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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 299

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
April 15, 2024 11:00AM
  • Apr/15/24 4:22:54 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I would like to build upon some of the questions that have been asked, because all members in this place recognize that Hamas is a terrorist entity; all members have condemned the actions of Hamas, and all members agree that Israel has the right to defend itself. I too want to really commend the people within my communities, especially those of Iranian descent, who have taken the time to speak with me as their member of Parliament. Constituents within the riding of Waterloo also came together to draft a petition. They had members within the community and surrounding area sign it, and I was able to present that petition on their behalf, because we do recognize the horrid situation in which Mahsa Amini was killed and the downing of flight PS752. It was absolutely horrible to find out what took place, and Canada was right there to make sure that for citizens and permanent residents on that plane, justice was served. We continue to take action on that. I would like to hear from the member. When it comes to this file and the importance of doing the work that we need to do, would the approach be to play, in a sense, dog-whistle politics with it, or should we recognize the harm that is being caused and find a way forward so that we can actually represent the diversity of Canadians in this country? What kind of role does the government—
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  • Apr/15/24 4:24:17 p.m.
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I need to give the hon. parliamentary secretary a few seconds to answer.
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  • Apr/15/24 4:24:20 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, it goes to my earlier comment that the Conservative Party had an option. It did not have to use a concurrence motion. There are many different ways it could have dealt with this. I never even talked about the possibility of a take-note debate. Did Conservatives go to the Speaker and say they wanted an emergency debate? Have they had a caucus discussion to see if they would use it as an opposition day motion? Did they even approach the government in any fashion, saying they would like a take-note debate? There are many different options, but, sadly, Conservatives chose to debate concurrence in a committee report, which I believe tells me and should tell Canadians that, ultimately, it is more of a game than it is an issue, and that is sad.
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Madam Speaker, I do not think it is really worth my time to respond to anything that the member for Winnipeg North said, but I do want to respond to some of the comments about conscription. A couple of members asked an interesting question about how the listing of the IRGC impacts those who have been conscripted into it. Rather than just talking about the problem, Conservatives have actually put the solution to this problem in Bill C-350, and I invite members to read it. We proposed an amendment to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, which would say that a person is deemed not to have been a member of an organization if certain conditions are met: if they were required to fulfill a mandatory service period within the organization, if they did not commit atrocities while they were part of the organization and if they did not extend their stay with that organization. We have not just talked about the problem and said, “This is unsolvable, so we are not going to do it.” Conservatives have recognized the issue and proposed an amendment in Bill C-350 that would solve the conscription problem. Therefore, I encourage members who are serious about wanting to do this to support Bill C-350 and get it through second reading, so it can be studied and further refined at committee and we could actually get this done.
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  • Apr/15/24 4:26:16 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I would reinforce my previous answer, that I believe the Conservative Party has lost sight of the genuine issue itself by choosing to use concurrence in a committee report or making a game of this in trying to be a destructive force on the floor of the House of Commons.
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  • Apr/15/24 4:26:46 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Saint-Jean. Like many other matters that are brought before the House, what our Conservative colleagues are proposing today is something that I think is very important. It will certainly have serious consequences. We know that inclusion on the list of terrorist organizations means that Iranian citizens and members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps will no longer be allowed on Canadian soil. However, even if we think that perpetrators of terrorism must be prohibited from staying in the country or must at least be controlled, imprisoned or properly sanctioned, the fact remains that, according to the statistics that we have, 50% or more of IRGC soldiers are likely honest citizens who have been conscripted or forced to serve in the military. As a result, the decision that we are about to make could have a major impact on Iranians, regardless of whether people are guilty of any kind of terrorist, criminal or other act. That said, even if we do not have the expertise or enough of the full story to make such a important decision, the fact remains that the world is changing and we are looking at a major situation to which Canada must respond. We know that in the late 1950s, Iran even developed a civil nuclear program with the help of the United States. At that time, the Iranian state was seen as an ally or friendly to the west. Things changed over time. In 1979, the infamous Islamic revolution happened, and that led to a radical change in the way Iranians live and in their position on western society. We had to consider that. Members will recall that in January 2002, in the wake of the attacks on the United States, President George W. Bush declared the existence of what was known at the time as the axis of evil, which included Iran. So there was a change. Although in the 1950s Iran was an ally, a friendly country, things changed in 1979 with the Islamic revolution. I will refrain from calling it an enemy, but at the turn of the century, Iran became hostile to the west. The situation is deteriorating as the years go by. That bring us to this weekend, with the notorious drone and ballistic missile attacks. We understand, or at least wonder about Iran's real intentions. Apparently, these missiles were largely destroyed at or near take-off. It was not as devastating an attack as some might have feared but, nevertheless, Iran launched an attack and, as we know, it is working on nuclear energies. Agreements have been signed. We know that there are no nuclear weapons in Iran, and Iran's nuclear power was regulated in 2015 or thereabouts. However, there are still questions. Hostile intentions are being demonstrated by a state that is a serious threat to Canada's allies in Europe and, in many ways, Canada itself. What happens next? I admit that it is not an easy choice, but I do not think we can just stand by. We have to react. As we know, the United States has taken steps to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization. We know that the European Union and other countries are seriously considering this option at the moment. I think we also need to give the matter careful thought and possibly impose such sanctions. They would have to be administered very carefully, tactfully and sparingly. I trust the Canadian government to administer the situation wisely and appropriately, but I think something has to be done. We do not have time to spend a year or two considering the matter. We have to act now. I introduced a bill on that before. The Bloc Québécois has repeatedly argued for the creation of an organized crime registry in Canada. We based our work in that regard on the registry of terrorist organizations. Our belief in the usefulness of such a registry is therefore sincere. I believe it would be even more useful for organized crime. In time, I hope to bring my friends in the Conservative Party, the Liberal Party and possibly in the NDP and the Green Party, and everyone in the House, around to the idea, so that we end up with what I think would be a highly appropriate tool for fighting terrorist organizations, a tool that should also allow us to fight organized crime effectively. It is important to remember that organized crime causes a lot more harm in Canada than terrorist organizations. Organized crime jeopardizes the quality of life and peace of mind of Quebeckers and Canadians on a daily basis. I believed in a registry for organized crime, and the registry of terrorist organizations was the model I used. I still believe in it. Given that we believe in the usefulness of a registry and we think that Iran has gone down a dangerous path that could, in the short or medium term, cause major harm to Canada and, in any case, is already causing serious harm to citizens around the world, I believe that Canada should set an example. The Government of Canada needs to deal with this issue right now. In that sense, I think our Conservative colleagues are right to ask us to take a stand on this matter. I will stop there. I thank my colleagues for their attention.
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  • Apr/15/24 4:34:49 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I want to make a comment and ask the member a question. The first line of the report calls on the government to designate the group, called Sepâh-e Pâsdârân in Farsi, as a terrorist group. We have been trying to convince the government for six years now to designate it as a terrorist group under the Criminal Code. Some members have asked the question about the people who have been forced to do their military service with this terrorist group. In fact, all those who work for the Quds Force are volunteers. They are soldiers who work for the Government of Tehran. It is a terrorist group that killed Kian Pirfalak, who was nine years old. Those people killed Mahsa Amini. They killed Nika Shahkarami, Sarina Esmailzadeh and Armita Garavand. Thousands of people have been sent to Iranian prisons just for defending their democratic and human rights. Why does my colleague think that the government has been refusing for six years to add this group to our terrorist list in our Criminal Code so that its hundreds of agents, who are here in this country, can face justice?
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  • Apr/15/24 4:36:13 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, why has Canada dragged its feet for six years? I do not know. I suspect that I will never know. That being said, we have taken issue many times with the Liberal government's pattern of complacency and we continue to do so. The Liberal government is complacent in carrying out its own responsibilities but overly active in interfering in provincial jurisdictions. It defies understanding. Obviously, there are government members who would rather be serving in the Quebec National Assembly or in the provincial parliaments than here in the federal Parliament. Right now, we are talking about something that clearly falls under federal jurisdiction: the fight against terrorism. I have to agree with my colleague that we should have addressed this issue a long time ago. I, too, hope that the government will do so wisely and carefully without rushing things, but it needs to address this issue now.
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  • Apr/15/24 4:37:32 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, the member may be aware that in May, the committee on foreign affairs is bringing forward an NDP motion that the committee study the federal government's refusal to list the IRGC as a terrorist entity, the connection between people or assets in Canada and the IRGC, and paths forward to support vulnerable Iranians. I am reflecting on the importance of the people who need to be there to testify at the committee, with the increased violence against women. We know of the horrific, violent murder of Mahsa Amini as one example. Could the member speak to the violence against women that is happening in Iran, the importance of its being included in the study and how that connects to what we are talking about today?
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  • Apr/15/24 4:38:38 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I think my colleague is right about violence against women in Iran. We all know that. We see it all the time. My other colleague was also right earlier about violence against young people, even children. We know that these organizations are recruiting children to commit violent acts that would be completely prohibited and generally disapproved of if they happened in Canada. We have seen movies about what Iranian society was like before the Islamic revolution. We saw women who did not wear the veil and who had a life similar to that of men, that is to say they went to university and they were able to work and drive. However, since the Islamic revolution, there has been a tendency to prevent women from thriving in Iran. Not only is it appalling, but, in my opinion, it almost amounts to a crime against humanity, just like what they do to children. Either way, we really need to crack down and take a serious look at this right away.
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  • Apr/15/24 4:39:52 p.m.
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It is my duty pursuant to Standing Order 38 to inform the House that the questions to be raised tonight at the time of adjournment are as follows: the hon. member for Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, Public Services and Procurement; the hon. member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, Public Services and Procurement; and the hon. member for Yellowhead, Carbon Pricing. I believe that the hon. parliamentary secretary to the government House leader is riding on a point of order.
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  • Apr/15/24 4:40:26 p.m.
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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.
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  • Apr/15/24 4:40:37 p.m.
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Does the hon. member have leave to proceed? Some hon. members: Agreed.
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  • Apr/15/24 4:40:42 p.m.
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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.
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  • Apr/15/24 4:41:26 p.m.
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Question No. 2371—
Questioner: Alistair MacGregor
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?
Question No. 2379—
Questioner: Rachael Thomas
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?
Question No. 2380—
Questioner: Rachael Thomas
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?
Question No. 2381—
Questioner: Chris Lewis
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?
Question No. 2382—
Questioner: Doug Shipley
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?
Question No. 2384—
Questioner: Michael Kram
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?
Question No. 2392—
Questioner: Chris Warkentin
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?
Question No. 2393—
Questioner: Chris Warkentin
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?
Question No. 2394—
Questioner: Michelle Rempel
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?
Question No. 2395—
Questioner: Rob Moore
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?
Question No. 2397—
Questioner: Eric Melillo
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?
Question No. 2401—
Questioner: Charlie Angus
With regard to the Department of Indigenous Services 2023-24 Departmental Plan: (a) what is the expected decrease in spending related to the sunset of funding of (i) Jordan’s Principle, (ii) the Inuit Child First Initiative; (b) what will the total departmental spending for the continued implementation of Jordan’s Principle be in (i) 2023-24, (ii) 2024-25, (iii) 2025-26; and (c) what will the total departmental spending to support the Inuit Child First Initiative be in (i) 2023-24, (ii) 2024-25, (iii) 2025-26?
Question No. 2404—
Questioner: Charlie Angus
With regard to the Department of Indigenous Services 2023-24 Departmental Plan, broken down by fiscal year for 2023-24, 2024-25, and 2025-26: (a) what is the total number of full-time equivalents who will be removed due to the sunset of funding for the continued implementation of Jordan’s Principle; (b) what is the total number of full-time equivalents who will be removed due to the sunset of funding for the Inuit Child First Initiative; (c) what indicators does the department use to demonstrate that the department will receive fewer requests for funding under Jordan’s Principle or the Inuit Child First Initiative over the next three fiscal years; and (d) what indicators does the department use to demonstrate that the health care needs of First Nations, Métis and Inuit children will decrease in the next three fiscal years?
Question No. 2405—
Questioner: Karen Vecchio
With regard to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and the immediate and extended family or de facto dependant of a resettled Yazidi or survivor of Daesh temporary policy announced in November 2023: (a) how many applications (i) have been received, (ii) have been accepted, (iii) have been denied, (iv) are pending or under review; (b) what is the breakdown by sex (male or female) of the main applicants; (c) what is the breakdown by age of the main applicants; and (d) how many webform submissions with the keyword IRQ2023 were received?
Question No. 2406—
Questioner: John Nater
With regard to the Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP): (a) how does the government reconcile the differences between the depiction in the February update note to stakeholders stating that demand for CDAP is unprecedented and demand for Boost Your Business Technology is almost fully subscribed, and the report in the Globe and Mail that demand for Boost Your Business Technology is far below target; (b) was the program at one-eighth of the program target, or was it fully subscribed; (c) how many businesses had (i) completed a Digital Needs Assessment, (ii) signed grant agreements, (iii) received grand payments; (d) how many loan applications has the Business Development Bank of Canada approved related to the program and what is the value of those loans; (e) how many work placements has CDAP provided to students through (i) Magnet, (ii) other mechanisms; and (f) how much has Magnet been paid by the government to date related to the program?
Question No. 2407—
Questioner: Scot Davidson
With regard to taxation: how many taxpayers have ceased to be Canadian residents for tax purposes since 2015, in total, and broken down by year and income bracket?
Question No. 2408—
Questioner: Robert Kitchen
With regard to advertising expenditures promoting the Canada Pension Plan, since 2016: (a) how much has been spent on such advertising, in total, and broken down by year; (b) what are the details of each such advertising campaign, including the (i) start and end dates, (ii) amount spent, (iii) purpose of the campaign, (iv) types of outlets that advertising was purchased in (television, newspaper, radio, social media, etc.); and (c) what are the details of all contracts awarded related to the advertising campaigns, including, for each, the (i) date, (ii) amount, (iii) vendor, (iv) description of goods or services, (v) manner in which the contract was awarded (sole-sourced, competitive bid)?
Question No. 2416—
Questioner: Alexandre Boulerice
With regard to the Treasury Board Secretariat’s monthly statistical reports on claims made related to the Phoenix pay system, broken down by each report issued since reporting began: (a) what is the total number of claims made for (i) out of pocket expenses, (ii) impacts on income taxes and government benefits, (iii) requests for advances on government benefits, (iv) reimbursements for tax advice, (v) compensation for severe impacts, (vi) general compensation for damages related to Phoenix; and (b) for each claim made in (a), how many of the claims were (i) received, (ii) accepted, (iii) rejected?
Question No. 2417—
Questioner: Alexandre Boulerice
With regard to the Treasury Board Secretariat’s monthly statistical reports on claims made related to the Phoenix pay system, broken down by report since reporting began: (a) what is the total number of severe impact claims filed each month, broken down by (i) compensation for individuals on maternity, parental or disability leave, (ii) discriminatory practice, (iii) lost occupational capacity, (iv) lost security clearance, (v) bankruptcy, (vi) significant credit rating impact, (vii) resignation from the public service, (viii) mental anguish, (ix) other personal and financial hardship; and (b) for each category in (a) what is the number of claims that were (i) accepted, (ii) rejected?
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Is that agreed? Some hon. members: Agreed.
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Madam Speaker, if the government's responses to Questions Nos. 2372 to 2378, 2383, 2385 to 2391, 2396, 2398 to 2400, 2402, 2403 and 2409 to 2415 could be made orders for return, these returns would be tabled in an electronic format immediately.
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  • Apr/15/24 4:41:31 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I ask that all remaining questions be allowed to stand.
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Question No. 2372—
Questioner: Kristina Michaud
With regard to funding for the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary: (a) what is the government’s annual spending per province since 2019; and (b) what is the government’s annual spending per unit in Quebec since 2019?
Question No. 2373—
Questioner: Eric Duncan
With regard to government-owned buildings or land: (a) how many buildings or pieces of land are unoccupied or vacant, in total, and broken down by metropolitan area; and (b) what are the details of each building or piece of land in (a), including the (i) physical address, (ii) size of the land, (iii) square footage of vacant buildings, (iv) current use, if any?
Question No. 2374—
Questioner: Eric Duncan
With regard to land owned or leased by the government: how much land and how many buildings are leased from third-party landlords as a percentage of the total of all government land and buildings?
Question No. 2375—
Questioner: Earl Dreeshen
With regard to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC): (a) how many individuals currently have permanent residency status in Canada; (b) what is the breakdown of the individuals in (a) by place of residence (i.e. living in Canada versus overseas); (c) what is the breakdown of the individuals in (a) by stream (i.e. Express Entry, economic, family class, or refugee); (d) how many permanent residency applications are still outstanding or being processed by IRCC; (e) how many permanent residency applications have been rejected; (f) for each rejection in (e), what were the reasons for rejection under statute; and (g) how many permanent resident cards have expired in the last 90 days?
Question No. 2376—
Questioner: Matt Jeneroux
With regard to Privy Council Office (PCO) access to information requests A‑2020‑00583, A‑2021‑00266, A‑2021‑00272, A‑2021‑00490, A‑2021‑00495, A‑2022‑00163, A‑2022‑00176 and A‑2022‑00182: (a) on what date did PCO receive each request; (b) to what date did PCO extend the deadline for responding to each request; (c) has PCO responded to each request, and, if not, (i) why not, (ii) on what date does PCO expect to respond to each request; (d) why did PCO not correctly estimate the amount of time required to respond to each request; (e) what is the Prime Minister's position on PCO's delays in processing access to information requests, including whether the delays are acceptable; and (f) if the Prime Minister does not consider the delays to be acceptable, what specific actions has he directed to be done to ensure that similar delays do not occur in the future?
Question No. 2377—
Questioner: Matt Jeneroux
With regard to government-owned land or buildings being considered for sale for the purpose of housing: what are the details of each building or piece of land, including the (i) address and location, (ii) size of the land, (iii) square footage, (iv) current state of the building or land, including the type of current occupants, if applicable, (v) current state of sale or disposal, (vi) expected date of sale or disposal, (vii) number of housing units projected to be built at the site?
Question No. 2378—
Questioner: Matt Jeneroux
With regard to Department of Employment and Social Development (ESDC) access to information requests A‑2019‑01074 and A‑2020‑01070: (a) on what date did ESDC receive each request; (b) to what date did ESDC extend the deadline for responding to each request; (c) on what date did ESDC receive the Information Commissioner's orders to respond to each request; (d) on what date was ESDC required, by the Information Commissioner's orders, to respond to each request; (e) has ESDC responded to each request, and, if not, (i) why not, (ii) on what date does ESDC expect to respond to each request; (f) what is ESDC's reason for not correctly estimating the amount of time required to respond to each request; (g) why did ESDC not comply with the Information Commissioner's orders; (h) in lieu of compliance with the Information Commissioner's orders, why did ESDC fail to apply to the Federal Court for a review of the orders; (i) what is the position of the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, as ESDC's department head, on (i) the acceptability of these delays in processing access to information requests, (ii) ESDC's disregard of the Information Commissioner's orders, including ESDC's decision not to apply for Federal Court review; (j) if the minister considers the actions in (i) to be unacceptable, what specific actions has he directed to be done to ensure that similar failures do not occur in the future; (k) what is the position of the Attorney General of Canada on ESDC's combined failure to respond to the requests and apply for Federal Court review, including whether it undermines the government's commitment to the rule of law in Canada; and (l) what specific actions has the Attorney General directed to be done to ensure that similar failures do not occur in the future?
Question No. 2383—
Questioner: Jamie Schmale
With regard to the Student Direct Stream at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, broken down by year for 2022 and 2023: how many applications (i) were received, (ii) were approved, (iii) were refused or rejected, (iv) are still being processed, in total, and broken down by each participating country, including Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, People's Republic of China, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Morocco, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Senegal, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Vietnam?
Question No. 2385—
Questioner: Alexandre Boulerice
With regard to contracts awarded by the government to TELUS since January 1, 2009: what is the total value of these contracts, broken down by (i) year, (ii) department, agency, Crown corporation or government entity?
Question No. 2386—
Questioner: Rachel Blaney
With regard to the RCMP’s response to the Final Report on the Implementation of the Merlo Davidson Settlement Agreement: (a) for each of the 16 recommendation categories, what steps has the RCMP taken to complete each recommendation; (b) for each recommendation in (a), what working groups, committees or other bodies have been created to oversee the completion of the recommendation; (c) what are the details of each group, organization or other body in (b), including the (i) number of staff, (ii) rank or job title of the individual responsible for that group, (iii) number of meetings held; (d) what is the total number of recommendations that the RCMP considers (i) completed, (ii) nearing completion, (iii) in progress, (iv) not started; and (e) by what date does the RCMP believe it will complete all recommendations of this report?
Question No. 2387—
Questioner: Rachel Blaney
With regard to Veterans Affairs Canada and disability benefit decisions, broken down by fiscal year since 2015-16: (a) what is the total number of disability benefit claims received by the department; (b) how many of the claims in (a) were denied by the department; and (c) how many of the claims in (b) were denied due to (i) insufficient evidence being provided by the claimant, (ii) incomplete paperwork being submitted, (iii) incorrect paperwork being submitted, (iv) ineligibility of the claimant?
Question No. 2388—
Questioner: Warren Steinley
With regard to expenditures made by the government for "Other professional services not elsewhere specified" (Treasury Board code 0499 or similar), broken down by department, agency, Crown corporation, or other government entity, since January 1, 2020: (a) what were the total expenditures each year; and (b) what are the details of each contract for such services, including, for each, the (i) date, (ii) vendor, (iii) amount, (iv) description of services provided, (v) manner in which the contract was awarded (sole-sourced versus competitive bid)?
Question No. 2389—
Questioner: Warren Steinley
With regard to expenditures made by the government for "Non-professional personal service contracts not elsewhere specified" (Treasury Board code 0819 or similar), broken down by department, agency, Crown corporation, or other government entity, since January 1, 2020: (a) what were the total expenditures each year; and (b) what are the details of each contract for such services, including, for each, the (i) date, (ii) vendor, (iii) amount, (iv) description of services provided, (v) manner in which the contract was awarded (sole-sourced versus competitive bid)?
Question No. 2390—
Questioner: Tako Van
With regard to expenditures by the government to operate and maintain the Corporations Canada Business Registry, the NUANS Registry, the Multi-Jurisdictional Registry Access Service, and the Beneficial Ownership Registry, broken down by registry: (a) what were the total costs associated with each registry, broken down by year from 2017 to present; (b) what are the details of all contracts entered into by the government related to each registry, including, for each, the (i) date, (ii) vendor, (iii) value or amount, (iv) description of goods or services, (v) manner in which the contract was awarded (sole­sourced, competitive bid), (vi) names of registries associated with the contracts; (c) when is each registry projected to reach “end of life”; (d) what are the security implications for these platforms; (e) what gaps, risks, and security exposures related to each registry platform has the government been made aware of; and (f) for each instance in (e), what corrective action was taken?
Question No. 2391—
Questioner: Tako Van
With regard to the development and implementation of the Beneficial Ownership Registry: (a) what are the details of all contracts signed by the government to date related to the registry in any way, including, for each, the (i) date, (ii) vendor, (iii) value or amount, (iv) description of goods or services, (v) manner in which the contract was awarded (sole-sourced, competitive bid), (vi) duration; (b) what plans and milestones have been created for establishing modern interoperable systems for the Corporations Canada Business Registry, along with the Beneficial Ownership Registry, to work with the various provincial and territorial corporate registries; and (c) what funding has the government set aside to provide to provinces and territories for them to participate in data collection and sharing as part of the pan-Canadian beneficial ownership regime, in total, and broken down by province or territory?
Question No. 2396—
Questioner: Robert Kitchen
With regard to the government's National Summit on Combatting Auto Theft held on or around February 8, 2024: (a) what are the total expenses incurred by the government to date related to the summit; and (b) what is the breakdown of the expenses in (a) by line item and type of expense?
Question No. 2398—
Questioner: Lisa Marie
With regard to the national inventory of wrecked, abandoned or hazardous vessels, broken down by fiscal year since 2011-12: (a) what is the total number of vessels added to the inventory located (i) on the Pacific coast, (ii) on the Arctic coast, (iii) on the Atlantic coast, (iv) in the Great Lakes, (v) in the St. Lawrence Seaway; and (b) what is the total number of vessels removed from the inventory located (i) on the Pacific coast, (ii) on the Arctic coast, (iii) on the Atlantic coast, (iv) in the Great Lakes, (v) in the St. Lawrence Seaway?
Question No. 2399—
Questioner: Lisa Marie
With regard to government funding for the removal of wrecked, abandoned or hazardous vessels, broken down by fiscal year and department or agency since 2011-12: what are the details of all projects or initiatives led by First Nations, Inuit or Métis communities or organizations, including the (i) group receiving the funding, (ii) date on which the funding was received, (iii) total amount of funding committed, (iv) location of the vessel or vessels identified for removal, (v) current status of the vessel or vessels?
Question No. 2400—
Questioner: Lisa Marie
With regard to the Treasury Board Secretariat’s Directive on Term Employment, which took effect on April 1, 2020, broken down by department or agency since March 1, 2023: (a) what is the total number of term employees whom the department or agency converted to indeterminate status; (b) after reviewing the department’s or agency's financial situation over the two- to three-year planning horizon, what is the total number of term employees whose conversion to indeterminate status would result in workforce adjustment; and (c) what is the total number of employees who were informed that their cumulative work periods would not count towards their conversion from term to indeterminate status?
Question No. 2402—
Questioner: Charlie Angus
With regard to the implementation and processing of claims under Jordan’s Principle, broken down by fiscal year since its implementation: (a) broken down by regional focal point, what is the (i) number of urgent requests received, (ii) total number of requests received, (iii) number of urgent requests approved, (iv) total number of requests approved, (v) number of urgent requests denied, (vi) total number of requests denied, (vii) total amount of funding requested, (viii) total amount of funding approved; (b) broken down by regional focal point, what is the total number of staff available to process requests who are (i) full-time equivalent, (ii) part-time equivalent, (iii) on temporary contracts; (c) reflected as a number and a percentage, how many of the urgent requests in (a) were processed within 12 hours (i) after receiving first contact, (ii) after receiving all necessary information; and (d) reflected as a number and a percentage, how many of the non-urgent requests in (a) were processed within 48 hours (i) after receiving first contact, (ii) after receiving all necessary information?
Question No. 2403—
Questioner: Charlie Angus
With regard to the implementation and processing of claims under the Inuit Child First Initiative, broken down by fiscal year since its implementation: (a) broken down by regional focal point, what is the (i) number of urgent requests received, (ii) total number of requests received, (iii) number of urgent requests approved, (iv) total number of requests approved, (v) number of urgent requests denied, (vi) total number of requests denied, (vii) total amount of funding requested, (viii) total amount of funding approved; (b) broken down by regional focal point, what is the total number of staff available to process requests who are (i) full-time equivalent, (ii) part-time equivalent, (iii) on temporary contracts; (c) reflected as a number and a percentage, how many of the urgent requests in (a) were processed within 12 hours (i) after receiving first contact, (ii) after receiving all necessary information; and (d) reflected as a number and a percentage, how many of the non-urgent requests in (a) were processed within 48 hours (i) after receiving first contact, (ii) after receiving all necessary information?
Question No. 2409—
Questioner: James Bezan
With regard to the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF): (a) how many applications to become a member of the CAF were received, broken down by year since 2016; (b) of the applications in (a), how many (i) were accepted, (ii) were denied, (iii) are still being processed; (c) what is the breakdown of (a) and (b) by each demographic that is tracked by the CAF (e.g. age, ethnicity, etc.); and (d) for those applications which were denied, what is the breakdown by reason for denial, by year, and by demographic?
Question No. 2410—
Questioner: Taylor Bachrach
With regard to government funding in the federal electoral district of Skeena—Bulkley Valley, broken down by fiscal year since 2006-07: (a) what is the total amount of funding provided to rights-holding First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples; and (b) what is the total amount of funding provided to non-rights-holding First Nations, Inuit and Métis organizations?
Question No. 2411—
Questioner: Matthew Green
With regard to the Canada Dental Benefit, broken down by federal electoral district since the program's inception: (a) what is the total number of applications (i) received, (ii) approved; (b) what is the total dollar value of payments delivered to eligible applicants; and (c) how many children, in total, have been helped by the program?
Question No. 2412—
Questioner: Rachel Blaney
With regard to government funding in the federal electoral district of North Island—Powell River, broken down by fiscal year since 2006-07: (a) what is the total amount of funding provided to rights-holding First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples; and (b) what is the total amount of funding provided to non-rights-holding First Nations, Inuit and Métis organizations?
Question No. 2413—
Questioner: Lisa Marie
With regard to government funding in the federal electoral district of Nanaimo—Ladysmith, broken down by fiscal year since 2006-07: (a) what is the total amount of funding provided to rights-holding First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples; and (b) what is the total amount of funding provided to non-rights-holding First Nations, Inuit and Métis organizations?
Question No. 2414—
Questioner: Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay
With regard to the importation of goods involving forced labour, prohibited under subsection 202(8) of Chapter 98 of the Customs Tariff: (a) since July 1, 2020, how many seizures have been made at Canadian ports of entry; (b) what are the details of each case, including (i) the dates, (ii) the country and region of origin of the goods, (iii) the description of these goods, including their respective quantities, (iv) their estimated value, (v) the delivery location in Canada, (vi) the intended recipients of the goods, (vii) what was done with the seized goods; and (c) if no goods originating from the Xinjiang region of China have been seized, why have no goods been seized within Canada, when the United States reports seizures of billions of dollars of goods from this region?
Question No. 2415—
Questioner: Alexandre Boulerice
With regard to the government’s plan to refocus and cut government spending in budget 2023, broken down by department or agency: (a) has the department or agency instituted a hiring freeze; (b) what is the total number of staff who left the department or agency since budget 2023, represented as (i) retirements, (ii) secondments, (iii) temporary leave, (iv) firing for cause, (v) restructuring; and (c) what is the total amount of savings estimated as a result of the hiring freeze?
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  • Apr/15/24 4:41:34 p.m.
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Is that agreed? Some hon. members: Agreed.
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