer discusses a bank tax instead of addressing taxation of oil profits or relief for northern Ontario gas prices.
The banks made money. We have asked them to pay more.
- deflectedTaxationMr. Adam Chambers (Conservative) asked Randy Boissonnault (Liberal). substantive question.The answer defends indexing and dismisses the opposition's policy as half-baked without explaining why fuel tax relief is not included.
We are going to put money in the pockets of Canadians so that they can afford the goods they need, and we are not listening to half-baked policies from the Conservative opposition.
- deflectedTaxationMr. Adam Chambers (Conservative) asked Randy Boissonnault (Liberal). substantive question.The answer lists unrelated government benefits instead of addressing gasoline taxes or the governor's comment.
That is why our government is taking this whole-of-government approach and that is why our budget includes a dental plan for Canadians making less than $90,000 a year and a doubling of the support provided through the first-time homebuyer's tax credit.
- partly answeredThe EconomyMr. Eric Melillo (Conservative) asked Randy Boissonnault (Liberal). substantive question.It defends the carbon tax rebate but ignores suspending the GST on fuel and reining in spending.
with our price on pollution, eight out of 10 Canadians receive more money.
- deflectedThe EconomyMr. Marty Morantz (Conservative) asked Karina Gould (Liberal). loaded question.The response promotes child care benefits without addressing deficit spending or the accusation.
this government is putting Canadians first, and we are always putting Canadians first.
- partly answeredOfficial LanguagesMr. Mario Beaulieu (Bloc) asked Ginette Petitpas Taylor (Liberal). substantive question.It acknowledges the decline of French and the bill's purpose but does not engage with making Quebec's laws apply exclusively.
We will ensure that the federal government does its fair share of the work and that we are doing everything we can to address this situation.
- answeredOfficial LanguagesMr. Mario Beaulieu (Bloc) asked Ginette Petitpas Taylor (Liberal). substantive question.The answer directly addresses the bill's provisions for French in Quebec and counters the claim.
If we look at the new version of Bill C-13, what we have is special legislation for federally regulated private businesses to ensure that employees can work in French, and people can be served in French and live in French.
- answeredService CanadaMrs. Laila Goodridge (Conservative) asked Karina Gould (Liberal). substantive question.It provides specific data on return-to-office rates for relevant passport staff.
When it comes to people who are in-person and in-office Service Canada passport officers, almost 90% of them are back in the office.
- partly answeredService CanadaMr. Rick Perkins (Conservative) asked Karina Gould (Liberal). substantive question.Responds to the fee issue by directing it to be waived but spends time defending work-from-home.
When it comes to the fees, those should be waived. That has been the directive.
- answeredService CanadaMr. Bernard Généreux (Conservative) asked Karina Gould (Liberal). substantive question.Directly explains the volume surge and confirms that passport staff are already back at work.
It is a question of volume, but we are responding and ensuring that Canadians receive their documents.
- misdirectedCanadian HeritageMr. John Nater (Conservative) asked Pablo Rodriguez (Liberal). loaded question.The answer attacks Conservatives for filibustering and abandoning creators rather than addressing the questions on amendments and secrecy.
The Conservatives have abandoned the creators. They have abandoned our artists. They have abandoned our culture.
- misdirectedCanadian HeritageTim Uppal (Conservative) asked Pablo Rodriguez (Liberal). loaded question.The answer mocks Conservatives as creative with the truth and restates bill purpose without addressing debate shutdown or fixing the bill.
Conservatives are very creative with the truth.
- misdirectedCanadian HeritageMrs. Rachael Thomas (Conservative) asked Pablo Rodriguez (Liberal). loaded question.The answer jokes about Conservatives caring about culture and complains about filibustering instead of addressing transparency concerns.
one of the benefits of the conversation with the Conservatives is that we heard one of the best jokes of the year when they said that they cared about culture.
- answeredIndigenous AffairsMs. Niki Ashton (NDP) asked Patty Hajdu (Liberal). substantive question.The answer directly acknowledges the infrastructure needs of York Factory and commits to working on climate-resilient solutions.
I will continue to work with all indigenous communities, including York Factory, on making sure their infrastructure is resilient
- partly answeredNatural ResourcesMs. Elizabeth May (Green) asked Randy Boissonnault (Liberal). loaded question.The answer explains the project's benefits and divestment plans but does not address why the financial reports remain confidential.
The government does not intend to be the long-term owner of the Trans Mountain pipeline.