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Tuesday, May 28, 2024 · sitting No. 319

Liberals move closure on privilege debate over speaker

The House spent most of the day on orders of the day considering a question of privilege raised by the member for Grande Prairie—Mackenzie. Steven MacKinnon moved that debate be not further adjourned, a motion opposed by Conservative, Bloc Québécois and New Democratic members who said it amounted to muzzling Parliament.

In question period the main clashes concerned housing. Pierre Poilievre said the government was sending funds to municipalities that block construction while Justin Trudeau said the Conservative leader's own record and current proposals showed a lack of ambition. Other exchanges covered foreign interference, health care in James Bay and public transit in Montreal.

Decided that day

  • Referral of privilege question to committee failed
  • Bill C-59 passed third reading
  • Closure motion passed
  • Bill C-391 introduced

From the Hansard record of the sitting. Full Hansard

Question Period – May 28, 2024. Video from CPAC. Watch on YouTube

Who held the floor · 2024-05-28

Government (Liberal)OppositionOver the day: government 26%, opposition 74% of the words spokenOrders of the DayQuestion PeriodGovernment businessOrders of the Day▲ Government side held the floor▼ Opposition held the floorOpened 10:0011:0012:0013:0014:0015:0016:0017:0018:00Last speech 19:50Time of day, Ottawa · the House sat 9 h 50 min · each dot is a stretch of debate, placed at the minute it began
51Privilege Flood Drowns House BusinessThe sitting was dominated by 261 privilege points and minimal substantive debate, with only 20 percent of words on actual business. Bill C-59 nevertheless cleared third reading after closure was invoked.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

Opioids

Todd Doherty said overdose is now the leading cause of death for children aged 10 to 18 in British Columbia and accused the government of flooding streets with diverted safe-supply drugs.

Read the exchange

Justice

Melissa Lantsman said Liberal catch-and-release policies let 14 suspects in a major auto-theft ring walk free on bail days after arrest.

Read the exchange

Official Languages

Mario Beaulieu said the federal public service ranks dead last among Quebec employers in upholding the right to work in French and called for a regulatory framework under the Official Languages Act.

Read the exchange

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe said Quebec has opened the equivalent of more than 50 schools for asylum-seeker children this year while Ottawa fails to redistribute arrivals or reimburse costs.

Read the exchange

Question 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

  1. misdirected
    HousingPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). loaded question.Answer attacks the questioner's record and proposal instead of addressing the $95 million funding or permit delays.The Conservative leader would also rip up the 179 housing agreements and put the GST back on apartment construction.
  2. misdirected
    HousingPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). loaded question.Answer attacks the questioner's past record and calls it slogans rather than addressing permit times or the funding plan.The Conservative leader is all about slogans, not real solutions.
  3. misdirected
    HousingPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). loaded question.Answer pivots to criticizing the Conservative proposal and delays debate instead of addressing Toronto taxes or the accelerator fund.His proposal will not build homes fast enough, does not reach enough cities and creates unnecessary bureaucracy.
  4. misdirected
    HousingPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). loaded question.Answer focuses on the questioner's record as minister and calls it slogans rather than addressing taxes or the 3.9 million homes promise.His housing proposal today continues to fall short.
  5. partly answered
    HousingPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). loaded question.Answer directly states the plan does nothing on homelessness and describes federal investments instead of engaging the funding-to-bureaucracy claim.the so-called plan that the Conservative leader has put forward on housing does absolutely nothing to address homelessness or encampments.
  6. answered
    Democratic InstitutionsMr. Yves-François Blanchet (Bloc) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). substantive question.Answer acknowledges the report and states the government is following up on its recommendations.The report made a number of recommendations, and we are currently following up on them.
  7. partly answered
    Democratic InstitutionsMr. Yves-François Blanchet (Bloc) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). substantive question.Answer claims transparency with commissions but does not directly promise unconditional future cooperation.We have to keep being transparent about the work this government is doing.
  8. deflected
    Indigenous AffairsMr. Jagmeet Singh (NDP) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). substantive question.Answer gives general statements on investments without confirming or denying funding for the specific hospital.We recognize there is more to do.
  9. deflected
    InfrastructureMr. Jagmeet Singh (NDP) asked Justin Trudeau (Liberal). rhetorical question.The question ends in a rhetorical attack and the answer dismisses it as nonsense while pivoting to unrelated transit investments.Mr. Speaker, that is pure nonsense.
  10. misdirected
    HousingMrs. Tracy Gray (Conservative) asked Sean Fraser (Liberal). loaded question.The answer attacks the questioner's local funding stance instead of addressing the realism of housing targets.It is disappointing that my colleague is doing the opposite.
  11. deflected
    HousingMrs. Tracy Gray (Conservative) asked Sean Fraser (Liberal). loaded question.The answer shifts to criticizing Conservative cuts rather than responding to the housing starts decline or the bill.if the member argues that housing starts in her community are down, why is her solution to cut funding for housing in her community?
  12. deflected
    HousingMr. Richard Bragdon (Conservative) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). loaded question.The answer pivots to attacking Conservative premiers and cuts without addressing the specific housing cases or targets mentioned.even Conservative premiers recognize the damage these cost-cutting, austerity Conservatives would wreak on our country.
  13. deflected
    HousingMr. Richard Bragdon (Conservative) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). substantive question.The answer ignores the call for a free vote and instead attacks the Conservative leader's comments on mayors.That is why it was so shameful to hear the progressive mayors of two great Canadian cities, Toronto and Montreal, be vilified by the Conservative leader today.
  14. misdirected
    HousingMr. Luc Berthold (Conservative) asked Sean Fraser (Liberal). loaded question.The answer attacks the upcoming Conservative bill instead of addressing permit delays or the proposed incentives.Today, he is asking a question about housing issues, but tomorrow the leader of the Conservative Party plans to introduce a bill that will do away with affordable housing measures
  15. misdirected
    HousingMr. Luc Berthold (Conservative) asked Jean-Yves Duclos (Liberal). loaded question.The answer attacks the Conservative leader's past record instead of responding to the tent living or free vote request.Do members know how many homes the Conservative leader built when he was the minister responsible for housing?
  16. deflected
    Official LanguagesMr. Mario Beaulieu (Bloc) asked Anita Anand (Liberal). substantive question.The answer restates general bilingualism policy without addressing the specific rise in complaints or public service ranking.We continue to protect and promote the French language.
  17. partly answered
    Official LanguagesMr. Mario Beaulieu (Bloc) asked Anita Anand (Liberal). substantive question.Addresses commitment to the Act but omits timeline or regulatory framework details.I am committed to implementing parts IV, V and VI of the Official Languages Act in federal institutions.
  18. deflected
    Official LanguagesMr. René Villemure (Bloc) asked Anita Anand (Liberal). loaded question.Ignores the specific accusations and pivots to personal language ability.What did he say? I can speak French in the House and I can speak with all representatives of public services in French or English.
  19. misdirected
    TaxationMr. John Barlow (Conservative) asked Jenna Sudds (Liberal). loaded question.Ignores the gas tax proposal and attacks the Conservatives instead.I find this question very disingenuous. We will take no lessons from the Conservatives when it comes to food bank usage, when they refuse and they vote against providing food to hungry kids at school.
  20. misdirected
    TaxationMr. John Barlow (Conservative) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). loaded question.Ignores the carbon tax and rebate question to attack Conservative cuts.the Conservatives are the party of austerity. The only thing they know how to do is cut, cut, cut, so it is no surprise that they want to cut the carbon rebates that leave eight out of 10 Canadian families better off.
  21. deflected
    TaxationMs. Lianne Rood (Conservative) asked Jonathan Wilkinson (Liberal). loaded question.Repeats rebate facts but avoids the gas tax elimination request.Eight out of 10 Canadian families get more money back; 300 Canadian economists have said so, and the Parliamentary Budget Officer has said so.
  22. misdirected
    TaxationMs. Lianne Rood (Conservative) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). loaded question.Ignores the tax question entirely to warn about Conservative cuts.even Conservative premiers understand the absolute carnage that Conservative cuts would cause across our country.
  23. answered
    LabourMs. Bonita Zarrillo (NDP) asked Seamus O'Regan (Liberal). substantive question.Directly explains the government's limited role in airline wages under the Labour Code.The government does not regulate wages in companies, aside from setting a minimum wage.
  24. partly answered
    Persons with DisabilitiesMr. Taylor Bachrach (NDP) asked Mr. Sameer Zuberi (Liberal). substantive question.Mentions the summit but does not address setting rules or regulations.That is why we held a disability summit, gathering together the airline industry and persons with disabilities to sharpen our pencils to make sure that persons with disabilities can travel with dignity.
  25. deflected
    TaxationMr. Stephen Ellis (Conservative) asked Jenna Sudds (Liberal). loaded question.Answer discusses poverty targets without addressing the carbon tax or food affordability question.There are 1.3 million fewer Canadians living in poverty today than there were when the Conservatives were in government
  26. misdirected
    TaxationMr. Stephen Ellis (Conservative) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). loaded question.Answer attacks Conservatives on GIS and school food instead of addressing the tax or seniors' food access.it is the height of hypocrisy for Conservatives to claim that they care about the most vulnerable among us.
  27. misdirected
    TaxationMr. Dave Epp (Conservative) asked Mark Holland (Liberal). loaded question.Answer pivots to attacking Conservative record on homelessness rather than responding to food bank or tax question.What the Conservatives essentially are saying is this: "In tough global times, we're here for you to cut your dental care.
  28. misdirected
    TaxationMr. Fraser Tolmie (Conservative) asked Chrystia Freeland (Liberal). loaded question.Answer attacks Conservatives on cuts and austerity instead of addressing the carbon tax or food bank usage.we will take no lessons from these Conservatives when it comes to supporting the most vulnerable among us.
  29. partly answered
    Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipMr. Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe (Bloc) asked Marc Miller (Liberal). substantive question.Answer acknowledges shared responsibility and prior funding but does not commit to immediate distribution or repayment action.We announced weeks ago that we were going to do it.
  30. partly answered
    Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipMr. Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe (Bloc) asked Marc Miller (Liberal). substantive question.Answer references existing transfers but avoids new commitments on asylum seeker distribution or costs.I think that Quebeckers and Canadians will agree with me that we have taken action by transferring $5.2 billion to Quebec under the Canada-Quebec accord.
  31. deflected
    Mental Health and AddictionsMrs. Laila Goodridge (Conservative) asked Ya'ara Saks (Liberal). loaded question.Answer defends the policy as one tool among many without addressing cancellation of the program.When it comes to prescribed alternatives, it is one tool of many to combat the overdose crisis in the country to save lives.
  32. deflected
    Mental Health and AddictionsMrs. Laila Goodridge (Conservative) asked Ya'ara Saks (Liberal). loaded question.Answer disputes the seizure numbers and reframes to saving lives without addressing ending the program.The numbers the member quoted are simply not facts.
  33. deflected
    Mental Health and AddictionsMr. Pierre Paul-Hus (Conservative) asked Ya'ara Saks (Liberal). substantive question.The answer criticizes Conservatives and discusses harm reduction without addressing the specific request about public drug use legalization.yet again, the Conservatives want to play games with the lives of people who need health care.
  34. deflected
    JusticeMs. Melissa Lantsman (Conservative) asked Arif Virani (Liberal). substantive question.The answer praises police and discusses money laundering but avoids addressing bail policies or when career criminals will be kept in jail.they cannot selectively listen to law enforcement.
  35. partly answered
    JusticeMs. Melissa Lantsman (Conservative) asked Arif Virani (Liberal). substantive question.The answer lists recent investments and actions on auto theft but does not directly tackle the catch-and-release criticism.in the last three months, we have held an auto theft summit.
  36. deflected
    JusticeMr. Arpan Khanna (Conservative) asked Arif Virani (Liberal). substantive question.The answer acknowledges the problem but cuts off without addressing the vote against the bill or specific policy changes.What we are underscoring is that extortion is against the law.
  37. partly answered
    Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipMs. Jenny Kwan (NDP) asked Marc Miller (Liberal). substantive question.The answer confirms ongoing work on regularization options but provides no commitment to a broad uncapped program.pursuant to the minister's mandate letter, we are looking at a number of options.
  38. answered
    The EnvironmentMr. Charlie Angus (NDP) asked Steven Guilbeault (Liberal). loaded question.The answer directly rejects any special pathway for the project, addressing the core claim despite the loaded framing.I have been very clear that there will be no special pathway for the Pathways project.