House of Commons Hansard #312 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was iran.

Topics

The EnvironmentPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

4:35 p.m.

Liberal

Denis Paradis Liberal Brome—Missisquoi, QC

Madam Speaker, the Brome—Missisquoi region has magnificent natural and inhabited landscapes. The beauty of the Appalachian peaks in Brome—Missisquoi provides unique tourism opportunities.

The petitioners are calling on the Minister of Environment and Climate Change to help them create a national inhabited park to protect and showcase Brome-Missisquoi's natural surroundings and provide an iconic regional legacy.

Canada Summer Jobs ProgramPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

4:40 p.m.

Conservative

Michael Chong Conservative Wellington—Halton Hills, ON

Madam Speaker, I want to present a petition from constituents who live in Rockwood, in Wellington County. They are calling on the government to change the Canada summer jobs program to remove the discriminatory requirement to attest to certain beliefs.

AccountabilityPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

4:40 p.m.

NDP

Wayne Stetski NDP Kootenay—Columbia, BC

Madam Speaker, I am tabling two petitions today.

The first one is e-petition 1465 signed by almost 3,000 people. Basically, these are people from my riding of Kootenay—Columbia who are concerned that when parties and politicians are running for office, they have one set of promises and, ultimately, do not deliver on all of them. Therefore, the petitioners are asking that the House of Commons develop recall legislation to hold all of us accountable for the promises we make during elections.

Status of WomenPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

4:40 p.m.

NDP

Wayne Stetski NDP Kootenay—Columbia, BC

Madam Speaker, my second petition, with 36 signatures, is aimed at all of the G7 nations, or G6 plus one these days. They are concerned that girls and women in the world's poorest countries are being held back from realizing their full potential. They would like to close gender gaps around the world as 132 million girls do not have access to primary or secondary education. They are asking that the Government of Canada and all G7 nations invest in girls and women in the world's poorest countries.

The EconomyPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

4:40 p.m.

NDP

Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON

Madam Speaker, I have two petitions. The first is from a group of Canadians who wish the Government of Canada to address the affordability crisis in this country, and to build a fair economy that will lift everyone up, not just a few at the top.

The petitioners are calling on the government to consider Canadians who are struggling every day with the challenges of unaffordable housing, child care, precarious and unreliable work, in addition to the shrinking opportunities faced by these folks. Household debt is at a historic high.

The petitioners call on the Government of Canada to invest in affordable housing, really invest in it, not pretend to invest in it, take concrete measures to address out-of-control housing markets, protect good-paying jobs, and take action to make sure that the wealthy and most profitable corporations pay their fair share.

Canada PostPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

4:40 p.m.

NDP

Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON

Madam Speaker, my second petition is in support of postal banking.

Nearly two million Canadians desperately need an alternative to predatory payday lenders who charge crippling interest rates, affecting the most marginalized, poor, rural, and indigenous communities in Canada. We have 3,800 Canada Post outlets that already exist in rural areas, where there are fewer or no banks or credit unions. Canada Post has the infrastructure to make a rapid transition to include postal banking.

The petitioners are calling on the Government of Canada to enact Motion No. 166 to create a committee to study and propose a plan, so that we have postal banking under the Canada Post Corporation.

The EnvironmentPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

4:40 p.m.

NDP

Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC

Madam Speaker, I am honoured to table a petition on behalf of residents of Tofino, Ucluelet, and Ahousaht.

The petitioners are calling on the government to adopt Motion No. 151 to establish a bold national strategy to combat plastic pollution. They are calling on the government to work with provinces, municipalities, and indigenous communities to develop the strategy, with regulations aimed at reducing plastic debris discharged from stormwater outfalls, industrial use of microplastics, consumer and industrial use of single-use plastics; and permanent, dedicated annual funding for a cleanup of derelict fishing gear, and community-led projects to clean up plastics and debris from our shores; and education and outreach campaigns directed at the root causes and negative environmental effects of plastic pollution in and around all bodies of water.

Falun GongPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

4:40 p.m.

Liberal

Robert-Falcon Ouellette Liberal Winnipeg Centre, MB

Madam Speaker, I stand in the House on behalf of thousands of citizens who have signed a petition calling on the Canadian government to request that Chinese officials immediately end the persecution of Falun Gong, and release all Falun Gong prisoners of conscience, including Canadian citizens, Ms. Qian Sun and Ms. Aiyun He.

They are also requesting the government take every opportunity to establish measures to investigate the Chinese regime's alleged organ harvesting of innocent people for their organs in China.

The EnvironmentPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

4:45 p.m.

NDP

Sheila Malcolmson NDP Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC

Madam Speaker, large commercial freighters anchored for long duration and in close proximity to residential and recreational areas can disturb a community's quality of life, enjoyment of property, and public space, say the petitioners from Saltair and Ladysmith in my riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith.

Three large commercial bulk anchorages were established in the 1970s, but they have not been used since. The Minister of Transport established a pilot project, an interim protocol to redistribute anchorages throughout the Salish Sea, because there is so much heavy use. Basically, freighters are dropping anchor and staying for weeks on end. The light, noise, and oil spill risk is a detriment to the high reliance of this community on ecotourism and on a clean environment.

The petitioners urge the House of Commons to call upon the Government of Canada to protect Saltair's rural and coastal community character, and exclude the historical anchorages, LSC, LSD, and LSE, from the interim protocol for use of southern Gulf Islands' anchorages.

Questions on the Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

4:45 p.m.

Winnipeg North Manitoba

Liberal

Kevin Lamoureux LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Madam Speaker, the following questions will be answered today: Nos. 1703 and 1715.

Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

4:45 p.m.

Winnipeg North Manitoba

Liberal

Kevin Lamoureux LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Madam Speaker, if revised response to Question No. 1666, originally tabled on June 1, 2018, and the government's responses to Questions Nos. 1691 to 1702, 1704 to 1714, and 1716 could be made orders for returns, these returns would be tabled immediately.

Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

4:45 p.m.

NDP

The Assistant Deputy Speaker NDP Carol Hughes

Is that agreed?

Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

4:45 p.m.

members

Agreed.

Question No. 1666Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

4:45 p.m.

NDP

Brigitte Sansoucy NDP Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC

With regard to federal spending in the constituency of Saint-Hyacinthe-Bagot in the fiscal year 2017-2018: what grants, loans, contributions and contracts were awarded by the government, broken down by (i) department and agency, (ii) municipality, (iii) name of recipient, (iv) amount received, (v) program under which expenditure was allocated, (vi) date?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 1691Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

4:45 p.m.

Conservative

Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC

With regard to the effect of the carbon tax on low-income Canadians: (a) has the government conducted any studies regarding the impact of a $50 per tonne carbon tax on low income Canadians and specifically on the impact of increased food prices resulting from higher transportation costs; and (b) if the answer to (a) is affirmative, what are the details of all such studies, including (i) individuals who or entities which conducted the study, (ii) description of parameters and methodology, (iii) findings, (iv) start and end dates of study, (v) website location where findings were published?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 1692Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

4:45 p.m.

Conservative

Karen Vecchio Conservative Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON

With regard to spending to assist veterans in the last and current fiscal year, broken down by year: (a) what is the total government spending on programming and transfers specifically related to this issue, broken down by each specific funding envelope and each program funded; and (b) what portion of this funding is committed to (i) front-line services, (ii) medical services, (iii) psychological and mental health services, (iv) commemoration events, (v) public awareness and education campaigns, (vi) direct payments to veterans, (vii) other commitments, broken down by type of commitment?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 1693Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

4:45 p.m.

Conservative

Karen Vecchio Conservative Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON

With regard to spending aimed at providing services to Canadians with disabilities for the last and current fiscal year, broken down by year: (a) what is the total government spending on programming and transfers specifically related to this issue, broken down by each specific funding envelope and each program funded; and (b) what portion of this funding is committed to (i) improving accessibility, (ii) research and studies, (iii) grants and contributions to non-governmental organizations, (iv) transfers to other levels of governments, (v) educational services for individuals with disabilities, (vi) public education efforts, (vii) other services for individuals with disabilities, (viii) other commitments, broken down by type of commitment?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 1694Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

4:45 p.m.

NDP

Alexandre Boulerice NDP Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC

With regard to all types of subsidies and all types of loans to the gas, oil and coal industry: (a) what was the dollar value of the grants provided to natural gas, oil and coal industry companies, in Canada and abroad, between 2015 and 2018 inclusive, broken down by (i) year, (ii) type of industry (oil, gas, coal), (iii) company name, (iv) amount provided; (b) what was the dollar value of the loans provided to natural gas, oil and coal industry companies, in Canada and abroad, between 2015 and 2018 inclusive, broken down by (i) year, (ii) type of industry (oil, gas, coal), (iii) company name, (iv) amount provided; (c) what was the dollar value of the tax relief provided to natural gas, oil and coal industry companies, in Canada and abroad, between 2011 and 2018 inclusive, broken down by (i) year, (ii) type of tax relief used, (iii) type of industry (oil, gas, coal), (iv) dollar value of the tax relief; and (d) according to the government’s estimates, when does it expect to completely eliminate subsidies for fossil fuels such as natural gas, oil and coal, in Canada and abroad?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 1695Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

4:45 p.m.

NDP

Robert Aubin NDP Trois-Rivières, QC

With regard to Employment Insurance (EI) between 2015 and 2017 in the EI economic region of Trois-Rivières, in total and broken down by year and by month: (a) what was the number of EI claims; (b) what was the number of claims accepted and the number of claims rejected; (c) what was the average EI claim processing time; (d) how many claims waited more than 28 days for a decision; (e) what was the average wait time for a decision in (d); (f) what was the volume of calls to EI call centres; (g) what was the number of calls to EI call centres that received a high volume message; (h) what were the national service level standards for calls answered by an agent at EI call centres; (i) what were the actual service level standards achieved by EI call centres for calls answered by an agent; (j) what were the service standards for call-backs from EI processing staff; (k) what were the service standards achieved by EI processing staff for call-backs; (l) what was the average number of days for a call-back by EI processing staff; (m) what was the number and percentage of term employees and the number and percentage of indeterminate employees, working at EI call centres and processing centres; (n) what was the rate of sick-leave use among EI call centre and processing centre employees; (o) what was the number of EI call centre and processing centre employees on long-term disability; (p) what was the number of overtime hours worked by call centre employees; (q) how many complaints did the Office of Client Satisfaction receive, broken down by region and province where the complaint originated; (r) how long on average did a complaint take to be investigated and resolved; and (s) what were the major themes of the complaints received?

(Return tabled)