Debates of Sept. 19th, 2016

Question No. 215

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC]

With regard to passports for ministers, parliamentary secretaries, and staff, for the period from November 4, 2015, to April 22, 2016: (a) what are the details of all the related expenses; (b) what is the specific breakdown of costs that were written off; and (c) for what trips or potential trips were the passport fees incurred?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 216

[Mark Strahl, Conservative, Chilliwack—Hope, BC]

With regard to the recommendations of the Cohen Commission on restoring salmon stocks in the Fraser River, for each recommendation that falls under the responsibility of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans: (a) what recommendations have been implemented in whole or in part; (b) of the recommendations identified in (a), what action was taken to implement the recommendation; (c) of the recommendations identified in (a), what date was the recommendation implemented; (d) when will the remaining recommendations of the Cohen Commission, in whole or in part, be implemented; and (e) what recommendations, if any, does the department not intend to implement, and why?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 217

[Pierre Nantel, NDP, Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC]

With regard to the National Gallery of Canada, the Canadian Museum of Nature, the National Museum of Science and Technology, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, for each contract or instance when external legal services were provided to national museums since fiscal year 2010-2011, listed by museum, year and firm or individual providing the service: (a) which firms or individuals provided these legal services; (b) when; (c) for how long; (d) what was the nature of these services, and (e) what was the total cost, per contract, instance, firm or individual providing the service?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 218

[Pierre Nantel, NDP, Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC]

With regard to the Canadian Museum of History, for each contract or instance when external legal services were provided to national museums since fiscal year 2010-2011, listed by museum, year and firm or individual providing the service: (a) which firms or individuals provided these legal services; (b) when; (c) for how long; (d) what was the nature of these services; and (e) what was the total cost, per contract, instance, firm or individual providing the service?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 219

[Christine Moore, NDP, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

With regard to each program of Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, since 2002: (a) what are the various programs; (b) what are the criteria for each program; (c) what project evaluation grid is used by program managers; and (d) what changes have been made to the evaluation grids identified in (c), since 2002, and broken down by year?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 222

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

With regard to Transport Canada’s use of a database called GradeX to predict potential accident hot spots at railway crossings: (a) how long has Transport Canada maintained this database; (b) who is consulted in preparing and updating the lists on this database; (c) what metrics are used by Transport Canada to assess potential accident hot spots; (d) how does Transport Canada measure whether a crossing poses a high risk for collisions; (e) what are the 500 highest risk railway crossings as of May 10, 2016; (f) for each of the crossings listed in (e), and since the government began collecting this data in the database, how many (i) accidents have occured, (ii) fatalities have occurred; (g) how many public complaints have been received about each of the crossings listed in (e) since the government began collecting this data in the database; and (h) does the government have any plans to make this database available to the public and municipalities, and, if so, when and how does it intend to do so?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 223

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

With regard to the Labour Market Agreements for Persons with Disabilities between the federal government and provincial governments: what are each of the initiatives funded under each agreement?

(Return tabled)

*Question No. 224

[Kennedy Stewart, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

With regard to the government’s consultations on establishing a Chief Science Officer and the Minister of Science’s testimony on April 14, 2016 at the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology: (a) what is the complete and detailed list of all individuals and organizations that were contacted as part of the consultations; (b) what is the complete and detailed list of all individuals and organizations that provided a written response as part of the consultations; (c) what is the complete and total list of organizations and individuals that the Minister met with in person as part of the consultations; (d) what questions were asked to consultation participants regarding the Chief Science Officer; (e) what is the summary of the input and responses received as part of the consultations; (f) how many responses mentioned that the Chief Science Officer should be independent; (g) how many responses mentioned that the Chief Science Officer should be permanent; (h) how many responses mentioned that the Chief Science Officer should be established through legislation; (i) how many responses mentioned that the Chief Science Officer should report or provide advice to all Members of Parliament; (j) how many responses mentioned that the government should establish a Parliamentary Science Officer; (k) what is the exact method the government is using to analyze and evaluate the consultation results; (l) will the government be releasing these consultation results, including analysis and conclusions, to the public; and (m) apart from the consultations, what are the other factors that the government is considering in the creation of the Chief Science Officer?

(Return tabled)

*Question No. 225

[Kennedy Stewart, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

With regard to funding for basic scientific research and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Main Science and Technology Indicators: what was Canada’s “basic research expenditure as a percentage of GDP” for each year since 2000?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 226

[Richard Cannings, NDP, South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

With regard to the operations and rail holdings in British Columbia of the Kettle Falls International Railway: (a) under current legislation, does the Kettle Falls International Railway require permission from Transport Canada or the government to remove existing rail lines that it services; (b) has Kettle Falls International Railway been grandfathered in any previous changes to legislation that would have exempted it from any such requirements; (c) has Kettle Falls International Railway requested any permission to remove rail lines it holds in and around the community of Grand Forks, British Columbia, and if so, have they received such approval and when did they receive this approval; and (d) what are the criteria that must be met in order for a railway to receive permission to pull up rails servicing a community or business?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 227

[Richard Cannings, NDP, South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

With regard to the Species at Risk Act, where are the following species in the listing process: (a) Meadowlark, Eastern - Sturnella magna; Swallow, Barn - Hirundo Rustica; Sturgeon, Atlantic - Acipenser oxyrinchus; Lamprey, Silver - Ichthyomyzon unicuspis; Bluefin Tuna, Atlantic - Thunnus thynnus; Eulachon - Thaleichthys pacificus; Clubtail Olive - Stylurus olivaceus; Crawling Water Beetle, Hungerford's - Brychius hungerfordi; Cuckoo Bee, Macropis - Epeoloides pilosulus; Emerald, Hine's - Somatochlora hineana; Tachinid Fly, Dune - Germaria angustata; Hickorynut - Obovaria olivaria; Lichen, Batwing Vinyl - Leptogium platynum; Lichen, Peacock Vinyl - Leptogium polycarpum; Sandpiper, Buff-breasted - Tryngites subruficollis; Minnow, Plains - Hybognathus placitus; Skate, Smooth - Malacoraja senta; Skate, Thorny - Amblyraja radiata; Mantleslug, Magnum - Magnipelta mycophaga; Swallow, Bank - Riparia riparia; Tiger Moth, Island - Grammia complicata; Lilliput - Toxolasma parvum; Wartyback, Threehorn - Obliquaria reflexa; Slug, Haida Gwaii - Staala gwaii; Braya, Hairy - Braya pilosa; Pea, Silky Beach - Lathyrus littoralis; Grebe, Western - Aechmophorus occidentalis; Salamander, Wandering - Aneides vagrans; Trout, Rainbow - Oncorhynchus mykiss; Bumble Bee, Gypsy Cuckoo - Bombus bohemicus; Bumble Bee occidentalis subspecies, Western - Bombus occidentalis occidentalis; Bumble Bee mckayi subspecies, Western - Bombus occidentalis mckayi; Aster, Nahanni - Symphyotrichum nahanniense; Swift, Black - Cypseloides niger; Rattlesnake, Prairie - Crotalus viridis; Bumble Bee, Yellow-banded - Bombus terricola; Dancer, Vivid - Argia vivida; Globelet, Proud - Patera pennsylvanica; Lichen, Black-foam - Anzia colpodes; Pika, Collared - Ochotona collaris; Dogfish, North Pacific Spiny - Squalus suckleyi; Burying Beetle, American - Nicrophorus americanus; Efferia, Okanagan - Efferia okanagana; Draba, Yukon - Draba yukonensis; Baccharis, Eastern - Baccharis halimifolia; Thrush, Wood - Hylocichla mustelina; Wood-pewee, Eastern - Contopus virens; Trout, Bull - Salvelinus confluentus; Clubtail, Riverine - Stylurus amnicola; Duskywing, Mottled - Erynnis martialis; Tiger Beetle, Gibson's Big Sand - Cicindela formosa gibsoni; Grasshopper, Greenish-white - Hypochlora alba; Spider, Georgia Basin Bog - Gnaphosa Snohomish; Sparrow pratensis subspecies, Grasshopper - Ammodramus savannarum pratensis; Hake, White - Urophycis tenuis; Skipper, Oregon Branded - Hesperia colorado oregonia; Tiger Beetle, Audouin’s Night-stalking - Omus audouini; Lewisia, Tweedy's - Lewisiopsis tweedyi; Waterfan, Eastern - Peltigera hydrothyria; Waterfan, Western - Peltigera gowardii; Auklet, Cassin's - Ptychoramphus aleuticus; Phalarope, Red-necked - Phalaropus lobatus; Sweat Bee, Sable Island - Lasioglossum sablense; Forestsnail, Broad-banded - Allogona profunda; Beakrush, Tall - Rhynchospora macrostachya; Ironweed, Fascicled - Vernonia fasciculata; Pine, Limber - Pinus flexilis; Arnica, Griscom's - Arnica griscomii ssp. Griscomii; Podistera, Yukon - Podistera yukonensis; Tassel, Tiny - Crossidium seriatum; Stickleback, Little Quarry Lake Benthic Threespine - Gasterosteus aculeatus; Borer, Hoptree - Prays atomocella; Sheep Moth, Nuttall's - Hemileuca nuttallii; Grasshopper, Lake Huron - Trimerotropis huroniana; and (b) has the Minister responsible committed to the nine month deadline for the listing of species at risk and followed the letter and intent of the law in starting the nine month period with the receipt of the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada assessment?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 228

[Karen Vecchio, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

With regard to the 2016 Census: (a) which departments and agencies have access to individual responses; (b) how many people have access to individual census responses, broken down by (i) department, (ii) agency; and (c) what are the positions and levels of staff that have access to individual census responses, broken down by (i) department, (ii) agency?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 229

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

With regard to the videos posted on the Prime Minister's YouTube channel and linked to and from the Prime Minister's website: (a) what are the development, preparation, design, production, editing, and uploading costs for each video; (b) what are the costs for staff and contractors involved, broken down by salary, overtime, and other expenses; (c) how many people are working on this project and what are their titles; (d) what equipment is used to produce and edit the videos and how much did this equipment cost; and (e) what are the travel, accommodation, and other expenses involved in filming and producing these videos?