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Monday, November 20, 2023 · sitting No. 251
House advances affordable housing and groceries bill after extended debate
Government Business No. 30 on Bill C-56, An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act and the Competition Act, consumed the largest share of the sitting as the House adopted a motion to limit further second-reading debate to one additional speaker per recognized party and the Green Party before referral to committee. Liberal MP Chris Bittle said the bill would address housing affordability and grocery prices after months of Conservative delay, while New Democrat MP Brian Masse supported quicker Competition Bureau changes but raised concerns over temporary foreign workers at the NextStar battery plant.
Question Period featured repeated clashes over housing costs and the carbon tax, with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre citing Scotiabank and the Parliamentary Budget Officer to argue that federal deficits have added two percentage points to interest rates and will increase average mortgage payments by $700 a month. Minister of Housing Sean Fraser and Minister of International Trade Mary Ng defended the government's record on housing starts and said the fall economic statement would outline further measures.
Other exchanges covered the Stellantis battery plant subsidy and the Sustainable Development Technology Canada fund, with Poilievre and Conservative MP Michael Barrett questioning job guarantees and alleged mismanagement.
Decided that day
- Bill C-34 passed third reading and adoption
- Bills S-15 and S-282 introduced
From the Hansard record of the sitting. Full Hansard
Question Period – November 20, 2023. Video from CPAC. Watch on YouTube
Who held the floor · 2023-11-20
68Bill sails through, questions mostly missThe House devoted most of its time to government business and passed Bill C-34 at third reading while introducing two Senate bills. Question Period produced more deflected or misdirected answers than clear ones, though no procedural disputes arose.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
Prohibition of the Export of Horses by Air for Slaughter Act
Liberal MP Tim Louis told the House that Bill C-355 would require exporters of horses for breeding or sport to complete a reverse opt-in form so that only shipments for slaughter would be blocked.
Read the exchangeCarbon Pricing
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre asked whether the government would accept a compromise to freeze the carbon tax rather than quadruple it, a request rejected by Minister of Environment and Climate Change Jonathan Wilkinson.
Read the exchangeAutomotive Industry
Conservative MP Rick Perkins said the $15-billion subsidy for the Stellantis plant would employ up to 1,600 temporary foreign workers and asked the Prime Minister to reverse the decision.
Read the exchangeInnovation, Science and Industry
Conservative MP Michael Barrett said the chair of Sustainable Development Technology Canada funnelled more than $200,000 to her own company and asked who had profited from the fund.
Read the exchangeSmall Business
Bloc Québécois MP Alain Therrien urged the finance minister to extend the CEBA loan repayment deadline by one year without loss of the grant portion to prevent bankruptcies among 220,000 SMEs.
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
- deflectedHousingPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Anita Anand (Liberal). loaded question.Answer attacks opposition plan absence instead of addressing budget balancing request.
What is the Conservatives' plan? That is right, they do not have one.
- deflectedHousingPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Anita Anand (Liberal). loaded question.Answer shifts to provincial spending and promises future statement without addressing budget plan.
Much of the spending referred to by the Leader of the Opposition was provincial in nature, not federal.
- misdirectedHousingPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Sean Fraser (Liberal). loaded question.Answer pivots to housing starts and personal attack on asker's record rather than budget balancing.
It is hard to accept criticism from a member of the House of Commons who, when he had the opportunity to be the minister responsible for housing, had access to $300 million and got only 99 homes built.
- misdirectedCarbon PricingPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Sean Fraser (Liberal). loaded question.Answer uses revisionist history jab and rhetorical question about apples instead of addressing carbon tax freeze.
Does the hon. member like apples? We are going to beat his numbers. How does he like those apples?
- deflectedAutomotive IndustryPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Sean Fraser (Liberal). substantive question.Answer criticizes opposition record on spending and housing without releasing contract or addressing foreign workers.
When we have the opportunity to make generational investments that would gain a toehold in a new industry, he opposes it without vision for what the future economy could be when we create many thousands of jobs.
- answeredSmall BusinessMr. Alain Therrien (Bloc) asked Rechie Valdez (Liberal). substantive question.Answer directly states extensions already provided for CEBA loans matching the request.
We also announced the extension of the deadline for term loan repayment by one year, to the end of 2026.
- partly answeredFamilies, Children and Social DevelopmentMr. Alain Therrien (Bloc) asked Jenna Sudds (Liberal). substantive question.Answer acknowledges need and describes ongoing work but does not commit to tomorrow's announcement of funds.
We are working with provinces, territories, municipalities and key stakeholders to develop a national school food policy.
- deflectedGrocery IndustryMr. Alexandre Boulerice (NDP) asked Anita Anand (Liberal). substantive question.Answer references studying an act without addressing CEO greed or lowering food prices.
we are currently studying the affordable housing and groceries act.
- partly answeredHousingMr. Daniel Blaikie (NDP) asked Sean Fraser (Liberal). substantive question.The answer signals general housing investment intent but avoids confirming specific funding replenishment or competition law changes.
the hon. member knows that he and I will both wait for tomorrow to see the details of the fall economic statement.
- deflectedCarbon PricingMr. Jasraj Singh Hallan (Conservative) asked Ms. Rachel Bendayan (Liberal). loaded question.The answer avoids the yes-or-no question on carbon tax plans and pivots to transparency and facts without addressing the policy.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance will be in the House at 4 p.m. tomorrow to reveal our books and to show the plan we have prepared for Canadians.
- misdirectedCarbon PricingMr. Jasraj Singh Hallan (Conservative) asked Jonathan Wilkinson (Liberal). loaded question.The answer attacks the premise as factually incorrect and shifts to accusing the opposition of denying climate change rather than addressing the carbon tax quadrupling question.
It is such a shame that in this country, we still have a political party that does not believe that climate change is real.
- deflectedFinanceMr. Adam Chambers (Conservative) asked Ms. Rachel Bendayan (Liberal). substantive question.The answer discusses G7 comparisons and attributes rate drivers to provinces but never states a date for balancing the budget.
Canada continues to have the lowest deficit among all G7 countries.
- deflectedFinanceMr. Adam Chambers (Conservative) asked Ms. Rachel Bendayan (Liberal). substantive question.The answer highlights past supports and poverty reduction but sidesteps the question of when or whether the budget will be balanced.
We are there for Canadians while being fiscally responsible, and I am certainly looking forward to tomorrow's fiscal update.
- misdirectedFinanceMr. Pierre Paul-Hus (Conservative) asked Ms. Rachel Bendayan (Liberal). substantive question.The answer responds by demanding the opposition detail its austerity cuts instead of addressing whether a balanced-budget plan will appear in the update.
I would like my colleague from Quebec to tell us what his austerity plan looks like.
- misdirectedFinanceMr. Pierre Paul-Hus (Conservative) asked Pablo Rodriguez (Liberal). substantive question.The answer accuses the opposition of wanting to cut day care, seniors and climate programs and frames them as regressive rather than answering on a balanced-budget timeline.
Where are they going to cut? Day care? Seniors? The fight against climate change?
- answeredBorder SecurityMrs. Claude DeBellefeuille (Bloc) asked Dominic LeBlanc (Liberal). substantive question.The answer directly lists actions taken since the alerts, including investments, meetings and personnel increases.
That is precisely why we have invested additional funds in strengthening our border security posture.
- answeredBorder SecurityMrs. Claude DeBellefeuille (Bloc) asked Dominic LeBlanc (Liberal). loaded question.Answer directly refutes the premise of lost control and describes ongoing work with partners.
we have not lost control of our borders.
- answeredBorder SecurityMr. Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe (Bloc) asked Dominic LeBlanc (Liberal). loaded question.Answer addresses the call for action by outlining investments and discussions with partners.
we have been taking action since the first months of our term to ensure the integrity of our borders.
- answeredHousingKerry-Lynne Findlay (Conservative) asked Sean Fraser (Liberal). loaded question.Answer corrects the factual claim about investment and details housing accelerator deals.
multi-unit construction rose 8.2% to $6.6 billion in September with all provinces reporting gains.
- answeredHousingKerry-Lynne Findlay (Conservative) asked Sean Fraser (Liberal). loaded question.Answer rebuts the investment claim with new StatsCan data and contrasts party plans.
the hon. member, in good faith, tries to pose a question but just does not have the facts.
- deflectedHousingMr. Philip Lawrence (Conservative) asked Sean Fraser (Liberal). loaded question.Answer pivots to GST cut and pandemic spending instead of addressing responsibility for housing costs.
if the hon. member wants to do something to help with the housing crisis right now, he can talk to his leader and tell him to stop blocking the cut to the GST
- partly answeredHousingMs. Lori Idlout (NDP) asked Dan Vandal (Liberal). substantive question.Answer references prior funding announcements but does not commit to the specific $250 million request.
In 2022, we announced $4 billion for indigenous rights holders, including $800 million for Inuit rights holders.
- answeredHousingMs. Leah Gazan (NDP) asked Sean Fraser (Liberal). substantive question.Answer confirms engagement with Winnipeg and explains use of federal funding to support reforms.
I have been engaging with the City of Winnipeg over the course of the last number of weeks and months in order to help facilitate the very reforms the council will be debating.
- misdirectedHousingMrs. Rachael Thomas (Conservative) asked Sean Fraser (Liberal). loaded question.Answer attacks the opposition leader's photo ops rather than addressing the housing investment decline.
I would suggest she discuss with her leader why he shows up at projects he had nothing to do with to take a photo and then uses homelessness as a political prop for his social media.
- partly answeredHousingMrs. Rachael Thomas (Conservative) asked Sean Fraser (Liberal). loaded question.Answer supplies specific investment data and program outcomes but does not address the timing or photo-op criticism.
In her province, Stats Canada indicated this morning that they are up 10.6%.
- deflectedFinanceMr. Luc Berthold (Conservative) asked Ms. Rachel Bendayan (Liberal). loaded question.Answer ignores the budget-balance request and instead questions a Conservative member's voting intentions.
Can he convince the Conservative leader, who does not seem too sure about it?
- partly answeredPublic Services and ProcurementMs. Christine Normandin (Bloc) asked Bill Blair (Liberal). substantive question.Answer acknowledges the procurement need and economic considerations but does not confirm whether a competition will be launched.
The Government of Canada has made it very clear that the benefit to the Canadian economy and to our defence and aerospace sectors is a key consideration in the decision that we will be making.
- deflectedPublic Services and ProcurementMs. Christine Normandin (Bloc) asked Jean-Yves Duclos (Liberal). substantive question.Answer restates general support for the aerospace sector without addressing the request for a competition.
We know that 20,000 jobs in Canada support our aerospace industry.
- partly answeredInnovation, Science and IndustryMr. Michael Barrett (Conservative) asked Mr. Ryan Turnbull (Liberal). loaded question.Answer outlines immediate government actions taken but does not identify who benefited financially.
We have frozen funds and ordered an independent review; we are collaborating with the Auditor General, and both the CEO and the board chair have stepped down.
- misdirectedInnovation, Science and IndustryMr. Michael Barrett (Conservative) asked Mr. Ryan Turnbull (Liberal). loaded question.Answer disputes the premise about appointments and refuses to expand the inquiry as requested.
the member opposite is not entitled to his own facts.
- partly answeredInnovation, Science and IndustryMr. Jacques Gourde (Conservative) asked Mr. Ryan Turnbull (Liberal). loaded question.Answer repeats commitment to accountability but does not state how or when funds will be recovered.
We are committed to getting to the bottom of the allegations, and that is why we have acted responsibly and responded to hold SDTC accountable.
- answeredPublic Services and ProcurementMr. Larry Brock (Conservative) asked Dominic LeBlanc (Liberal). loaded question.Answer directly states that irregularities were referred to authorities for investigation and that consequences will follow.
In this case, the Canada Border Services Agency identified irregularities during a routine audit and referred the matter to the appropriate authorities, who are investigating.
- deflectedPublic Services and ProcurementMrs. Stephanie Kusie (Conservative) asked Dominic LeBlanc (Liberal). loaded question.Answer corrects premise and points to committee without identifying any minister or signer.
just because our colleague repeats the same silly premise to the question does not make it accurate.
- misdirectedAutomotive IndustryMr. Rick Perkins (Conservative) asked Mr. Irek Kusmierczyk (Liberal). loaded question.Answer pivots to praising the project and attacking the Conservative leader instead of addressing foreign-worker commitments.
Why is the Conservative leader so against the battery plant, so against Canadian workers and completely empty on climate change?
- partly answeredAutomotive IndustryMr. Brian Masse (NDP) asked Mr. Irek Kusmierczyk (Liberal). substantive question.Answer addresses the temporary foreign worker claim with specifics but does not give the requested guarantee on unionization or local hiring.
for the record, one application for one temporary foreign worker has been approved for this project.
- answeredPublic Services and ProcurementMr. Alain Rayes (Independent) asked Jean-Yves Duclos (Liberal). substantive question.Answer directly acknowledges responsibility for fixing the backlog and states concrete steps being taken.
That is why we are currently employing about 600 additional employees to deal with the problems we have been seeing in recent months.