House of Commons Hansard #295 of the 44th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was chair.

gc strategiesunited statessoftwood lumber industryforestry sectorrefused to answer

Topics

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This summary is computer-generated. Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.

Witness Responses at Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates Members debate summoning Kristian Firth of GC Strategies to the bar of the House for refusing to answer questions and allegedly misleading the Government Operations committee regarding the ArriveCAN app. Discussions cover the historical procedure, need for process, government procurement practices, and transparency issues raised by the Auditor General's report. Members ultimately agree via unanimous consent motion to summon Mr. Firth to the bar on April 17 to receive an admonishment and answer questions. 44200 words, 5 hours in 2 segments: 1 2.

Statements by Members

Question Period

The Conservatives focus on the cost of living, blaming Liberal deficits and spending for inflation and high interest rates impacting mortgages. They demand to axe the carbon tax, which they argue drives up food and housing costs, and call for the government to build homes, not bureaucracy or red tape, and address their drug policy.
The Liberals focus on building more homes faster to address affordability. They highlight investments like $10-a-day child care, a national school food program, and the Canada Child Benefit to help families. They defend the price on pollution as effective for emissions and affordability, while criticizing Conservative opposition and cuts.
The Bloc criticizes federal interference in Quebec's jurisdiction, especially on housing, calling the Liberal approach blackmail. They demand unconditional transfers and blame management failures, including excessive immigration levels, for exacerbating the housing crisis.
The NDP criticize maintaining Conservative corporate handouts instead of building affordable homes. They highlight high grocery prices in the North, urging fixes to Nutrition North, and ask about banning the AR-15.

Petitions

Government Responses to Order Paper Questions Mr. Albas raises a question of privilege regarding a government answer to his Order Paper question, alleging it was dishonest about requesting social media companies censor content, citing contradictory testimony at an inquiry. 1200 words, 10 minutes.

Softwood Lumber Members debate the ongoing softwood lumber dispute with the United States, focusing on the impact of U.S. tariffs on Canadian jobs and businesses. Liberals emphasize their efforts through legal challenges and seeking a negotiated settlement, while Conservatives criticize the government's failure to resolve the issue over eight years, citing significant job losses. NDP and Bloc Québécois members highlight the need for new approaches, discussing raw log exports, mass timber, the disproportionate impacts on Quebec, and support for Indigenous communities. 34900 words, 4 hours.

Was this summary helpful and accurate?

(Return tabled)

Question No.2281—Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

3:30 p.m.

Conservative

Laila Goodridge Conservative Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB

With regard to vehicles owned by Parks Canada: (a) how many vehicles does Parks Canada own, in total and broken down by National Park, Historic Site or other location where the vehicle is based out of; and (b) of the vehicles in (a), how many are electric vehicles, in total and broken down by National Park, Historic Site or other location where the vehicle is based out of?

(Return tabled)

Question No.2284—Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

April 8th, 2024 / 3:30 p.m.

NDP

Peter Julian NDP New Westminster—Burnaby, BC

With regard to federal childcare investments, since October 1, 2021: (a) how many new childcare spaces have been built as a result of federal funding, broken down by province or territory, and by year; and (b) how many early childhood educators have been trained or hired as a result of federal funding, broken down by province or territory, and by year?

(Return tabled)

Question No.2285—Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

3:30 p.m.

NDP

Peter Julian NDP New Westminster—Burnaby, BC

With regard to federal investments to private sector pharmaceutical companies, since January 1, 2006: how much federal funding has been provided, broken down by company and by year?

(Return tabled)

Question No.2286—Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

3:30 p.m.

Conservative

Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC

With regard to the Port of Montreal, broken down by year, since 2019: (a) how many stolen vehicles does the government estimate have arrived at or passed through the port; and (b) of the stolen vehicles in (a), how many did the (i) Port of Montreal, (ii) RCMP, (iii) Canada Border Services Agency, seize before they were transported aboard?

(Return tabled)

Question No.2287—Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

3:30 p.m.

Conservative

Dean Allison Conservative Niagara West, ON

With regard to the government's purchase of COVID-19 vaccines, beginning January 1, 2020: (a) which companies did the government purchase the vaccines from; (b) for each company in (a), (i) how many vaccines were purchased, in total and broken down by type of vaccine, (ii) how much was each company paid by the government for each order placed, (iii) where is each company headquartered, (iv) in what city and country did each company manufacture the vaccines; and (c) what is the breakdown of each vaccine purchased and how many were (i) distributed domestically, (ii) distributed internationally, broken down by country, (iii) not used or destroyed due to expiration or other factors?

(Return tabled)

Question No.2288—Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

3:30 p.m.

Conservative

Dean Allison Conservative Niagara West, ON

With regard to the government's purchase of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, beginning January 1, 2020: (a) which companies did the government purchase PPE from; and (b) for each company in (a), (i) how much equipment was purchased, in total and broken down by type of PPE, (ii) how much was each company paid by the government for the equipment, (iii) where is each company headquartered, (iv) in what city and country did each company manufacture the PPE?

(Return tabled)

Question No.2290—Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

3:30 p.m.

Conservative

Dean Allison Conservative Niagara West, ON

With regard to the government's purchase of COVID-19 rapid tests, since January 1, 2020: (a) which specific companies did the government purchase these tests from; (b) how many tests did the government purchase from each company; (c) how much was each company paid by the government for the tests; (d) where is each of the companies in (a) headquartered; and (e) in what city and country did each company manufacture the COVID-19 rapid tests?

(Return tabled)

Question No.2292—Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

3:30 p.m.

NDP

Brian Masse NDP Windsor West, ON

With regard to the sales and transfers of military equipment and weapons from Canada to Israel and in light of the International Court of Justice determination that Israel is carrying out a plausible genocide in Gaza and has issued several orders to Israel: (a) what military equipment and weapons has the government of Canada sent or approved to be sent to Israel since October 7, 2023; (b) what military equipment and weapons has the government of Canada sent or approved to be sent to Israel since January 26, 2024; (c) what military equipment and weapons has the government of Canada rejected sending to Israel since October 7, 2023; (d) what military equipment and weapons has the government of Canada rejected sending to Israel since January 26, 2024; (e) what surveillance equipment has the government of Canada sent or approved to be sent to Israel since October 7, 2023; (f) what surveillance equipment has the government of Canada sent or approved to be sent to Israel since January 26, 2024; (g) what surveillance equipment has the government of Canada rejected sending to Israel since October 7, 2023; (h) what surveillance equipment has the government of Canada rejected sending to Israel since January 26, 2024; (i) what is the monetary value of the military equipment and weapons the government of Canada has sent to Israel since October 7, 2023; (j) what is the monetary value of the surveillance equipment the government of Canada has sent to Israel since October 7, 2023; (k) what is the monetary value of the surveillance equipment, military equipment and weapons the government of Canada sent to Israel in 2021, 2022, and 2023; (l) what surveillance equipment, military equipment and weapons the government of Canada sent to Israel in 2021, 2022, and 2023; (m) as a signatory to the Genocide Convention, has the government of Canada taken legal advice to comply with the orders that the International Court of Justice has issued to Israel and to ensure the government of Canada does not contravene them; and (n) what plan, if any, does the Government of Canada have to comply with the orders of the International Court of Justice?

(Return tabled)

Question No.2295—Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

3:30 p.m.

NDP

Leah Gazan NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB

With regard to Reaching Home: Canada's Homelessness Strategy, broken down by province and territory from its inception in 2019 to present: (a) how much of the funding allocated to the program has been committed to date, broken down by its four funding streams, the (i) Designated Communities stream, (ii) Rural and Remote Homelessness stream, (iii) Territorial Homelessness stream, (iv) Indigenous Homelessness stream; (b) how much of the allocated funding has been spent to date, broken down by its four funding streams, the (i) Designated Communities stream, (ii) Rural and Remote Homelessness stream, (iii) Territorial Homelessness stream, (iv) Indigenous Homelessness stream; (c) how many people have been recipients of programs or services associated with Reaching Home, broken down by (i) gender, (ii) status as Indigenous, (iii) those self-identified as Black or racialized, (iv) status as immigrant or refugee (v) those self-identified as Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, plus (2SLGBTQI+), (vi) those living with a disability, (vii) those living with a substance use disorder, (viii) those living with unmet mental health needs?

(Return tabled)

Question No.2296—Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

3:30 p.m.

NDP

Leah Gazan NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB

With regard to childcare workers spanning from 2017 to present, broken down by province and territory: (a) what was the total number of childcare workers, broken down by (i) self-identified gender, (ii) self-identified racial background, (iii) self-identified status as Indigenous, (iv) status as immigrant or refugee, (v) self-identified Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, plus (2SLGBTQI+), (vi) self-identified as living with a disability, (vii) resided in an urban region, (viii) resided in a Northern, rural, or remote region, (ix) income tax bracket, (x) education level; (b) what was the median income of childcare workers, broken down by (i) self-identified gender, (ii) self-identified racial background, (iii) self-identified status as Indigenous, (iv) status as immigrant or refugee, (v) self-identified 2SLGBTQI+, (vi) self-identified as living with a disability, (vii) resided in an urban region, (viii) resided in a Northern, rural, or remote region, (ix) education level; and (c) what job-related benefits were childcare workers entitled to, broken down by (i) self-identified gender, (ii) self-identified racial background, (iii) self-identified status as Indigenous, (iv) status as immigrant or refugee, (v) self-identified 2SLGBTQI+, (vi) self-identified as living with a disability, (vii) resided in an urban region, (viii) resided in a Northern, rural, or remote region, (ix) education level?

(Return tabled)

Question No.2298—Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

3:30 p.m.

Conservative

Ziad Aboultaif Conservative Edmonton Manning, AB

With regard to the enactment of the Emergencies Act by the government in 2022: (a) what was the cost burden for the government, broken down by federal department and agency, including (i) actuarial costs, (ii) equipment costs, (iii) skilled labour costs (e.g. judges, police officers), (iv) other costs broken down by type; and (b) what is the total value of costs that were disbursed to other levels of government, broken down by (i) province, (ii) municipality?

(Return tabled)

Question No.2299—Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

3:30 p.m.

Conservative

Ted Falk Conservative Provencher, MB

With regard to government advertising on social media to promote COVID-19 vaccines: (a) what was the amount spent on such social media advertising, in total, and broken down by year since 2020; and (b) what is the breakdown of (a) by type of spending (graphic design, celebrity endorsement fee, ad placement) and by social media platform?

(Return tabled)