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Wednesday, May 8, 2024 · sitting No. 311
House debates privilege motion on China-linked cyber attacks against MPs
The House spent the largest share of the sitting on a question of privilege raised by Conservative MP Garnett Genuis concerning cyber attacks in 2021 by a group tied to the Chinese government that targeted members of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China. Speaker Greg Fergus ruled that a prima facie case of contempt had been established. Genuis then moved that the matter be referred to the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs.
Question period opened with repeated exchanges on housing costs between Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Poilievre charged that nine years of Liberal spending had doubled housing costs while Trudeau defended the government's fiscal position and housing investments. Further clashes covered carbon pricing, grocery-chain funding and the decriminalization of hard drugs in British Columbia.
The House also adopted a committee report on Bill C-273 and heard statements marking Asian Heritage Month, Red Dress Day and the 25th anniversary of War Child Canada.
Decided that day
- Bill C-270 passed second reading
- Motion M-112 passed
- 18th report of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights passed
- Eighth report of the Standing Committee on National Defence passed
From the Hansard record of the sitting. Full Hansard
Question Period – May 8, 2024. Video from CPAC. Watch on YouTube
Who held the floor · 2024-05-08
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
Official Languages
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet pressed Trudeau to force the resignation of Liberal MP Francis Drouin as chair of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie after Drouin used an offensive term; Trudeau said Drouin had already apologized and withdrawn the remark.
Read the exchangeGrocery Industry
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh accused the government of handing $25 million to Loblaw and Costco while families struggle with food prices; Trudeau pointed to the grocery code of conduct and a new national school-food program.
Read the exchangeCarbon Pricing
Poilievre said the carbon tax on farmers and truckers would rise to 61 cents a litre if the government were re-elected; Trudeau replied that eight out of ten Canadians receive more back through the Canada carbon rebate than they pay.
Read the exchangeMental Health and Addictions
Poilievre asked whether the Prime Minister would accept the City of Montreal's request to legalize hard drugs; Trudeau called the suggestion shameful and said no one was proposing legalization.
Read the exchangeCanadian Broadcasting Corporation
Conservative MP Rachael Thomas criticized bonuses paid to CBC executives; Trudeau said the Conservatives had long opposed public broadcasting and would cut Radio-Canada services.
Read the exchangeIndigenous Affairs
Liberal MP Lori Idlout told the House that the United Nations special rapporteur had confirmed First Nations still lack clean drinking water; Trudeau said 135 long-term boil-water advisories had been lifted since 2015.
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 Justin Trudeau (Liberal). loaded question.The answer discusses Canada's fiscal strength instead of addressing the call to reverse policies.
The fact is that Canada's fiscal position is the strongest of the G7 countries.
- deflectedHousingPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). loaded question.The answer repeats G7 strength and investments without addressing the numbers on rents or costs.
Canada has the strongest fiscal position in the G7.
- deflectedFinancePierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). loaded question.The answer pivots to defending investments rather than explaining outcomes on income growth or debt.
Canada actually has the strongest macroeconomic performance in the G7.
- misdirectedHousingPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). loaded question.The answer attacks the asker's record as housing minister instead of addressing spending results.
I think Canadians will take no lessons from a former housing minister who was in a government that did not believe in investing in housing.
- deflectedHousingPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). loaded question.The answer poses a counter-question about investment levels rather than addressing rent and income figures.
Given that Canada has one of the strongest economic balance sheets in the G7 right now in a country-to-country comparison, should we invest in supporting Canadians and creating housing with that solid balance sheet, or should we, as the Conservative leader is proposing, cut programs, reduce investment and do less for Canadians?
- deflectedOfficial LanguagesMr. Yves-François Blanchet (Bloc) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). substantive question.The answer notes the apology but avoids any commitment on resignation or further action.
He was certainly overzealous, but he apologized and withdrew his remarks.
- misdirectedOfficial LanguagesMr. Yves-François Blanchet (Bloc) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). substantive question.The answer attacks the Bloc's stance on francophones outside Quebec instead of addressing the resignation request.
It is no secret that they do not like francophones who speak French outside Quebec.
- partly answeredGrocery IndustryMr. Jagmeet Singh (NDP) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). loaded question.The answer outlines new programs and reforms but does not address the specific $25 million grants mentioned.
not only are we continuing to move forward on our grocery code of conduct, but we are working on a project to make food more affordable through competition reform.
- deflectedGrocery IndustryMr. Jagmeet Singh (NDP) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). substantive question.The answer pivots to unrelated programs and NDP support instead of addressing the specific corporate handouts mentioned.
we are continuing to make progress on the grocery code of conduct and continuing our efforts to make food more affordable through competition reforms.
- misdirectedGrocery IndustryPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). loaded question.The answer attacks the asker on capital gains and lobbyist stories rather than addressing the requested investigation into NDP influence.
we can see very clearly that all the stories out about lobbyists' connections with the Leader of the Opposition are actually hurting the Leader of the Opposition, which is why he is asking the question on the NDP.
- deflectedCarbon PricingPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). substantive question.The answer notes the avoided capital gains question then defends carbon pricing without engaging the affordability critique on food.
once again, Canadians saw that the Leader of the Opposition avoided pronouncing on whether or not he supports our increase to the capital gains inclusion rate.
- deflectedCarbon PricingPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). substantive question.The answer challenges the asker to present a plan and defends carbon pricing instead of addressing the ranking or quadrupling claim.
if the Leader of the Opposition wants to present an actual plan to fight climate change, we would love to see it, but he has refused to take any measure to fight climate change, period.
- deflectedCarbon PricingPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). loaded question.The answer cites PBO benefits and pivots to dental care instead of addressing food bank visits or middle-class affordability under carbon tax.
according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, eight out of 10 Canadians, middle-income and lower-income Canadians primarily, do better with the Canada carbon rebate
- deflectedCarbon PricingPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). substantive question.The answer repeats the eight-out-of-ten claim and attacks the asker's facts campaign without engaging the specific PBO page 3 data on provinces.
the Canada carbon rebate puts more money in the pockets of eight out of 10 families in the jurisdictions across the country in which it is and is effective in bringing down our emissions
- partly answeredOfficial LanguagesMr. Yves-François Blanchet (Bloc) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). loaded question.The answer notes the apology and defends French-language policy but does not address the threshold for what counts as a fight.
the member apologized and withdrew the offensive word.
- misdirectedOfficial LanguagesMr. Yves-François Blanchet (Bloc) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). rhetorical question.The answer attacks the Bloc's separatism motives instead of addressing the debate question.
That is why they do not care about the fate of French outside Quebec.
- deflectedHousingPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). loaded question.The answer promotes federal investments and attacks austerity without addressing the specific plan or suicide reports.
It has been so well received by Quebeckers that the Quebec government chose to add $900 million to the federal investment
- deflectedHousingPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). loaded question.The answer blames past Conservative underinvestment rather than addressing current spending outcomes.
When he was the minister responsible for housing and his former government was in power, they spent virtually nothing on housing.
- deflectedHousingPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). loaded question.The answer reframes as an election choice between investment and austerity without addressing program effectiveness.
Should a government put its fiscal position in service of Canadians to invest in communities and invest in housing, or should it make cuts to programs to further improve its fiscal position
- deflectedHousingPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). loaded question.The answer highlights fiscal management and attacks cuts instead of addressing the savings-for-spending proposal.
The Conservative leader, in contrast, says that the government should cut services to Canadians.
- answeredIndigenous AffairsMs. Lori Idlout (NDP) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). substantive question.The answer directly addresses ending boil water advisories with specific numbers and ongoing work.
We have now lifted about 135 or 140, perhaps even a few more.
- deflectedThe EconomyMs. Lisa Marie Barron (NDP) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). loaded question.The answer promotes budget investments without addressing the $60 billion claim or cost-of-living impacts.
our latest budget is actually focused on equality for every generation, and a big cornerstone of that is asking the wealthiest Canadians to pay a little more
- misdirectedMental Health and AddictionsPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). loaded question.The answer attacks the questioner for exploiting fears and misstates the query instead of addressing legalization or overdose issues.
it is shameful that the Leader of the Opposition uses tragedies to exploit people's fears and fundraise for the Conservatives.
- deflectedMental Health and AddictionsPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). loaded question.The answer attacks the questioner for misleading instead of addressing the Toronto application or post-election plans.
it is shameful to hear the Leader of the Opposition misleading the House and misleading Canadians for his own fundraising political gain.
- partly answeredMental Health and AddictionsPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). loaded question.The answer clarifies the distinction between legalization and decriminalization but avoids ruling out future expansion beyond BC.
We, yes, responded to a request for a pilot project by British Columbia to continue to try new approaches in solving this toxic drug overdose epidemic.
- answeredMental Health and AddictionsPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). loaded question.The answer directly states that no proposals will move forward without provincial requests and confirms BC adjustments.
Failing that, we will not be moving forward on any modifications.
- misdirectedOfficial LanguagesMr. Yves-François Blanchet (Bloc) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). loaded question.The answer addresses the apology but pivots to official languages instead of the double-standard accusation.
as I said, I expected the member to apologize and withdraw his comments, and that is exactly what he did.
- deflectedOfficial LanguagesMr. Yves-François Blanchet (Bloc) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). rhetorical question.The answer restates the government's record on protecting French without engaging the claim about English or the friend's actions.
we are the first federal government to recognize that we have a special responsibility to protect French in Quebec and to contribute to that protection.
- deflectedMental Health and AddictionsPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). loaded question.The answer attacks the Conservative record instead of addressing the safe-supply contracts or national expansion.
the Leader of the Opposition proposes to return to the failed Harper-era approaches on opioids that Harper's former adviser Benjamin Perrin called obsolete and "immoral".
- deflectedMental Health and AddictionsPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). loaded question.The answer labels the question ideological without responding to the specific claims about diversion or quantities of opioids.
I do not know that any Canadian would think that adding more ideology to our approach to public health in dealing with the opioid epidemic is a solution, yet that is the only thing the Conservative Party seems to offer.
- deflectedMental Health and AddictionsPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). loaded question.The answer describes the epidemic and general approach but does not address releasing pharmaceutical contracts.
We have continued to work, jurisdiction by jurisdiction, in thoughtful ways to try to do everything possible to keep communities safe, to keep families from suffering these further losses and to support people who are struggling with addiction.
- deflectedPublic SafetyPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). loaded question.The answer avoids the specific question about TD Bank and fentanyl by pivoting to general investments and past Conservative cuts.
Unlike the previous Conservative government that cut policing and that cut intelligence services, we will continue to invest in keeping Canadians safe
- misdirectedOfficial LanguagesPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). substantive question.The answer attacks the Conservatives' record on Radio-Canada instead of addressing the demand for the member's resignation.
We also saw that their party's heritage critic could not even stand up for Radio-Canada when she was asked a direct question.
- misdirectedCBC/Radio-CanadaPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). loaded question.The answer shifts to criticizing Conservative ideology on public broadcasters rather than responding to the question on Radio-Canada protection.
They know full well that the Conservative Party's ideological opposition to public broadcasters is too deeply ingrained
- partly answeredLabourMr. Blake Desjarlais (NDP) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). substantive question.The answer states the decision came from the public service and mentions future work with unions but does not confirm whether consultation occurred on the specific changes.
We will work with unions and all public servants to make sure that happens in the right way.
- deflectedClimate ChangeMr. Mike Morrice (Green) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). loaded question.The answer defends the pipeline project as in the national interest without addressing the call to stop building pipelines for climate reasons.
this project was in the national interest.