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Monday, December 4, 2023 · sitting No. 261
House debates motion to limit debate on bill C-50
The House spent the largest share of the sitting on government business no. 31 concerning proceedings on bill C-50. Minister of Canadian Heritage Karina Gould moved that debate be not further adjourned on the measure, which addresses the energy transition. Conservative MP Shannon Stubbs and NDP MP Charlie Angus spoke during the extended proceedings.
In question period Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre pressed Housing Minister Sean Fraser on rising rents and the housing accelerator fund. Fraser replied that the government is making investments to increase supply and rejected Poilievre's proposals. Bloc Québécois MP Alain Therrien questioned Canadian Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge on planned job cuts at CBC/Radio-Canada.
Decided that day
- Proceedings on Bill C-50 advanced
- Motion for closure passed
- Bill C-48 received royal assent
From the Hansard record of the sitting. Full Hansard
Question Period – December 4, 2023. Video from CPAC. Watch on YouTube
Who held the floor · 2023-12-04
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
Privilege
Conservative House leader Andrew Scheer raised a question of privilege over the Speaker's video message to an Ontario Liberal convention, citing concerns about impartiality.
Read the exchangeGrocery Industry
NDP MP Matthew Green asked Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland to address excess profits at major grocery chains and a five-cent hourly raise offered by Sobeys.
Read the exchangeCarbon Pricing
Conservative MP John Barlow said the Kielstra farm paid $180,000 in carbon taxes this year and warned that quadrupling the rate would make Canadian food unaffordable.
Read the exchangeImmigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Bloc Québécois MP Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe demanded that the federal government reimburse Quebec the $460 million spent on asylum seekers.
Read the exchangeAutomotive Industry
Conservative MP Rick Perkins said the government is bringing in 1,600 foreign replacement workers for the Stellantis plant in Windsor and called for the contracts to be released.
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
- misdirectedHousingPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Sean Fraser (Liberal). loaded question.The answer attacks the questioner's video-making instead of addressing whether the PM would watch the documentary or adopt the plan.
it is a shame that the hon. member does not put as much energy into generating housing policies as he does to generating housing videos.
- misdirectedHousingPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Sean Fraser (Liberal). loaded question.The answer shifts to contrasting priorities and past Conservative cuts rather than engaging with the specific plan details raised.
For him, it is about how many people are going to watch his Twitter videos. For me, it is about how many people are going to have a roof over their head.
- misdirectedHousingPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Sean Fraser (Liberal). loaded question.The answer pivots to accusing the asker of photo ops instead of responding to the questions about the housing accelerator fund and bureaucracy.
the irony, when I take criticism about photo ops from that member, is shocking, because he continues to use his opportunities to travel around the country on the government's dime to take pictures in front of projects that our government funded.
- deflectedHousingPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Sean Fraser (Liberal). loaded question.The answer defends past strategy and criticizes the proposed policy without addressing the demand to require cities to boost construction or lose funding.
When we actually look at what the hon. member's policy would do, it would raise taxes on middle-class home construction.
- misdirectedHousingPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Sean Fraser (Liberal). loaded question.The answer references scripture and past investments while ignoring the specific common-sense plan elements like 15% targets and CMHC reforms.
I am fond of the hon. member's soliloquies on biblical passages.
- deflectedCBC/Radio-CanadaMr. Alain Therrien (Bloc) asked Pascale St-Onge (Liberal). substantive question.The answer acknowledges the job cuts and media crisis but does not state how long the minister has known about them.
We are aware of the major crisis in the media sector caused by the dominance of digital platforms in the advertising market and rising production costs.
- deflectedCBC/Radio-CanadaMr. Alain Therrien (Bloc) asked Pascale St-Onge (Liberal). loaded question.The answer notes the arm's-length status of CBC but avoids confirming or denying the alleged plan behind the contract extension.
I would remind the House that CBC/Radio-Canada is an independent corporation that operates at arm's length from the government and must manage its administration internally.
- deflectedGrocery IndustryMr. Alexandre Boulerice (NDP) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). loaded question.The answer highlights existing supports like the Canada child benefit but does not address the question about predatory CEO behaviour or government inaction.
Our government is there with the Canada child benefit, which helps less fortunate families and many children in the country.
- deflectedGrocery IndustryMr. Alistair MacGregor (NDP) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). loaded question.The answer lists existing supports and competition reforms but avoids addressing price gouging by grocery chains.
we are doing that with a historic transformation of competition law.
- misdirectedCarbon PricingMr. Jasraj Singh Hallan (Conservative) asked Mr. Adam van Koeverden (Liberal). loaded question.The answer ignores the bill and carbon tax question to accuse Conservatives of bullying senators.
That is a problem for democracy, and they should reconsider how they manage their affairs on Twitter when accusing senators of not advancing legislation at their whim and whimsy.
- misdirectedCarbon PricingMr. Jasraj Singh Hallan (Conservative) asked Jonathan Wilkinson (Liberal). loaded question.The answer sidesteps the Auditor General report and tax removal request to call out Conservative hypocrisy with old quotes.
My god, it is the height of hypocrisy in this chamber.
- deflectedCarbon PricingMr. John Barlow (Conservative) asked Lawrence MacAulay (Liberal). loaded question.The answer praises the government's environmental plan for farmers but does not address Bill C-234 or carbon tax removal.
Our party has a plan for the environment.
- misdirectedCarbon PricingMr. John Barlow (Conservative) asked Lawrence MacAulay (Liberal). loaded question.The answer again blames only Conservatives for Senate control and mentions harassment instead of engaging with the bill or tax costs.
There was some talk of harassment in the Senate.
- misdirectedCarbon PricingMr. Luc Berthold (Conservative) asked Karina Gould (Liberal). loaded question.The answer pivots to a free trade agreement with Ukraine rather than addressing Bill C-234 or carbon tax on farmers.
If the Conservatives wanted to lower prices for Canadians so they would have better access to food, they would have supported the free trade agreement with Ukraine.
- misdirectedCarbon PricingMr. Luc Berthold (Conservative) asked Karina Gould (Liberal). loaded question.The answer accuses the asker of misleading Quebeckers about carbon tax applicability instead of addressing the tax increase or young people's concerns.
I do not understand why he continues to mislead Quebeckers and Canadians.
- partly answeredImmigration, Refugees and CitizenshipMr. Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe (Bloc) asked Marc Miller (Liberal). substantive question.The answer acknowledges Quebec's role and references an existing funding agreement but does not commit to reimbursing the specific $460 million requested.
we have a special agreement with Quebec whereby we allocate more than $700 million to Quebec for integrating newcomers into French-speaking society.
- deflectedImmigration, Refugees and CitizenshipMr. Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe (Bloc) asked Marc Miller (Liberal). substantive question.The answer discusses global migration challenges and backlogs but avoids reimbursement or specific delays mentioned.
It is true that there are challenges associated with the migration flows that are affecting the entire world.
- deflectedImmigration, Refugees and CitizenshipMr. Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe (Bloc) asked Marc Miller (Liberal). substantive question.The answer mentions existing funding and Bloc status but sidesteps the request for reimbursement via cheque book.
when the Bloc Québécois is in power, it can make all the suggestions it wants.
- partly answeredCarbon PricingMs. Lianne Rood (Conservative) asked Mr. Adam van Koeverden (Liberal). loaded question.The answer details farm exemptions and rebates but does not address families or first nations.
exempted gas and diesel for farm use from pollution pricing.
- deflectedCarbon PricingMs. Lianne Rood (Conservative) asked Lawrence MacAulay (Liberal). substantive question.The answer criticizes the opposition's environmental plan instead of addressing removal of the carbon tax.
what farmers and ranchers cannot understand is why the member's party does not have a plan for the environment.
- deflectedCarbon PricingMr. Gérard Deltell (Conservative) asked Mrs. Élisabeth Brière (Liberal). loaded question.The answer highlights child benefit and poverty reduction but ignores the carbon tax on farmers and families.
Since taking office, we have introduced measures that have helped Canadians, such as the Canada child benefit, which has lifted hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty.
- partly answeredGrocery IndustryMr. Matthew Green (NDP) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). substantive question.The answer notes competition law changes for grocery but does not address worker wages or CEO pay directly.
we are introducing historic changes to competition law in Canada; these would increase competition, particularly in the grocery sector.
- deflectedImmigration, Refugees and CitizenshipMs. Jenny Kwan (NDP) asked Mélanie Joly (Liberal). substantive question.The answer focuses on evacuation of Canadians from Gaza rather than special immigration measures for extended family.
we are extremely happy that 130 Canadians were able to cross Rafah last night and are now back in Egypt, heading toward Canada.
- partly answeredFinanceMr. Scott Aitchison (Conservative) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). substantive question.The answer describes the mortgage charter for relief but does not address ending spending or balancing the budget.
The Canadian mortgage charter gives Canadians who are facing a mortgage renewal a clear sense of what they have the right to ask their bank to do in terms of tailored support.
- deflectedFinanceMr. Scott Aitchison (Conservative) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). loaded question.The answer defends past COVID supports and ratings but ignores the call to stop spending and balance the budget.
Canada has a AAA rating and the lowest debt and deficit in the G7.
- partly answeredHousingMr. Clifford Small (Conservative) asked Sean Fraser (Liberal). loaded question.The answer rejects the premise of taking pleasure in homelessness and points to specific funding offers but does not commit to ending the crisis outright.
I do not think any member of the House, of any party, takes any pleasure in seeing anyone in this country live on the street.
- deflectedHousingMrs. Tracy Gray (Conservative) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). loaded question.The answer repeats debt and deficit statistics and job growth but does not address stopping deficit spending to control housing costs.
The reality is that Canada has the lowest deficit and the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio in the entire G7.
- answeredVeterans AffairsMr. Luc Desilets (Bloc) asked Ginette Petitpas Taylor (Liberal). substantive question.The answer directly explains the choice of the Stimson concept based on veteran survey input.
The Stimson concept was chosen because we were told that it better reflected the sacrifice, bravery and loss of our veterans.
- answeredVeterans AffairsMr. Luc Desilets (Bloc) asked Ginette Petitpas Taylor (Liberal). substantive question.The answer again states the government chose the concept after listening to over 12,000 veterans via survey.
Over 12,000 Canadians responded. Most of them were veterans or their family members.
- misdirectedCarbon PricingMr. Damien Kurek (Conservative) asked Lawrence MacAulay (Liberal). loaded question.The answer attacks the opposition's environmental plan instead of addressing removal of the carbon tax from farmers.
One of the biggest concerns they have is why the opposition party does not have a policy or a plan to deal with the environment.
- deflectedCarbon PricingMr. Damien Kurek (Conservative) asked Lawrence MacAulay (Liberal). loaded question.The answer lists existing support programs but does not address passing Bill C-234 to remove the carbon tax.
The operation has benefited from seven of our government programs, including the BRM program and funding through the climate action incentive fund.
- deflectedCarbon PricingMr. Joël Godin (Conservative) asked Mr. Adam van Koeverden (Liberal). loaded question.The answer notes no federal carbon tax on Quebec farmers and lists rebates but avoids committing to drop the tax increase or pass the bill.
there is no federal tax on carbon for farmers in Quebec.
- misdirectedAutomotive IndustryMr. Rick Perkins (Conservative) asked Mr. Ryan Turnbull (Liberal). loaded question.The answer attacks the Conservative leader's past record instead of addressing contract release.
Not only is his track record as part of the previous Conservative government abysmal, consisting of the loss of over 300,000 manufacturing jobs, he has also proven to be one of the most anti-worker MPs
- deflectedAutomotive IndustryMr. Michael Barrett (Conservative) asked Mr. Ryan Turnbull (Liberal). loaded question.The answer cites an article and accuses fearmongering rather than addressing the demand for contract details.
I know the opposition leader has a hard time showing respect to journalists, but maybe the Conservatives should stop fearmongering and read The Globe and Mail.
- deflectedAutomotive IndustryMr. Bernard Généreux (Conservative) asked Karina Gould (Liberal). loaded question.The answer notes committee independence and shifts to job creation without addressing contract disclosure.
When it comes to the Stellantis investments, the Conservatives have their heads in the sand.
- partly answeredPersons with DisabilitiesMs. Bonita Zarrillo (NDP) asked Mr. Sameer Zuberi (Liberal). substantive question.The answer acknowledges the issue and states work on regulations is underway but provides no timeline for release.
We are working on the regulations, we are consulting the community fully, and this will happen.
- deflectedDemocratic InstitutionsMr. Kevin Vuong (Independent) asked Ms. Jennifer O'Connell (Liberal). loaded question.The answer restates general commitments without addressing inquiry timeline or information access concerns.
We have moved forward with consultations on a foreign agent registry.