All sittings← 2024-05-012024-05-03 →
Thursday, May 2, 2024 · sitting No. 307
Commons debates Atlantic accord bill at third reading for most of sitting
The House spent the largest share of its time on debate at third reading of Bill C-49, An Act to amend the Canada—Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act and the Canada—Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act. Natural Resources Minister Seamus O'Regan moved the motion for third reading and said the bill would support offshore renewable energy development while maintaining the resource sector's role. Conservative MP Blake Richards requested a recorded vote on the motion to proceed.
In Question Period, Conservative House leader Andrew Scheer pressed Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland on the federal decision to allow the smoking of crack, meth and heroin in British Columbia hospitals, parks and transit. Freeland said the government was working with Premier David Eby to address the province's concerns about the pilot project and would not act unilaterally.
Liberal MP Kevin Lamoureux sought and obtained unanimous consent to change the membership of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs.
Decided that day
- Bill C-49 passed at report stage
- Ways and means motion No. 24 passed
- Motion to proceed to Orders of the Day passed
- Bills C-388 and C-69 introduced
From the Hansard record of the sitting. Full Hansard
Question Period – May 2, 2024. Video from CPAC. Watch on YouTube
Who held the floor · 2024-05-02
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
Liberal MP John McKay told the House that he and Conservative MP Garnett Genuis, both members of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, had been advised of a cyber attack by the group APT31 during a call with the organization in London.
Read the exchangeCBC/Radio‑Canada
Bloc Québécois MP Alain Therrien asked whether the government intended to merge CBC and Radio-Canada after reports of closer ties between the English and French networks; Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland replied that French-language broadcasting would not be affected.
Read the exchangeIntergovernmental Affairs
Bloc Québécois MP Gabriel Ste-Marie cited a unanimous National Assembly motion condemning all three federalist parties for refusing Quebec the right to opt out of federal programs with full compensation; Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Pablo Rodriguez replied that opposing the Bloc did not mean opposing Quebec.
Read the exchangeEthics
Conservative MP Michael Barrett asked how much Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault and his company had received from a lobbying firm that lobbied the minister's own department; Government House leader Steven MacKinnon said the minister had followed all ethics rules.
Read the exchangeBoosting Canadian Energy and Mining Projects and Ukraine's Munitions Supply Act
Conservative MP Garnett Genuis received unanimous consent to table Bill C-388, An Act to fast track energy and mining projects and to facilitate the provision of munitions to Ukraine.
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
- deflectedMental Health and AddictionsAndrew Scheer (Conservative) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). loaded question.Question assumes legality of crack smoking in hospitals and demands a date; answer pivots to collaboration and accuses partisanship without addressing the query.
Opioid addiction is a tragedy that has affected far too many Canadian families.
- deflectedMental Health and AddictionsAndrew Scheer (Conservative) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). loaded question.Question repeats loaded premise and demands a date; answer avoids it by emphasizing collaboration and accusing partisanship.
Let us work together to help them, not to score cheap partisan points.
- deflectedMental Health and AddictionsAndrew Scheer (Conservative) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). loaded question.Question uses loaded framing and demands a date; answer deflects to personal contact with premier and accuses fundraising off suffering.
What we are not doing is fundraising off the pain, death and suffering of Canadians.
- deflectedMental Health and AddictionsMr. Luc Berthold (Conservative) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). loaded question.Question assumes radical experiment and demands reversal; answer shifts to shared concerns without committing to action.
It is important not to politicize Canadians' grief.
- misdirectedMental Health and AddictionsMr. Luc Berthold (Conservative) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). loaded question.Question attacks Bloc and demands assurance against expansion; answer redirects to attacking Conservatives and white supremacists instead.
However, do my colleagues know who actually has extremist and radical policies? White supremacists and misogynists.
- answeredCBC/Radio‑CanadaMr. Alain Therrien (Bloc) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). substantive question.Question asks for reassurance on no merger; answer directly provides assurance on French-language broadcasting.
I can assure all Canadians that French-language broadcasting will not be touched.
- partly answeredCBC/Radio‑CanadaMr. Alain Therrien (Bloc) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). substantive question.Question proposes separate corporations; answer supports Radio-Canada but does not address separation.
We will always support Radio‑Canada.
- deflectedClimate ChangeMr. Alexandre Boulerice (NDP) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). loaded question.Question accuses failure and waste; answer lists government actions without addressing missed targets.
our government is doing more to fight climate change than any other federal government in the history of Canada.
- deflectedTaxationMr. Don Davies (NDP) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). loaded question.Answer endorses capital gains hike but pivots to attacking Conservatives rather than explaining Liberal corporate tax policy.
However, I agree with the member opposite. I think the Conservatives support that kind of unfair tax policy.
- deflectedMental Health and AddictionsMr. Frank Caputo (Conservative) asked Ya'ara Saks (Liberal). loaded question.Answer describes partnership with B.C. but ignores the timeline contradiction and ends by questioning Conservatives instead.
B.C. is amending its proposal, and we are supporting it in this work because that is what we do; we partner together to save lives.
- misdirectedMental Health and AddictionsMr. Frank Caputo (Conservative) asked Ya'ara Saks (Liberal). loaded question.Answer claims urgency and partnership but accuses Conservatives of cuts without addressing the reversal request.
Conservatives would cut everything; we are here to save lives.
- deflectedMental Health and AddictionsMrs. Tracy Gray (Conservative) asked Ya'ara Saks (Liberal). loaded question.Answer mentions consultations and amendments but sidesteps the data timeline and honesty accusation by attacking the opposition leader.
The member for Carleton will not even meet with Moms Stop the Harm or other experts and those who are advocating for their families and their lives.
- misdirectedMental Health and AddictionsMrs. Tracy Gray (Conservative) asked Ya'ara Saks (Liberal). loaded question.Answer attacks Conservative record on treatment funding and pivots to harm reduction without addressing local concerns or policy reversal.
The Conservatives cut two-thirds of their drug treatment fund when they were in power.
- partly answeredMental Health and AddictionsMr. Brad Vis (Conservative) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). loaded question.Answer states contact with B.C. premier and shared concerns but adds partisan attack on making political hay.
I do want to say that making political hay out of the pain of suffering Canadian families is simply irresponsible.
- misdirectedMental Health and AddictionsMr. Brad Vis (Conservative) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). loaded question.Answer acknowledges tragedy but redirects to accusing Conservatives of consorting with white supremacists instead of addressing drug policy.
Let me tell members what is putting the public safety of all Canadians at risk: consorting with white supremacists and misogynists.
- misdirectedIntergovernmental AffairsMr. Gabriel Ste-Marie (Bloc) asked Pablo Rodriguez (Liberal). loaded question.Answer defends federal actions by listing programs but attacks Bloc voting record rather than addressing opt-out request.
Bloc Québécois members oppose all that. They are doing the opposite of what they promised Quebeckers.
- misdirectedIntergovernmental AffairsMr. Gabriel Ste-Marie (Bloc) asked Pablo Rodriguez (Liberal). loaded question.The answer attacks the Bloc Québécois for voting with Conservatives instead of addressing the Quebec National Assembly motion.
- deflectedIntergovernmental AffairsMr. Gabriel Ste-Marie (Bloc) asked Jean-Yves Duclos (Liberal). substantive question.The response changes the subject to dental care access rather than addressing federal control via the budget.
one of the priorities of the people in my riding is access to affordable quality dental care.
- partly answeredMental Health and AddictionsMs. Melissa Lantsman (Conservative) asked Ya'ara Saks (Liberal). loaded question.The answer addresses Toronto's proposal status but avoids a direct yes/no on rejecting the request.
Toronto Public Health has not submitted a proposal that adequately addresses the dual objectives of public health and public safety
- deflectedMental Health and AddictionsMs. Melissa Lantsman (Conservative) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). loaded question.The response focuses on BC concerns instead of answering about Toronto's request.
The B.C. pilot project was requested by B.C., and B.C. has serious concerns.
- deflectedMental Health and AddictionsMr. Jamil Jivani (Conservative) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). loaded question.The answer reiterates the BC situation without addressing the timing or Toronto request.
There are no other pilot projects anywhere in Canada.
- deflectedGrocery IndustryMs. Bonita Zarrillo (NDP) asked Sean Fraser (Liberal). loaded question.The response presents government plans without addressing accusations of allowing corporate greed.
we put forward a plan to establish fairness for every generation
- misdirectedGrocery IndustryMs. Lisa Marie Barron (NDP) asked François-Philippe Champagne (Liberal). loaded question.The answer criticizes the Conservative leader for siding with corporations instead of addressing corporate giveaways.
it is disturbing to see the Leader of the Opposition siding with big corporate
- deflectedFinanceMr. Pierre Paul-Hus (Conservative) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). substantive question.The response shifts to inflation progress rather than addressing debt and wasteful spending.
we have come a long way in the fight against inflation and that recent progress is encouraging.
- misdirectedFinanceMr. Pierre Paul-Hus (Conservative) asked Jean-Yves Duclos (Liberal). loaded question.Answer attacks opposition housing record instead of addressing spending or poll.
Has he ever been told that in the entire term of the Leader of the Opposition , when he was the minister responsible for housing, he only built six affordable housing units in the entire country?
- deflectedFinanceMr. Joël Godin (Conservative) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). loaded question.Answer promotes fiscal record and attacks Conservative policy without addressing spending question.
The Conservatives' only policy is austerity, cuts and more cuts.
- deflectedFinanceMr. Bernard Généreux (Conservative) asked François-Philippe Champagne (Liberal). loaded question.Answer contrasts visions and plans rather than addressing waste or Bloc support.
On one side of the House, they hear the voice of a party that has no ambition, no vision and no plan for the future.
- partly answeredNatural ResourcesMr. Mario Simard (Bloc) asked Steven Guilbeault (Liberal). substantive question.Answer gives emissions stats but does not explain how TMX aids reduction.
in 2022, greenhouse gas emissions were 44 million tonnes lower than they were in 2019
- deflectedNatural ResourcesMr. Mario Simard (Bloc) asked Steven Guilbeault (Liberal). rhetorical question.Answer highlights subsidies progress and cap plans without addressing the question on oil expansion.
there is just one country in the entire G20 that has eliminated fossil fuel subsidies.
- deflectedFinanceMr. Jacques Gourde (Conservative) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). loaded question.Answer quotes Bank of Canada on inflation instead of addressing spending or Bloc role.
The message to Canadians is, we are getting closer
- deflectedEthicsMr. Michael Barrett (Conservative) asked Steven MacKinnon (Liberal). loaded question.Answer asserts ethics compliance without addressing amount of money received.
the minister has always followed the very strict ethics rules that apply to him as an elected official.
- deflectedEthicsMr. Michael Barrett (Conservative) asked Steven MacKinnon (Liberal). loaded question.Answer refers back to prior response without providing requested amount.
- deflectedEthicsMr. Michael Cooper (Conservative) asked Steven MacKinnon (Liberal). loaded question.The answer discusses ethics rules without providing any figure for money received.
The minister has always conducted himself in an ethical manner that follows the spirit and letter of those rules.
- misdirectedEthicsMr. Michael Cooper (Conservative) asked Steven MacKinnon (Liberal). loaded question.The answer attacks the questioner's language and issues a warning instead of addressing payments.
I would invite that member to be very, very careful with his words in the future.
- deflectedEthicsMr. Larry Brock (Conservative) asked Steven MacKinnon (Liberal). loaded question.The answer claims the question was already answered and warns about wording without giving amounts.
I would once again invite members from all sides of this House to be very, very careful with the words that they utter.
- answeredLabourMr. Taylor Bachrach (NDP) asked Seamus O'Regan (Liberal). substantive question.The answer directly addresses the request to keep parties at the table by confirming the cooling-off period and ongoing facilitation.
Our facilitators and conciliators remain closely with both parties at the table.
- partly answeredThe EnvironmentMs. Elizabeth May (Green) asked Steven Guilbeault (Liberal). loaded question.The answer addresses the Impact Assessment Act changes but ignores the specific broken promises listed.
as the Supreme Court asked us to do, we have brought changes to the Impact Assessment Act of Canada to ensure that the federal government will do what the federal government is supposed to be doing while provinces do their part in impact assessment
- answeredBusiness of the HouseAndrew Scheer (Conservative) asked Steven MacKinnon (Liberal). substantive question.The answer provides the schedule for upcoming debates and addresses the BC drug request by referencing the premier.
On the Thursday question, this afternoon we will continue with debate on Bill C-49 , the Canada—Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic accord implementation and offshore renewable energy management act
- misdirectedPoints of OrderAndrew Scheer (Conservative) asked Mr. Lloyd Longfield (Liberal). substantive question.The answer ignores the point of order entirely and requests consent for an unrelated procedural item.
Mr. Speaker, I am seeking unanimous consent to revert to the tabling of reports part of the rubric.
- deflectedPoints of OrderMr. Peter Julian (NDP) asked The Speaker (Liberal). substantive question.The answer begins a ruling on a different privilege question instead of addressing the titles issue raised.
I am now prepared to rule on the question of privilege raised on April 10, 2024, by the member for St. Albert—Edmonton concerning allegedly misleading statements made by the Minister of National Defence .