All sittings← 2023-06-022023-06-06 →
Monday, June 5, 2023 · sitting No. 206
Commons advances budget bill after Conservatives move deletion motions
The House devoted the largest share of its sitting to report stage of Bill C-47, the budget implementation act. Conservative MP Jasraj Singh Hallan moved dozens of motions to delete individual clauses, including the short title and multiple spending provisions. Liberal MP Sherry Romanado secured unanimous consent to deem remaining motions moved, allowing proceedings to continue without further recorded divisions on each proposal.
Question Period featured repeated exchanges on the economy. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre pressed Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland to balance the budget, citing her earlier statement that deficits fuel inflation and noting the addition of $60 billion in new spending. Freeland replied that the bill would deliver enhanced Canada workers benefit payments and a doubled tradespeople's tools deduction.
Separate points of order addressed delays in answering written questions and the absence of an appointed ethics commissioner.
Decided that day
- Motion to proceed to Presenting Petitions passed
From the Hansard record of the sitting. Full Hansard
Question Period – June 5, 2023. Video from CPAC. Watch on YouTube
Who held the floor · 2023-06-05
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
International Human Rights Act
Conservative MP Philip Lawrence defended Bill C-281 at third reading, saying it would place Canada's seal behind human rights advocates, while New Democrat MP Heather McPherson criticized the Liberals for rejecting an NDP amendment for a human rights strategy.
Read the exchangeEmergency Preparedness
Public Safety Minister Bill Blair told the House that 370 wildfires were burning across Canada, 217 out of control, and that Canadian Armed Forces personnel had been deployed to Alberta, Quebec and Nova Scotia at provincial request.
Read the exchangeDemocratic Institutions
Bloc Québécois MP Alain Therrien asked whether special rapporteur David Johnston had hired a crisis communications firm on the first day of his mandate because he already knew he would oppose a public inquiry.
Read the exchangeCarbon Pricing
Conservative MP Shelby Kramp-Neuman asked the government to cancel the second carbon tax scheduled for July 1, citing an average annual cost of more than $2,000 per family once both levies are in place.
Read the exchangeHousing
New Democrat Leader Jagmeet Singh asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when the government would act to bring down rents, noting that nearly half of homeowners and more than half of renters are struggling with monthly payments.
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
- deflectedThe EconomyPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). substantive question.Answer attacks opposition for partisanship instead of addressing the request for a balanced budget plan.
once again, the Conservatives are demonstrating that they are completely irresponsible and that the only thing that matters to them is partisan parliamentary bickering.
- deflectedThe EconomyPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). substantive question.Answer attacks Conservative position as irresponsible instead of addressing the call to balance the budget.
what is truly astonishing is the Conservative Party's entirely irresponsible and immature position.
- deflectedThe EconomyPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). substantive question.Answer attacks Conservatives for partisan games instead of addressing the request for a balanced budget plan.
I am truly appalled by the reckless and irresponsible behaviour we are seeing from the Conservatives today.
- deflectedThe EconomyPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). substantive question.Answer personally attacks the questioner over crypto advice instead of addressing the budget balance request.
someone who advised Canadians to opt out of inflation by investing in crypto is pretty ill-positioned to offer economic advice of any kind.
- answeredEmergency PreparednessPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Bill Blair (Liberal). substantive question.Answer directly updates on wildfire numbers, evacuations and CAF deployments as requested.
There are currently 370 wildfires burning in Canada, 217 of which are out of control.
- partly answeredEmergency PreparednessMr. Alain Therrien (Bloc) asked Pablo Rodriguez (Liberal). substantive question.Answer confirms rapid response to Quebec but does not address the offer to work together on short-term support.
Quebec reached out with a request last Saturday and we answered yes within hours.
- answeredDemocratic InstitutionsMr. Alain Therrien (Bloc) asked Dominic LeBlanc (Liberal). loaded question.Answer directly rejects the premise that Johnston knew the outcome in advance.
my colleague is well aware that the simple answer to his question is no.
- deflectedHousingMr. Jagmeet Singh (NDP) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). substantive question.Answer discusses grocery rebate and rent top-up but does not address steps to lower rent costs.
last fall we provided a top-up to people who needed support paying their rent.
- deflectedThe EconomyMr. Jagmeet Singh (NDP) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). loaded question.The answer promotes broad government support and job recovery without addressing the binary choice between workers and corporations.
our government stands with all Canadians in every region and in every province in our country.
- misdirectedThe EconomyMs. Melissa Lantsman (Conservative) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). loaded question.The answer shifts to attacking Conservatives for blocking unrelated measures instead of addressing deficit or inflation questions.
when it comes to recklessness, what is reckless is the Conservatives playing childish parliamentary games and stopping Canadians from getting the supports they need.
- misdirectedThe EconomyMs. Melissa Lantsman (Conservative) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). loaded question.The answer attacks the Conservatives as childish and irresponsible while listing blocked items rather than responding to broken promises or trust issues.
I would never lecture Canadians, and I will take no lessons from the Conservatives.
- deflectedThe EconomyMr. Jasraj Singh Hallan (Conservative) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). loaded question.The answer pivots to criticizing Conservative handling of the 2008 recession instead of addressing the flip-flop on deficits or inflation claims.
It is because they do not want Canadians to remember how badly they coped with the 2008 recession.
- deflectedThe EconomyMr. Jasraj Singh Hallan (Conservative) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). loaded question.The answer highlights GDP growth and job recovery while contrasting with past Conservative performance rather than addressing deficit spending or balancing the budget.
Canada's GDP grew by 3.1% in the first quarter of this year.
- deflectedThe EconomyMr. Pierre Paul-Hus (Conservative) asked François-Philippe Champagne (Liberal). loaded question.The answer lists government priorities like the grocery rebate and health care instead of addressing calls to balance the budget immediately.
Canadians told us three things.
- deflectedThe EconomyMr. Pierre Paul-Hus (Conservative) asked François-Philippe Champagne (Liberal). loaded question.The answer emphasizes food assistance measures without confirming or denying an end to inflationary spending.
The grocery rebate will help 11 million Canadians, many of whom, I agree, will certainly be in the Quebec City region and Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles.
- deflectedDemocratic InstitutionsMr. René Villemure (Bloc) asked Marco Mendicino (Liberal). substantive question.The answer reassures on foreign interference but pivots to defending the rapporteur and noting Conservative praise instead of addressing the lack of answers or inquiry.
David Johnston has an ardent new defender, the Conservative leader.
- deflectedDemocratic InstitutionsMr. René Villemure (Bloc) asked Dominic LeBlanc (Liberal). substantive question.The answer shifts blame to Conservatives and lists Liberal actions without addressing the call for an inquiry.
I think my Bloc Québécois friend might be confused about who kept Canadians in the dark.
- deflectedDemocratic InstitutionsMs. Marie-Hélène Gaudreau (Bloc) asked Marco Mendicino (Liberal). substantive question.The answer lists existing measures but ignores the specific concerns about what the Johnston report will not investigate.
our government has a list of meaningful action that has been taken with respect to foreign interference
- deflectedThe EconomyMr. Philip Lawrence (Conservative) asked Karina Gould (Liberal). rhetorical question.The answer notes the lack of a question and pivots to sharing information rather than engaging the policy critique.
I am not sure there was a question in there, but I do not mind actually sharing with the Conservatives—
- misdirectedThe EconomyMr. Adam Chambers (Conservative) asked Karina Gould (Liberal). substantive question.The answer attacks the Conservatives' record instead of addressing the current deficits and inflation concerns raised.
when the Liberals left government in 2006, they left the Conservatives with a big, healthy surplus.
- misdirectedThe EconomyMr. Adam Chambers (Conservative) asked Steven Guilbeault (Liberal). substantive question.The answer attacks Conservative climate policy and ignores the question on carbon tax impacts on inflation.
What is the response from the Conservative Party of Canada? It is to let make pollution free again.
- partly answeredHousingMr. Alexandre Boulerice (NDP) asked Ms. Soraya Martinez Ferrada (Liberal). substantive question.The answer acknowledges the housing issue and references the national strategy but does not commit to new investments.
We created the first national housing strategy, which invested in affordable housing and recognized the right to housing
- partly answeredDisaster AssistanceMr. Blake Desjarlais (NDP) asked Bill Blair (Liberal). substantive question.The answer references meetings and general support but does not confirm immediate housing assistance for affected communities.
Indigenous Services Canada and the Government of Canada have been working closely with first nations and Métis communities impacted by these fires
- misdirectedCarbon PricingMrs. Shelby Kramp-Neuman (Conservative) asked Steven Guilbeault (Liberal). substantive question.The answer praises one Conservative member and attacks the party on climate instead of justifying the carbon tax increase.
I would like to congratulate the member for Calgary Nose Hill for her comments earlier in this House.
- deflectedCarbon PricingMrs. Shelby Kramp-Neuman (Conservative) asked Steven Guilbeault (Liberal). loaded question.The answer evades the direct yes-or-no demand by shifting to criticism of the Conservatives' platform instead.
It was a plan to encourage people to pollute more.
- deflectedCarbon PricingMr. Gérard Deltell (Conservative) asked Steven Guilbeault (Liberal). substantive question.The answer ignores the PBO cost figure and pivots to contrasting party platforms without confirmation.
The difference between them and us is that, when they come to power, they do exactly the opposite of what they said they would do.
- misdirectedCarbon PricingMr. Gérard Deltell (Conservative) asked Pascale St-Onge (Liberal). substantive question.The answer attacks Conservative history on deficits rather than addressing the Minister of Finance or the PBO number.
The Conservatives burned through the surplus by cutting revenues, services and programs.
- partly answeredClimate ChangeMs. Monique Pauzé (Bloc) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). substantive question.The answer acknowledges the loans and states the government will not remain long-term owner but does not address the climate spending comparison.
I would go so far as to say that, from the perspective of Canada's economic sovereignty, it is very important for me.
- partly answeredClimate ChangeMs. Monique Pauzé (Bloc) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). substantive question.The answer confirms non-long-term ownership and notes green investments but sidesteps the taxpayer-risk question on Trans Mountain.
Our government also understands the importance of economic sovereignty and of Canada having control over its exports and natural resources.
- deflectedCarbon PricingMr. Marty Morantz (Conservative) asked Steven Guilbeault (Liberal). loaded question.The answer ignores the gas-price question entirely and attacks a different MP's climate views.
It is not that they do not care about climate change.
- partly answeredCarbon PricingMr. Len Webber (Conservative) asked Sean Fraser (Liberal). substantive question.The answer defends carbon pricing and rebate mechanics but does not address the specific 61-cent gas-price claim or vacation affordability.
With respect to this specific policy, eight out of 10 Canadian families are going to receive more.
- deflectedCarbon PricingMs. Marilyn Gladu (Conservative) asked Karina Gould (Liberal). loaded question.The answer attacks Conservative environmental credibility and pivots to the grocery rebate instead of addressing the tax increases.
It is even harder to believe them when they talk about affordability, because every time we have put forward measures to support Canadians, they have voted against them.
- misdirectedCarbon PricingMs. Marilyn Gladu (Conservative) asked Steven Guilbeault (Liberal). loaded question.The answer attacks the Conservatives' understanding of climate science and pivots to unrelated topics instead of addressing the carbon tax question.
this question highlights that the Conservative Party of Canada has no understanding whatsoever of the science of climate change.
- deflectedCarbon PricingMr. Bernard Généreux (Conservative) asked Marie-Claude Bibeau (Liberal). loaded question.The answer explains Quebec's existing system and offers an unrelated program but avoids addressing whether the second carbon tax will be abandoned.
Quebec has had a carbon exchange for a long time, so the federal price on pollution does not apply.
- partly answeredThe EnvironmentMs. Lisa Marie Barron (NDP) asked Omar Alghabra (Liberal). substantive question.The answer addresses funding and collaboration for vessel removal but does not commit to immediate new funding as requested.
Part of that plan is working collaboratively with coastal communities and indigenous communities to make sure that we maintain the health of our waterways, including collaboration on removal of abandoned vessels.
- deflectedEmploymentMr. Alain Rayes (Independent) asked Marci Ien (Liberal). substantive question.The answer restates that levels are prepandemic and offers to chat further without addressing the $60 million shortfall or remedy in the next budget.
We have gone back to prepandemic levels because employment for youth has gone down some 20%.
- deflectedCarbon PricingMr. Michael Barrett (Conservative) asked Karina Gould (Liberal). loaded question.The answer pivots to past tax cuts and rebates without addressing the impact of carbon tax 2 on current affordability struggles.
Since we have come into office, we have lowered taxes for middle-class Canadians, and we have increased benefits for low-income Canadians.