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Monday, December 2, 2024 · sitting No. 380

Commons debates motion to summon former minister on Indigenous file

The House spent the largest share of the sitting on a motion to concur in the 18th report of the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs. Conservative MP Bob Zimmer moved concurrence and said the report calls for the appearance of the former NDP-Liberal minister who resigned in shame to answer questions about his conduct. Liberal MP Mark Gerretsen questioned whether the member for Calgary Nose Hill had been approached by foreign individuals during the Conservative leadership campaign.

Question period featured repeated exchanges on the Auditor General's report that $3.5 billion in CEBA loans went to ineligible companies. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said the government wasted the money and spent an extra $200 million on consultants at Accenture. Minister Rechie Valdez replied that the Conservatives had opposed supports for small businesses and that the loans had kept many from bankruptcy.

Further clashes centred on carbon pricing and food-bank use. Poilievre cited Feed Ontario data showing one million Ontarians used food banks and asked when the government would axe the tax. Minister Karina Gould said the Conservatives had voted against a GST holiday and school-food agreements that help hundreds of thousands of children.

Decided that day

  • Bill C-422 was introduced

From the Hansard record of the sitting. Full Hansard

Question Period – December 2, 2024. Video from CPAC. Watch on YouTube

Who held the floor · 2024-12-02

Government (Liberal)OppositionOver the day: government 35%, opposition 65% of the words spokenOrders of the DayQuestion PeriodRoutine proceedings▲ Government side held the floor▼ Opposition held the floorOpened 11:0512:0013:0014:0015:0016:0017:00Last speech 18:15Time of day, Ottawa · the House sat 7 h 10 min · each dot is a stretch of debate, placed at the minute it began
24House Buries Day in Privilege PointsThe sitting focused heavily on committees and privilege, with 87 points of order or privilege raised and just 22 per cent of words on substantive business. Only one bill was introduced, no votes were held, and most question period answers were deflected or misdirected.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

Privilege

Liberal MP Kevin Lamoureux quoted a CBC report that Indian government representatives told Conservative campaign workers to stop supporting candidate Patrick Brown.

Read the exchange

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

Conservative MP Melissa Lantsman asked where the government's Canada-first plan was after a 2,500 per cent rise in unprocessed refugee claims. Minister Marc Miller said the Conservatives had voted against an asylum-reform package at committee.

Read the exchange

Forestry Industry

Bloc Québécois MP Richard Martel said another Quebec sawmill closure showed the government's failure to secure a softwood-lumber agreement. Minister Maninder Sidhu said the government had stood up to U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum.

Read the exchange

Public Safety

Bloc Québécois MP Rhéal Éloi Fortin said his party's bill would reverse the burden of proof on criminal assets. Minister Arif Virani said budget measures already target organized-crime finances and vehicle theft had fallen 41 per cent in Quebec.

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. deflected
    Public Services and ProcurementPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Rechie Valdez (Liberal). loaded question.Answer ignores the Auditor General findings and instead attacks the opposition's past statements on supports.When times are tough, small businesses will not be supported by the Conservative Party of Canada.
  2. deflected
    Public Services and ProcurementPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Arif Virani (Liberal). loaded question.Answer shifts to unrelated recent measures and criticizes the opposition's voting record rather than addressing the CEBA waste.What did the Leader of the Opposition do? He decided to vote against it.
  3. misdirected
    Public Services and ProcurementPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Rechie Valdez (Liberal). loaded question.Answer pivots to a personal letter from another MP and accuses the opposition leader of inconsistency instead of addressing the reported waste.I find the question ironic, because the member for Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon actually sent me a letter advocating for CEBA loans to support a small business in his own riding.
  4. deflected
    Carbon PricingPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Jenna Sudds (Liberal). loaded question.Answer addresses food bank data on seniors but avoids the carbon tax and CEBA questions entirely.After that change, the percentage of food bank visitors who were seniors began to decrease.
  5. misdirected
    Carbon PricingPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Karina Gould (Liberal). loaded question.Answer attacks the Conservative leader's consistency on multiple unrelated issues instead of responding to the carbon tax and food price claims.this is yet another example of the Conservative leader talking about one thing and doing another.
  6. misdirected
    SeniorsMr. Alain Therrien (Bloc) asked Steven MacKinnon (Liberal). substantive question.Answer dismisses the question by attacking the Bloc's voting record rather than addressing the Auditor General's findings on seniors programs.my friend across the aisle would have more credibility if he had not systematically voted against all the supports we thought were needed during and after the pandemic to help our seniors.
  7. misdirected
    SeniorsMr. Alain Therrien (Bloc) asked Steven MacKinnon (Liberal). loaded question.Answer again attacks the Bloc's votes on unrelated programs instead of engaging with the Auditor General critique on seniors data.The Bloc Québécois has systematically voted against hundreds of thousands of Quebeckers who benefit from it.
  8. answered
    EmploymentMr. Alexandre Boulerice (NDP) asked Dominic LeBlanc (Liberal). substantive question.Answer directly addresses the question about the Prime Minister's meeting with Trump and border/economic discussions.That is why we spoke with President Trump and his future secretaries about the importance of working together and recognizing the integration between our two economies.
  9. answered
    EmploymentMr. Blake Desjarlais (NDP) asked Dominic LeBlanc (Liberal). substantive question.The answer directly addresses the question by detailing the discussions held with Trump on tariffs and Canadian workers.the idea that we came back empty-handed is completely false.
  10. misdirected
    Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipMs. Melissa Lantsman (Conservative) asked Marc Miller (Liberal). substantive question.The answer attacks the opposition's past record and voting instead of outlining any current plan.She supports the Leader of the Opposition who sat idly by in government while it cut money to border enforcement at the Canada-U.S. border and at the immigration-refugee border.
  11. misdirected
    Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipMs. Melissa Lantsman (Conservative) asked Marc Miller (Liberal). substantive question.The answer insults the opposition and pivots to past policies rather than presenting a border plan.this is from the gleeful authors of the barbaric practices snitch line.
  12. partly answered
    Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipMr. Brad Redekopp (Conservative) asked Dominic LeBlanc (Liberal). substantive question.The answer references reversing prior cuts and joint border work but does not detail a full Canada-first plan.one of the first things in our plan was to reverse some of the draconian cuts that the previous Conservative government made to the brave women and men who work in our Canadian border services.
  13. misdirected
    Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipMr. Brad Redekopp (Conservative) asked Marc Miller (Liberal). substantive question.The answer attacks the opposition leader personally instead of addressing gaps in immigration or providing a border plan.while the Leader of the Opposition was in his basement figuring out what rhyme to put up on Twitter to express his displeasure with the government, the Prime Minister of Canada was meeting with Donald Trump
  14. partly answered
    Public SafetyMr. Pierre Paul-Hus (Conservative) asked Dominic LeBlanc (Liberal). substantive question.The answer discusses ongoing RCMP work and US collaboration on security but avoids committing to the proposed plan.We talked, for example, about the important work that the RCMP is doing in the fight against fentanyl, which has led to drug seizures and significant arrests, often in partnership with our American allies.
  15. misdirected
    Public SafetyMr. Pierre Paul-Hus (Conservative) asked Dominic LeBlanc (Liberal). substantive question.The answer lists past actions then pivots to attacking the opposition leader's security clearance instead of addressing the plan.If my colleague is serious about our country's national security, I suggest that he encourage his boss to obtain the security clearance needed to access information that will help protect his political party and caucus.
  16. deflected
    Public Services and ProcurementMs. Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné (Bloc) asked Jean-Yves Duclos (Liberal). substantive question.The answer defends past pandemic measures and criticizes Conservatives but does not address the Accenture contracting issues or accountability.
  17. misdirected
    Public Services and ProcurementMs. Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné (Bloc) asked Ms. Rachel Bendayan (Liberal). loaded question.The answer ignores the Auditor General recommendation entirely and instead attacks the Bloc's voting record on an unrelated tax measure.I am not surprised that the Bloc Québécois is rising in the House four years later.
  18. misdirected
    Public Services and ProcurementMs. Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné (Bloc) asked Rechie Valdez (Liberal). loaded question.The answer sidesteps the discrepancy in Accenture contract figures and instead labels the Bloc hypocritical on CEBA costs.I find the Bloc Québécois's position hypocritical.
  19. misdirected
    The EconomyMs. Lianne Rood (Conservative) asked Jenna Sudds (Liberal). loaded question.The answer pivots to a school food program announcement and challenges the opposition leader rather than addressing carbon tax or food bank usage.I challenge him to ask those 184,000 children who are getting food at school.
  20. misdirected
    The EconomyMs. Lianne Rood (Conservative) asked Karina Gould (Liberal). loaded question.The answer attacks Conservatives for not calling a confidence vote and lists unrelated programs instead of responding to the carbon tax or food bank question.the Conservative members of Parliament are so ridiculous.
  21. deflected
    The EconomyMr. Jamie Schmale (Conservative) asked Ms. Rachel Bendayan (Liberal). loaded question.The answer promotes a GST break on unrelated items and accuses Conservatives of opposing tax cuts without addressing food bank statistics or calling an election.The Conservatives talk about vulnerable Canadians having a rough time but vote against support for Canadians on every single occasion.
  22. partly answered
    HealthMs. Lindsay Mathyssen (NDP) asked Mark Holland (Liberal). substantive question.The answer addresses the funding agreements and provides data on doctors, nurses and wait times but does not directly engage the Ontario ER closures or Ford privatization claim.those agreements, which were $200 billion over 10 years, absolutely did come with common indicators and shared priorities.
  23. answered
    Border SecurityMr. Brian Masse (NDP) asked Dominic LeBlanc (Liberal). substantive question.The answer directly confirms reversal of prior cuts and states that more border officers have been hired, addressing the request to rehire staff.I am happy to tell him that we have reversed those cuts and have hired considerably more border services officers.
  24. deflected
    The EconomyMrs. Stephanie Kusie (Conservative) asked Ms. Rachel Bendayan (Liberal). loaded question.The answer disputes GDP figures and again criticizes Conservatives for opposing a tax break instead of addressing the call for the Prime Minister to step aside.I think the Conservatives are trying to change the channel.
  25. deflected
    The EconomyMrs. Stephanie Kusie (Conservative) asked Mr. Maninder Sidhu (Liberal). loaded question.The answer discusses past trade deals instead of addressing whether bad policies caused economic issues.In 2018, it was this government that renegotiated NAFTA, which led to a record trade of $1.3 trillion just last year.
  26. deflected
    Forestry IndustryMr. Richard Martel (Conservative) asked Mr. Maninder Sidhu (Liberal). rhetorical question.The answer highlights government support for the industry but ignores the call for an election and the specific mill closure.We stood up for Canada when the U.S. imposed aluminum and steel tariffs on us.
  27. partly answered
    Forestry IndustryMr. Richard Martel (Conservative) asked Diane Lebouthillier (Liberal). rhetorical question.The answer addresses U.S. duties on softwood lumber but does not respond to the demand for an election.It is in the best interests of both Canada and the United States to find a lasting solution.
  28. partly answered
    Public SafetyMr. Rhéal Éloi Fortin (Bloc) asked Arif Virani (Liberal). substantive question.The answer mentions budget measures against organized crime but does not address putting the specific bill on the agenda.We made changes in budget 2024 and last year's economic statement to target finances associated with organized crime.
  29. deflected
    Public SafetyMr. Rhéal Éloi Fortin (Bloc) asked Arif Virani (Liberal). rhetorical question.The answer lists investments and results but avoids the question about taking the bill seriously or addressing gang violence.We have invested $132 million to address weapons and the gangs that target Quebec.
  30. misdirected
    LabourMr. Kyle Seeback (Conservative) asked Steven MacKinnon (Liberal). loaded question.The answer attacks the Conservatives' past record instead of addressing the NDP's position on the motion.we would think this was not from the party that supported the anti-union, oppressive Bill C-377 and Bill C-525
  31. misdirected
    LabourMr. Kyle Seeback (Conservative) asked Steven MacKinnon (Liberal). loaded question.The answer attacks the Conservatives as anti-worker rather than responding to the question about the minister's actions.The current Conservative Party is anti-worker.
  32. misdirected
    LabourMs. Michelle Ferreri (Conservative) asked Steven MacKinnon (Liberal). loaded question.The answer insults the Conservatives and their motion instead of addressing the non-confidence motion or NDP choice.It is a joke. It is a sick joke to watch these Conservatives line up behind this leader and his fake, false bravado, putting motions on the floor of the House.
  33. deflected
    Public Services and ProcurementMr. Jasraj Singh Hallan (Conservative) asked Rechie Valdez (Liberal). loaded question.The answer avoids the specific allegations about ineligible loans and Accenture contracting by pivoting to small-business support and opposition voting record.The fact is that the CEBA loans were there and helped nearly 900,000 small businesses keep their lights on, keep their doors open and keep their employees working.
  34. misdirected
    Public Services and ProcurementMr. Brad Vis (Conservative) asked Rechie Valdez (Liberal). loaded question.The answer ignores the Auditor General report and instead attacks the Conservative leader over unrelated foreign-interference allegations.When it comes to security clearance, there are more allegations that have come forward with regard to foreign interference in the Conservative Party's leadership race, yet the Conservative leader chooses to ignore these security breaches in his own party.
  35. deflected
    Public Services and ProcurementMr. Luc Berthold (Conservative) asked Soraya Martinez Ferrada (Liberal). loaded question.The answer repeats praise for the program's outcomes while sidestepping questions on ineligible payments and illegal enrichment of Accenture.Were it not for this government, thousands of businesses across the country would not have survived.
  36. partly answered
    Indigenous AffairsMs. Lori Idlout (NDP) asked Dominic LeBlanc (Liberal). substantive question.The answer acknowledges the concern and outlines ongoing discussions with RCMP and Indigenous leaders about Indigenous policing, though without a concrete timeline.We share our colleague's concern about moving toward a circumstance where we can have more indigenous police forces and include indigenous communities in the important law enforcement that Canadians expect in their communities
  37. partly answered
    Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipMr. Kevin Vuong (Independent) asked Marc Miller (Liberal). loaded question.The answer addresses enforcement against foreign agents but dismisses the specific claim about IRGC agents in the refugee program as fabrication.The enforcement agencies in our country work diligently to clamp down on these people, to arrest them, to bring them to justice or to kick them out of the country.