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Monday, December 9, 2024 · sitting No. 385

House debates indigenous affairs committee report as supply motion on housing advances

The House spent the largest share of its time on concurrence in the third report of the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs. Conservative MP Garnett Genuis moved concurrence and linked the report to housing shortages, while Liberal MP Francis Scarpaleggia questioned the Conservative emphasis on private developers over public funds for social housing.

In Question Period the main exchanges centred on the fall economic statement and housing costs. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre pressed the government to stop raising taxes and exceeding its $40-billion deficit target, while Liberal MP Arif Virani defended the record on inflation control, interest-rate cuts and child-care expansion.

Further clashes saw NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh demand $250 cheques for seniors and persons with disabilities, and Bloc Québécois MP Alain Therrien urge repeal of the Criminal Code religious exemption to strengthen Quebec secularism measures.

Decided that day

  • Two opposition motions failed
  • Bill S-291 introduced

From the Hansard record of the sitting. Full Hansard

Question Period – December 9, 2024. Video from CPAC. Watch on YouTube

Who held the floor · 2024-12-09

Government (Liberal)OppositionOver the day: government 40%, opposition 60% of the words spokenOrders of the DayGovernment businessQuestion PeriodRoutine proceedings▲ Government side held the floor▼ Opposition held the floorOpened 11:0512:0013:0014:0015:0016:0017:00Last speech 18:35Time of day, Ottawa · the House sat 7 h 30 min · each dot is a stretch of debate, placed at the minute it began
46Motions Fail, Order Calls Pile UpThe House spent most of its time on committees and supply debates while opposition motions were defeated and Question Period yielded few direct answers. Only one bill was introduced and no other decisions were reached.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

Conservative MP Michael Cooper told the House that NDP MP for Edmonton Griesbach had joined an anti-Israel demonstration that blocked the driveway at Confederation Building.

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Business of Supply

Conservative MP Melissa Lantsman moved a supply motion citing doubled rents and mortgages and OECD data on Canada's unaffordable housing market.

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Leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada

Conservative MP Blaine Calkins asked whether NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh would vote against his own words after tearing up the supply-and-confidence agreement.

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Public Services and Procurement

Bloc Québécois MP Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay called for an Auditor General probe into the CARM app after it crashed 22 times in a month at a cost of $556 million.

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Public Safety

Conservative MP Tim Uppal raised the murder of security guard Harshandeep Singh and asked when the government would stop releasing repeat violent offenders.

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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
    FinancePierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Arif Virani (Liberal). loaded question.Answer highlights government record without addressing the demand to stop tax increases and spending.The inflation rate has remained within the Bank of Canada's target range for several months now.
  2. misdirected
    FinancePierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Jonathan Wilkinson (Liberal). loaded question.Answer attacks the questioner's past record and proposed policy instead of confirming the deficit promise.The Conservative leader wants to bring back the tax on building rental properties.
  3. deflected
    FinancePierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Arif Virani (Liberal). loaded question.Answer pivots to child care achievements without engaging the call to stop spending and debt.With respect to child care and the economic affordability model, we have brought it down to $10 a day in eight provinces.
  4. deflected
    FinancePierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Arif Virani (Liberal). loaded question.Answer cites external quotes on spending but avoids confirming or denying the deficit guardrail question.We're no longer trying to get inflation down.
  5. misdirected
    FinancePierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Karina Gould (Liberal). substantive question.Answer attacks the opposition leader's control over his caucus instead of addressing the free vote request.He muzzles his own MPs, does not allow them to have free votes and keeps them from standing up for their communities.
  6. deflected
    JusticeMr. Alain Therrien (Bloc) asked Jean-Yves Duclos (Liberal). substantive question.Answer states education is provincial jurisdiction and redirects the question away from federal action on secularism.If he wants to talk about education and how to protect children in the Quebec school system, then he should talk to the Government of Quebec.
  7. deflected
    JusticeMr. Alain Therrien (Bloc) asked Jean-Yves Duclos (Liberal). loaded question.Answer emphasizes Canadian unity and redirects to provincial jurisdiction without addressing multiculturalism's impact.Once again, the Quebec government has jurisdiction over education.
  8. partly answered
    The EconomyMr. Jagmeet Singh (NDP) asked Arif Virani (Liberal). loaded question.Answer lists senior supports but does not explain the specific $250 payment disparity raised in the question.most recently, we have put in place a dental care plan for seniors that has had, despite assertions by the Conservatives that it does not even exist, two million people sign up
  9. deflected
    The EconomyMr. Jagmeet Singh (NDP) asked Arif Virani (Liberal). loaded question.The answer discusses other benefits and poverty stats instead of addressing inclusion in the $250 cheque.As far as people with disabilities are concerned, we have introduced a benefit specifically for them already.
  10. misdirected
    Government AccountabilityMr. Michael Barrett (Conservative) asked Karina Gould (Liberal). substantive question.The answer avoids the question about NDP votes and instead attacks the opposition leader's pension and party discipline.If the member opposite wants to talk about pensions, he could talk about the pension of the Leader of the Opposition , which, because he has been here for two decades, is estimated at being about $2 million.
  11. misdirected
    Government AccountabilityMichelle Rempel Garner (Conservative) asked Karina Gould (Liberal). substantive question.The answer ignores the question on NDP-Liberal deals and pivots to accusing Conservatives of hypocrisy on taxes and muzzling.However, the member opposite and in fact most of the Conservative caucus know a thing or two about saying one thing and doing the opposite.
  12. misdirected
    Government AccountabilityMichelle Rempel Garner (Conservative) asked Karina Gould (Liberal). substantive question.The answer sidesteps the cost and NDP support question by attacking the Conservative leader on security clearance.I think the hon. member knows something about railing against a leader, but one question she might want to ask the leader of her party is why he will not get a security clearance.
  13. misdirected
    Leader of the New Democratic Party of CanadaMr. Gérard Deltell (Conservative) asked Jean-Yves Duclos (Liberal). substantive question.The answer dismisses the question as irrelevant and shifts to criticizing the Conservative leader on housing.Why does the member not speak for himself? Why does he not speak for his constituents and for the other Conservative members from Quebec?
  14. misdirected
    Leader of the New Democratic Party of CanadaMr. Gérard Deltell (Conservative) asked Jean-Yves Duclos (Liberal). substantive question.The answer ignores the cost and NDP vote question entirely and instead contrasts past Conservative housing record with current Liberal builds.One, two, three, four, five, six affordable housing units; that is all the Conservative leader built across the country during his entire career as minister responsible for housing.
  15. partly answered
    Public Services and ProcurementMr. Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay (Bloc) asked Dominic LeBlanc (Liberal). substantive question.The answer addresses the request for Auditor General involvement by noting government does not direct the AG but respects committee independence.We respect the freedom of committees to study what they want and to invite the Auditor General to look at issues that are important to Canadians.
  16. partly answered
    Public Services and ProcurementMr. Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay (Bloc) asked Dominic LeBlanc (Liberal). substantive question.The answer acknowledges business concerns and explains the modernization goal but does not detail specific fixes for current crashes and costs.We want to support Canadian businesses and ensure that their payments are accurate and efficient.
  17. deflected
    Public Services and ProcurementMr. Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay (Bloc) asked Dominic LeBlanc (Liberal). substantive question.The answer praises border officers and states confidence without addressing administrative supervision or budget issues.We have full confidence in that work.
  18. misdirected
    Government AccountabilityMr. John Brassard (Conservative) asked Karina Gould (Liberal). loaded question.The answer attacks the Conservative leader on past legislation instead of addressing any deal with the NDP.
  19. misdirected
    Government AccountabilityMr. John Brassard (Conservative) asked Steven MacKinnon (Liberal). loaded question.The answer repeats attacks on the Conservative leader's past bills rather than discussing any NDP-Liberal deal.
  20. misdirected
    Government AccountabilityMr. Jacques Gourde (Conservative) asked Steven MacKinnon (Liberal). loaded question.The answer again attacks the opposition leader on anti-labour bills instead of addressing the NDP leader's words or voting.That makes him the most anti-union leader in Canadian history.
  21. partly answered
    HousingMs. Leah Gazan (NDP) asked Mr. Peter Fragiskatos (Liberal). substantive question.The answer acknowledges the need for affordable housing and references the national housing strategy but adds an attack on Conservatives.We do need more affordable housing in Canada.
  22. deflected
    The EconomyMs. Lisa Marie Barron (NDP) asked Jenna Sudds (Liberal). substantive question.The answer highlights the Canada child benefit without addressing funding for the specific food bank mentioned.The Canada child benefit provides monthly support for families, up to $7,800 a year per child.
  23. misdirected
    The EconomyMr. Jasraj Singh Hallan (Conservative) asked Mr. Ryan Turnbull (Liberal). loaded question.The answer defends fiscal policy and attacks Conservatives on tax cuts instead of addressing the missing fall statement or deficit.
  24. misdirected
    The EconomyMr. Jasraj Singh Hallan (Conservative) asked Mr. Ryan Turnbull (Liberal). loaded question.The answer accuses Conservatives of inconsistency on taxes rather than addressing the carbon tax or calling an election.At the first opportunity they get to stand up in the House and support Canadians who they well know have been struggling through an inflationary period, the Conservatives will not.
  25. deflected
    FinanceMr. Adam Chambers (Conservative) asked Mr. Ryan Turnbull (Liberal). substantive question.The answer discusses inflation and interest rates but never states the deficit figure requested.our government has stuck to our fiscal guardrails and that is exactly why inflation has come down for 11 months in a row.
  26. misdirected
    FinanceMr. Adam Chambers (Conservative) asked Mr. Ryan Turnbull (Liberal). loaded question.The answer pivots to attacking the Conservatives instead of addressing the deficit or broken-promise claims.our government will stack up and compare our record to the Conservatives' and run on that any day of the week and twice on Sundays—
  27. partly answered
    Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipMr. Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe (Bloc) asked Marc Miller (Liberal). substantive question.The answer acknowledges the loophole concern and references future reforms but does not commit to closing the 14-day gap.I hope the Bloc Québécois will support the reforms to the asylum system that we will be proposing in the near future
  28. deflected
    Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipMr. Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe (Bloc) asked Marc Miller (Liberal). loaded question.The answer shifts to visa requirements and recent statistics rather than explaining the delay in closing the loophole.the number of border crossers being intercepted at the north-south border has hit an all-time low.
  29. deflected
    FinanceMr. Pat Kelly (Conservative) asked Mr. Ryan Turnbull (Liberal). substantive question.The answer announces the fall statement date but then attacks Conservative policy instead of confirming the deficit promise.when the Conservatives say, "fix the budget", what they really mean to say, and what Canadians should hear as translated, is "cut programs and services Canadians rely on".
  30. misdirected
    FinanceMr. Pat Kelly (Conservative) asked Mr. Ryan Turnbull (Liberal). substantive question.The answer blames Conservative obstruction for the delay instead of addressing the missing fiscal documents or calling an election.I have never seen the level of obstruction in the House that I have seen over the last 40-something days
  31. misdirected
    FinanceMrs. Dominique Vien (Conservative) asked Jean-Yves Duclos (Liberal). rhetorical question.The answer attacks the Conservative leader's housing stance in the member's riding rather than addressing the election call.she is allowing her Conservative leader to claim that these housing units do not exist and that he wants to stop the construction, to boot.
  32. deflected
    FinanceMr. Joël Godin (Conservative) asked François-Philippe Champagne (Liberal). loaded question.The answer highlights foreign investment and avoids confirming any new deficit figure.In 2023, Canada was the third largest recipient of foreign investment in the world.
  33. partly answered
    Public SafetyTim Uppal (Conservative) asked Arif Virani (Liberal). loaded question.The answer addresses bail reform but shifts focus to provincial investments rather than federal law changes mentioned.Another part of it is the bail reform, which we implemented at the behest of the provinces.
  34. deflected
    Public SafetyTim Uppal (Conservative) asked Arif Virani (Liberal). loaded question.The answer avoids the bail and crime statistics by redirecting entirely to provincial responsibilities.The tool that the provinces have is implementing the administration of criminal justice in their localities.
  35. answered
    HousingMr. Alexandre Boulerice (NDP) asked Soraya Martinez Ferrada (Liberal). loaded question.The answer directly counters the accusation by highlighting new affordable units saved from the market.One of the challenges we face is not only to build affordable and social housing, but also to ensure the long-term sustainability of affordable housing and to take thousands of units off the market.
  36. answered
    Canadian HeritageMr. Mike Morrice (Green) asked Mr. Taleeb Noormohamed (Liberal). substantive question.The answer commits to collaboration and outlines specific next steps on arts funding equity.I want to assure the member that we will work with him and any members who are interested in ensuring long-term sustainable funding for the cultural sector in our country.