Debates of April 15th, 2024

Justice and Human Rights

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Madam Speaker, I rise to provide answers to a number of questions, and I need to have leave in the House in order to do so. I believe that there has already been consultation for it.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

Does the hon. member have leave to proceed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

Questions on the Order Paper

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, the following questions will be answered today: Nos. 2371, 2379 to 2382, 2384, 2392 to 2395, 2397, 2401, 2404 to 2408, 2416 and 2417.

Question No.2371—

[Alistair MacGregor, NDP, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

With regard to federal funding for the Stornoway residence, since January 1, 2016: how much federal funding has been provided to pay for food expenses for the Leader of the Official Opposition, broken down by year and use of funding?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, the link to the detailed hospitality expenditures report can be found at https://www.ourcommons.ca/proactivedisclosure/en/house-officers/2024/3/hospitality

The “Detailed Hospitality Expenditures Report for Presiding Officers and House Officers” includes all hospitality expenses paid with House funds, namely expenses for meals, beverages and refreshments, as well as other expenses related to hospitality extended to guests at events that are necessary for the fulfillment of parliamentary functions. Expenses are subject to the policies of the Board of Internal Economy.

For further information pertaining to budget allocations and food expenses for the leader of the official opposition at Stornoway, contact House of Commons administration.

Question No.2379—

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

With regard to federal labour standards: (a) did the Labour Program's Head of Compliance and Enforcement receive notice from Bell (BCE Inc.), in writing, at least 16 weeks before the group termination of employees was announced on February 8, 2024, and, if so, on what date was notice received; (b) did the government receive a request for a waiver from Bell regarding the 16‑week notice for letting the government know about the group termination, and, if so, on what date was it received and what was the government's response; and (c) on what date was the minister responsible notified of Bell's group termination?

[Terry Sheehan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour and Seniors]

Mr. Speaker, with regard to the group termination of employment provisions under the Canada Labour Code, part III, pertaining to labour standards, and in answer to part (a) of the question, the head of compliance and enforcement received notices of group termination of employment from Bell Canada, Bell Media Inc. and Bell Mobility Inc. in accordance with the provisions of the Canada Labour Code on February 8, 2024.

With respect to part (b), upon receipt of a notice of group termination of employment, the Labour Program generally initiates an investigation. As such, the Labour Program has started investigations into the three notices of group termination to ensure that the obligations under the Canada Labour Code are being fulfilled. As the investigations are ongoing, the Labour Program is not able to address whether a request for waiver was requested and/or granted at this time.

Regarding part (c), the Minister of Labour and Seniors was informed of the notices of group termination of employment on February 8, 2024.

Question No.2380—

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

With regard to the government of Canada's spending on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) in 2023: what is the breakdown of spending allocated to CBC Radio, CBC News, CBC Radio One, CBC Music, Radio‑Canada Première, ICI Musique, CBC television, lci Radio‑Canada Télé, CBC News Network, lci RDI, lci Explora, Documentary Channel, lci ARTV, CBC North, Radio-Canada Nord, Radio Canada International, CBC.ca, Radio-Canada.ca, CBC Sports (English and French), CBC Radio 3 digital, CBC Music and lci.mu digital, lci.TOU.TV, the CBC advertising sales department, the Radio-Canada sales department, and the marketing and promotions budgets for CBC and Radio-Canada?

[Taleeb Noormohamed, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, CBC/Radio-Canada is an arm’s-length Crown corporation whose independence from government is protected in law in the Broadcasting Act. That independence includes protection from the provision of “any information the provision of which could reasonably be expected to compromise or constrain the journalistic, creative or programming independence of the Corporation”, according to the Broadcasting Act, section 52(2).

The corporation already publishes much detail about its operations. In addition to its quarterly and annual reports, the corporation provides aggregate annual returns with the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission, or CRTC, for its radio and television services. In the latest 2023 filing, reported totals for government grants and parliamentary appropriation are as follows, in $000: Radio-Canada television: $290,871; CBC television: $376,356; Radio-Canada radio: $122,057; and CBC radio: $186,512.

With regard to the “CBC advertising sales department, the Radio-Canada sales department, and the marketing and promotions budgets for CBC and Radio-Canada”, those budgets are confidential competitive information protected under section 18 of the Access to Information Act. We do report our total operation expenses, not solely government spending, for sales and promotion for our conventional television and radio services to the CRTC. For 2023, they are, in $000: Radio-Canada television: $34,110; CBC television: $40,370; Radio-Canada radio: $2,929; and CBC radio: $4,658.

Please note that the amount for advertising that we report to the CRTC is the total amount spent. We do not calculate how much of that number would come from the parliamentary appropriation, i.e., government funding. Advertising is an expense within our total overall budget.

Total operating budget includes parliamentary appropriation and commercially earned revenue, which includes advertising, subscription revenue and program sales. See p. 27 of the 2022-23 annual report at https://cbc.radio-canada.ca/en/impact-and-accountability/finance/annual-reports.

Question No.2381—

[Chris Lewis, Conservative, Essex, ON]

With regard to the Canada Border Services Agency's hiring of 200 border officers for the Gordie Howe International Bridge location: (a) of the 200 positions, how many and what percentage were required to be filled by applicants who are members of a designated employment equity group; (b) of the 200 positions, how many were filled by members of designated employment equity groups, in total, and broken down by employment equity group; and (c) has the government received a legal opinion or legal advice to ensure the hiring requirements complied with applicable laws and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and if so, who provided the advice?

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, in response to part (a) of the question, the CBSA is funded to fill approximately 250 positions at the Gordie Howe International Bridge, including border services officers, superintendents and chiefs. As the bridge is not yet operational, the CBSA aspires to fill positions in alignment with Canadian workforce availability data, as follows: women: 111, or 44.6%; members of visible minorities: 41, or 16.6%; indigenous people: 9, or 3.7%; and persons with disabilities: 23, or 9.4%.

In response to part (b), the CBSA will fill approximately 250 positions at the Gordie Howe International Bridge. As the bridge is not yet operational, none of the positions have been filled to date. Recruitment efforts are under way to ensure that once the bridge becomes operational, employment equity groups are represented within the workforce in alignment with Canadian workforce availability data, as follows: women: 111, or 44.6%; members of visible minorities: 41, or 16.6%; indigenous people: 9, or 3.7%; and persons with disabilities: 23, or 9.4%.

Note that, given the intersectionality of employment equity groups, an employee may be represented in more than one equity-deserving group.

In response to part (c), the CBSA follows all applicable laws and policies as it relates to staffing within the federal public service. No legal opinion or advice was sought in the recruitment of officers for the Gordie Howe International Bridge.

Question No.2382—

[Doug Shipley, Conservative, Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte, ON]

With regard to Correctional Service Canada (CSC), since 2016, in total, and broken down by year and correctional institution: (a) how many federally incarcerated inmates have been mistakenly released from a federal institution; (b) of the cases in (a), what was the reason for each mistaken release (e.g. human error, computing error, etc.); (c) of the cases in (a), how many mistaken releases led to CSC notifying the public of the improper release; and (d) of the cases in (a), how many of the inmates were (i) classified as Dangerous Offenders, (ii) classified as High-Profile Offenders, (iii) convicted of multiple murders at the time of their improper release?

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, CSC has strict safeguards in place to prevent such incidents.

The release of an offender begins with the pre-release process. This process begins well before an offender is set to be released. During this process, CSC confirms that the offender can be released, for example, that they have no outstanding warrants, are not subject to deportation, etc., and works with the offender to plan their release and ensure that the offender has the supports necessary for success. CSC will also complete a number of administrative tasks, such as ensuring that the offender has identification, updating their profile information, updating the inmate’s photograph and preparing the release certificate.

On the day of the release, the offender will be taken to the admission and discharge area to complete the discharge process. This includes confirming the offender’s identity, through multiple verifications by multiple staff members, to ensure that the correct offender is being released. The offender will be provided with a copy of their release certificate, an updated CSC identification card and other existing pieces of identification, funds in their trust account, a supply of medication if required, and their personal effects. The offender will also be given civilian clothing, and transportation will have been coordinated so that the offender reaches their release destination.

CSC is also obligated to provide certain information to local police within 24 hours: an up-to-date photograph of the offender, a copy of the release certificate, the standard profile, and the PBC decision sheet, if applicable.

Question No.2384—

[Michael Kram, Conservative, Regina—Wascana, SK]

With regard to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada's (IRCC) cap on international student visas: (a) why was Saskatchewan given an allocation of international student visa attestations that was disproportionately smaller than Saskatchewan's percentage of the national population; (b) was the University of Regina's surplus of on-campus housing considered as part of Saskatchewan's allocation, and if so, what impact did it have; and (c) what specific formula does IRCC use for determining each province's allocation of international student visa attestations?

[Paul Chiang, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, Saskatchewan’s 2024 allocation allows for a total 15,054 study permit applications, which represents an increase from the initial allocation. This allocation is expected to result in approximately 7,200 approved study permits in 2024, which represents 10% growth of international students in the capped cohorts in Saskatchewan.

The national cap is based on a net-zero first-year growth model. This means the number of international students coming to Canada in 2024 should be equal to the number of students whose permit is expiring this year.

Some study permit applicants have been exempted from the cap as per the “Ministerial Instructions with respect to the processing of certain applications for a study permit made by a foreign national as a member of the student class”, including primary and secondary school students, master's or doctoral degree students, in-Canada study and work permit holders, and in-Canada family members of study permit or work permit holders. IRCC estimated the volume of these groups for the coming year and deducted that number from the zero net growth calculation.

IRCC distributed that target number of spaces based on the population share in each province and territory. This resulted in different scenarios, in which some provinces would welcome more students in 2024 than in 2023, while others would see fewer new students. To mitigate the magnitude of the growth or reduction, IRCC adjusted allocations whereby growth would be no more than 10% over 2023. Similarly, IRCC limited reductions to support broader regional immigration objectives and to lessen the negative impact in the first year.

The allocations provided to provinces and territories apply to study permit applications for students subject to the national cap only, as set out in the ministerial instructions.

The University of Regina’s surplus of on-campus housing was not considered as part of Saskatchewan’s allocation.

Provinces and territories are responsible for distributing the allocation of study permits among the designated learning institutions that they regulate.

This measure is part of IRCC’s goal to improve the integrity of Canada’s international student program, better protect prospective students from fraud and preserve permanent residency pathways.

Question No.2392—

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Grande Prairie—Mackenzie, AB]

With regard to federal funding for the Stornoway residence, between January 1, 2011 and November 4, 2015: how much federal funding has been provided to pay for food expenses for the Leader of the Official Opposition, broken down by year and use of funding?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, the link to the detailed hospitality expenditures report can be found at https://www.ourcommons.ca/proactivedisclosure/en/house-officers/2024/3/hospitality.

The “Detailed Hospitality Expenditures Report for Presiding Officers and House Officers” includes all hospitality expenses paid with House funds, namely expenses for meals, beverages, and refreshments, as well as other expenses related to hospitality extended to guests at events that are necessary for the fulfillment of parliamentary functions. Expenses are subject to the policies of the Board of Internal Economy.

For further information pertaining to budget allocations and food expenses for the leader of the official opposition at Stornoway, contact House of Commons administration.

Question No.2393—

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Grande Prairie—Mackenzie, AB]

With regard to federal funding for the Prime Minister's residences, since January 1, 2016: how much federal funding has been provided to pay for food expenses for the Prime Minister, his family and his guests, broken down by year and use of funding?

[Terry Duguid, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and Special Advisor for Water]

Mr. Speaker, as per a longstanding practice, in place since 1985, the Prime Minister reimburses amounts related to food based on Statistics Canada data on household spending, which is adjusted using the consumer price index to account for inflation.

Question No.2394—

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

With regard to applications received by the government for federal judicial appointments, since 2016: (a) what is the number of applications received, broken down by year; (b) what is the breakdown of (a) by demographic and by region; (c) how many applicants who have completed and passed the Judicial Advisory Committee's process are currently in the pool of eligible applicants; and (d) how many applications have been denied or deemed ineligible, in total, and broken down by reason for denial or ineligibility?

[James Maloney, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, statistics on the number of applications received, the number of assessments by category and the number of appointments made, as well as demographic data on applicants and appointees, are published every year. These statistics are available on the website of the Office of the Commissioner for Judicial Affairs, at https://www.fja.gc.ca/appointments-nominations/StatisticsCandidate-StatistiquesCandidat-2023-eng.html.

In order to ensure and protect the privacy of candidates and the confidential nature of their application to become judges, statistics are provided on a national basis only. A provincial or regional breakdown could allow analysis of the data, which may lead to identifying individual candidates.

All applications for federal judicial appointment are received by the judicial appointments secretariat in the Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs. Applications that meet the statutory requirements for appointment, namely 10 years of call to a bar of a province or territory, undergo an assessment by a judicial advisory committee based on the established criteria and are categorized into three distinct categories: “highly recommended”, “recommended”, and “unable to recommend”, per the guidelines found at https://www.fja.gc.ca/appointments-nominations/committees-comites/guidelines-lignes-eng.html#Assessments. From these assessments, a pool of qualified candidates is created, comprised of all “highly recommended” and “recommended” candidates. The minister then selects appointees from that pool to fill vacant positions that may arise. Since August 1, 2023, judicial advisory committee assessments of judicial appointment candidates are valid for three rather than two years.

When making judicial appointments, a number of factors are considered, including the strength of the application, the needs of the court, and the candidate's areas of expertise. Whether someone is highly recommended or recommended is one factor that is taken into account, among many important considerations, in the exercise of the minister’s prerogative to appoint the best candidates to the judiciary. That being said, there are no appointments made of candidates having been assessed as “unable to recommend” by a judicial advisory committee.

Question No.2395—

[Rob Moore, Conservative, Fundy Royal, NB]

With regard to the government-issued vehicle of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada: (a) on what date were government assets reported stolen from the vehicle following the theft of the vehicle in question, reported on November 11, 2023; (b) what was the total value of the contents that were stolen from the vehicle, reported stolen on November 11, 2023; and (c) what is the itemized breakdown of the stolen assets?

[James Maloney, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, in response to part (a) of the question, the government-issued vehicle of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada was stolen and reported as such on November 22, 2023. The government assets were also reported stolen on November 22, 2023, and subsequently on November 28, 2023.

With respect to part (b), the total value of the contents that were stolen from the vehicle is approximately $1200.

With respect to part (c), the itemized breakdown of the stolen government assets is as follows: employee security and entry passes, garage door fob, taxi-chit booklet, bags and office key.

All passes were deactivated as soon as the theft was reported. The department was advised that the bags were empty and kept on hand as back-ups in case they were needed.

Question No.2397—

[Eric Melillo, Conservative, Kenora, ON]

With regard to the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Program and the decision to not fund the Municipality of Red Lake, Ontario: (a) why was the decision made to not fund the application from Red Lake; (b) what scoring system or evaluation grading system was used to judge applications; (c) what score or grade was given to Red Lake’s application; and (d) were any applications which received a lower score than Red Lake approved for funding, and, if so, what are the details of each such project, including the (i) project name, (ii) location, (iii) description, (iv) reason that the project was funded instead of Red Lake?