Madam Speaker, I rise today to present a petition on behalf of constituents from Kelowna—Lake Country and the surrounding area. The Okanagan Rail Trail serves as an important recreational and commuter path for pedestrians and cyclists across the region. Seven kilometres of the trail remain incomplete, which poses a safety risk as users have no option other than to divert onto a busy highway. The completion of the Okanagan Rail Trail would be an important link to provide more healthy activity space for residents and visitors in the Okanagan. Therefore, the petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to expeditiously complete the federal commitments to the Okanagan Indian Band and Duck Lake Indian Reserve 7 to complete the Okanagan Rail Trail.

Madam Speaker, I have three petitions to present today. In the first one, the petitioners note that applicants for many processes and documents at IRCC, including citizenship applications and PR cards, face prolonged delays in processing. Many have received no response or details from IRCC on the status of their application or expected timelines, which prevents them from being able to plan important and critical life decisions. Many applicants have missed or are missing important family events because they are at some stage of citizenship application and the email for the next step can come at any time. They are therefore calling on the government to increase staffing and resources at IRCC in order to address the backlog of outstanding applications for citizenship that were submitted in 2019 and 2020, and provide clear status and concise expected timelines to applicants so that they can make decisions and plan accordingly, in order to address the ambiguity of getting an email for a test or an oath ceremony at any time. Finally, in a case of unreasonable delay, they are calling for IRCC to provide the reason to the applicant and clear steps to mitigate the delay and ensure that the applicant's PR card can be received promptly.

Madam Speaker, in the second petition, the petitioners are noting the Government of Israel's designation of six prominent Palestinian human rights and civil society groups as terrorist organizations on October 19, 2021. They are concerned that the six prominent Palestinian human rights and civil society organizations in question are being criminalized for critical human rights work. They point to Canada's own guidelines on supporting human rights defenders, which state that the commitment of Canada and Canada's diplomatic mission is to advocate for human rights defenders and protect them from harm. They are therefore calling on the government to take concrete action against the Israeli occupation authorities' continued harassment and criminalization of Palestinian human rights defenders and civil society organizations, by calling for full revocation of the designation and publicly calling on Israeli authorities to immediately end efforts aimed at prosecuting, delegitimizing and criminalizing Palestinian human rights defenders and civil society organizations. Finally, they call on relevant cabinet ministers, policy-makers and members of Parliament to meet with the six Palestinian organizations.

I would remind the hon. member that we are meant to provide very short summaries of the petitions. There are quite a few other members who would like to present petitions. The hon. member for North Island—Powell River.

Madam Speaker, in the last petition, my constituents are noting that persons with psychosocial and other disabilities continue to be at grave risk of being detained in facilities and/or otherwise subjected to limitations on freedom of movement, including the use of physical restraints, chemical restrains and isolation, and being forcibly administered drugs, which frequently cause toxic and damaging effects, such as reduced mobility and constrained cognition, reducing life expectancy and inducing dependency, notwithstanding that some people take these drugs voluntarily. They are calling on the government to enact article 14 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and prohibit civil commitments, psychiatric assessments and all related interventions for psychosocial disabilities, repealing laws and provisions that violate the CRPD by permitting detentions, restraints, seclusion, community treatment orders, forced drugging, electrical shock, sterilization and similar impositions, and rescind all—

Madam Speaker, today I am here to present a petition on behalf of many Canadians across the whole country who are very concerned about the fact that Canada is still implementing the “gold-digger clause” that was put in place in the early 1900s. We know that so many veterans, RCMP and public servants who marry after 60 do not qualify for survivor pensions for their loved ones when they pass on. The National Council of Veteran Associations, the RCMP Veterans' Association and the Armed Forces Pensioners' Association of Canada are all in support of this. We believe it is important not to punish veterans for finding love after 60.

Madam Speaker, I have three petitions to present today. These are very pressing and important issues that I am putting forward and I will summarize. The first petition deals with the threat to pollinators. It is a global threat and it is largely due, as we understand it, to neonicotinoid insecticides, which have been restricted from use in the European Union. Petitioners call on the Government of Canada, for the sake of our bees and food security, to take steps and follow Europe's lead.

Madam Speaker, my last petition, I have to say, is certainly one of the ones that had great support online, with over 5,653 petitioners. The petitioners point out that the government had promised in the last election to place a ban on the export of thermal coal from ports. Members in this place may not know that we export thermal coal that comes into Canada from the U.S., because U.S. ports are already refusing to export thermal coal for reasons of climate. The petitioners point out that thermal coal creates about half of the world's carbon emissions and that the phase-out that the government has planned should be expedited and moved more rapidly. I also want to thank the citizens who worked on this petition, particularly a retired justice department lawyer who did a lot of work at Environment Canada, Beverly Pixie Hobby from White Rock. I also want to thank constituents of my own riding from the South Coast Ship Watch Alliance, because much of the contamination of our waterways in the Gulf Islands is due to anchorages for ships that cannot be loaded with products in bulk, due to inefficiencies at the port of Vancouver. This would expedite environmental protection in the Gulf Islands and also be an action for climate change. The petitioners ask for the priority substances list within the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, as soon as possible, to list thermal coal and then to regulate the mining and export of thermal coal, in accordance with our international commitments.

Madam Speaker, I am happy today to rise and present a petition on behalf of constituents in my riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith. The constituents are calling on the Prime Minister and the Government of Canada to enact just transition legislation that, among other things, reduces emissions by at least 60% below 2005 levels by 2030; winds down the fossil fuel industry and related infrastructure; creates good green jobs; promotes and strengthens human rights and workers' rights; respects indigenous rights, sovereignty and knowledge; expands the social safety net through new income supports; and pays for the transition by increasing taxes on the wealthiest and corporations, and financing through a public national bank.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise on behalf of petitioners who are calling on the government to enact a just transition that would see the reduction of emissions. It would also see the support for public institutions, ensure that we create good green jobs across Canada, and protect workers' rights, including the rights of indigenous nations.

Madam Speaker, I also have another petition, which calls on the government to protect and make enforceable actions related to companies that are operating overseas and contributing to human rights abuses and environmental damages.

Madam Speaker, the following questions will be answered today: Nos. 500, 508, 513, 514 and 519.

Is that agreed? Some. hon members: Agreed.

With regard to the 2022 budget not including the commitment by the Prime Minister on page 69 of the 2021 Liberal election platform to “Introduce a Veterans stream to the Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI)”: (a) why was this specific commitment not included in the 2022 budget; (b) has the government developed a specific timeline for when the veterans stream will be added to the RHI, and if so, what is it; and (c) what are the specific details, including dates of any action taken to date by the government, to introduce a veterans stream to the RHI? With regard to the Prime Minister's trip to Bell Island in the Bahamas: (a) did the Prime Minister sign any document that gave him permission to accept the trip, and, if so, what are the details of the document, including the date on which it was signed; and (b) if the response to (a) is affirmative, on what date did the Clerk of the Privy Council become aware that the Prime Minister signed the document? With regard to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance announcing on February 18, 2022, that the government will spend no additional public money on the Trans Mountain Expansion Project: does the commitment to spend no additional public money extend to (i) loan guarantees, (ii) placing creditor priorities ahead of government debts, (iii) providing write-downs to potential investors? With regard to the government’s engagement with BMO Capital Markets and TD Securities on the financial aspects of the Trans Mountain Expansion project, as noted in the response by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance to petition No. 441-00120: (a) what are the details of the public financing options that were analyzed, including the (i) type of financing, (ii) level of financing, (iii) reported feasibility of the financing; and (b) is the government currently considering public financing options for the project, and, if so, what are the details, including the (i) type of financing, (ii) level of financing, (iii) results of any further analysis the government has completed? With regard to the Memorial to the Victims of Communism: on what date is the project expected to be completed?

Madam Speaker, if the government's response to Questions Nos. 501 to 507, 509 to 512, 515 to 518, and 520 could be made orders for returns, these returns would be tabled immediately.

Finally, I ask that the remaining questions be allowed to stand. The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès): Is that agreed? Some hon. members: Agreed.

With regard to concessional investments, grants, or other financing provided by the government since November 4, 2015: (a) what is the total value of such financing, broken down by (i) year, (ii) government program which provided the funding; and (b) what are the details of each project that received concessional financing, including for each the (i) date of the announcement, (ii) date of financing, (iii) amount of financing, (iv) vendor or project owner, (v) location, (vi) description of the project, (vii) type of financing (repayable loan, grant, etc.), (viii) summary of terms and timeline of the financing, including the payback period and amounts, if applicable, (ix) government's rationale for providing the financing, (x) internal tracking or file number? With regard to the federal government financial participation in the Joint Federal/Provincial Commission into the April 2020 Nova Scotia Mass Casualty: (a) what are the total expenditures to date by the commission; (b) what is the breakdown of (a) by type of expenditure; (c) what are the specific details of the expenditures related to the glossy mailer that was sent out, including the total expenditures and breakdown of the amount spent on (i) printing, (ii) design, (iii) mailing, (iv) other costs; and (d) what are the details of all contracts signed by the commission with a value over $1,000 including, for each, the (i) date, (ii) vendor, (iii) amount, (iv) description of goods or services provided? With regard to stomach sampling of all species of seals conducted by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) in Atlantic Canada since 2017: what are the details of all sampling done by the DFO, including, for each sampling, the (i) species, (ii) gender, (iii) location, (iv) dates, (v) elapsed time between the harvest and sampling, (vi) findings? With regard to Health Canada's application process for medical devices under the Interim Order No. 3 Respecting Importation and Sale of Medical Devices for Use in Relation to COVID-19: (a) what are the different stages each application must go through; (b) for each stage in (a), what are the (i) stated service standards, (ii) processes, if any, in place to measure and report on the department's performance as measured by the relevant service standard, (iii) the current average performance or length of time; (c) for each application for COVID-19 testing devices received but not yet authorized, what are the details, including the (i) applicant, (ii) description of the device, (iii) reference or file number, (iv) current stage, (v) timeline, including specific dates, of each stage of the application; and (d) for each application in (c) that was or still is at a stage for longer than the service standard, what is the reason for the delay? With regard to ongoing or planned government IT projects with a budget over $1 million: what are the details of each project, including the (i) project description and summary, (ii) total budget, (iii) estimated completion date? With regard to fraud or attempted fraud being committed against the government by individuals or entities that are employed by or provide goods or services to the government, since 2017, broken down by year and department or agency, and excluding tax fraud: (a) how many instances of fraud or attempted fraud occurred; (b) what is the total financial value of the fraud; (c) what is the breakdown of (a) and (b) by type of fraud (billing for services not provided, inappropriate expense claims, etc.); (d) how many instances of fraud were committed by (i) individuals employed by the government, (ii) individuals or entities contracted by the government, (iii) third parties; (e) of the individuals who were employed by the government at the time the fraud occurred, how many (i) were fired or otherwise terminated, (ii) faced discipline but were not terminated, (iii) did not face discipline; and (f) for the value of fraud that the government was a victim of, how much has been or is (i) recovered, (ii) written-off as a loss, (iii) still awaiting financial closure? With regard to applications received by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, since January 1, 2016, and broken down by type of application: (a) how many applicants were deemed inadmissible pursuant to (i) Section 34(l)(b), (ii) Section 34(1)(c), (iii) Section 34(1)(f) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (S.C. 2001, c. 27); and (b) broken down by each section of the act in (a), how many of the applicants who were deemed inadmissible were members of the (i) Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan or PDKI, (ii) Kurdistan Free Life Party or PJAC, (iii) Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan? With regard to trips taken by ministers and their staff for government business since September 20, 2021: what are the details of each trip, including the (i) names and titles of the individuals on the trip, (ii) dates, (iii) origin, (iv) destination, (v) purpose of the trip, (vi) itinerary, including any meetings, announcements, or events attended, (vii) total travel and hospitality expenditures related to the trip, (viii) breakdown of expenditures, by type of expense (airfare, hotel, etc.)? With regard to Environment and Climate Change Canada providing fines to companies that illegally shipped or transported waste overseas, since January 1, 2016, and broken down by year: (a) how many fines or other financial penalties were issued; and (b) what are the details of each fine or financial penalty, including for each the (i) date of the incident, (ii) date of the fine, (iii) amount of the fine, (iv) name of the company, (v) summary of the infraction, (vi) description of the illegally shipped waste, including volume? With regard to usage of the government's fleet of Challenger aircraft, since December 1, 2021: what are the details of the legs of each flight, including the (i) date, (ii) point of departure, (iii) destination, (iv) number of passengers, (v) names and titles of the passengers, excluding security or Canadian Armed Forces members, (vi) total catering bill related to the flight, (vii) volume of fuel used, or estimate, (viii) amount spent on fuel? With regard to usage of the government's Airbus CC-150 Polaris aircraft, since December 1, 2021: what are the details of the legs of each flight, including the (i) date, (ii) point of departure, (iii) destination, (iv) number of passengers, (v) names and titles of the passengers, excluding security or Canadian Armed Forces members, (vi) total catering bill related to the flight, (vii) volume of fuel used, or estimate, (viii) amount spent of fuel? With regard to the government enforcement of measures related to commercial milk and dairy imports at land border crossings: (a) what specific training is provided to border agents to ensure milk and dairy imports crossing the border comply with trade agreements; (b) what is the estimated amount of milk and dairy products imported each year, broken down by point of entry where they come into Canada; (c) which points of entry have agents that specialize in milk and dairy imports; (d) for any points of entry that do not have agents who specialize in milk and dairy imports, what specific procedure is followed to ensure that any milk being imported is compliant with all trade agreements and import controls; (e) how many milk and dairy products have been imported since January 1, 2021, broken down by (i) month, (ii) program (Duty Relief Program, Import for Re-Export Program, etc.); (f) how many milk and dairy products which were not in compliance with our trade agreements, were attempted to be imported into Canada since January 1, 2021, broken down by (i) month, (ii) program; (g) of the products in (f), how many were (i) allowed into Canada, (ii) turned away at the border; (h) what is the total value of fines (i) issued, (ii) actually paid, related to commercial dairy importers arriving at land border crossings being in non-compliance; and (i) are there specific situations where border agents have been instructed to allow non-compliant milk and dairy to be allowed entry into Canada, and, if so, what were those situations? With regard to the government enforcement of measures related to commercial poultry imports at land border crossings: (a) what specific training is provided to border agents to ensure poultry imports crossing the border comply with trade agreements and are labelled correctly; (b) what is the estimated amount of poultry products imported each year, broken down by type of product and point of entry where they come into Canada; (c) which points of entry have agents that specialize in poultry imports; (d) for any points of entry that do not have agents who specialize in poultry, what specific procedure is followed to ensure that any poultry being imported is compliant with all trade agreements and import controls; (e) how much of each type of poultry product has been imported since January 1, 2021, broken down by (i) month, (ii) program (Duty Relief Program, Import for Re-Export Program, etc.); (f) how much of each type of poultry product which were not in compliance with trade agreements, were attempted to be imported into Canada since January 1, 2021, broken down by (i) month, (ii) program; (g) of the products in (f), how many were (i) allowed into Canada, (ii) turned away at the border; (h) what is the total value of fines (i) issued, (ii) actually paid, related to poultry importers arriving at land border crossings being in non-compliance; and (i) are there specific situations where border agents have been instructed to allow non-compliant poultry products to be allowed entry into Canada, and, if so, what were those situations? With regard to the current processing delays of passport applications: (a) what are the current service standards for processing times; (b) what is the government's target date for when the service standards will return to the previous acceptable processing times of five business days in person or 17 business days by mail; (c) how much did the government pay out in overtime to employees working on passport applications between March 1, 2022, and April 27, 2022; and (d) as of April 27, 2022, how many employees at each of the three departments that deal with passports (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Employment and Social Development Canada, and Global Affairs Canada) are (i) on leave due to their status in relation to the vaccine attestation requirement, (ii) working from home? With regard to the consumption of alcohol on flights taken aboard government-owned Airbus and Challenger aircraft, since January 1, 2019, and broken down by each flight where alcohol was consumed: (a) what is the value of the alcohol consumed; (b) what was the origin and destination; (c) what was the flight date; (d) what is the breakdown of alcohol beverages consumed by specific beverage and quantity; and (e) what was the total number of passengers? With regard to accountability measures to ensure that funding provided through any program which provides money to any businesses, organizations, corporations, or vendors is used appropriately, and broken down by funding stream or program: (a) what specific accountability measures are in place to ensure that funds were used appropriately and for the intended purpose; (b) were audits conducted to determine the level of misuse by funding recipient, and, if so, what are the details of each audit, including the findings and what was done to monitor the level of misuse of funds; (c) what is the government's estimate on how many entities (i) received funding, (ii) used the funding appropriately, (iii) misused the funding; (d) does the government allow entities that have been found to misuse funds to still apply for government funding, either through the initial funding stream or other funding streams, and, if so, why; (e) what specific process is conducted when the government receives information, including tips, that funding is being misused; (f) how many entities that were found to have misused government funds in the past have since received, funding since January 1, 2016; (g) what are the details of all such funding received including the (i) date, (ii) vendor, (iii) program through which funding was received, (iv) amount, (v) purpose of funding; and (h) does the government keep a central record of entities which have misused government funding in the past, and, if so, what are the details, and, if not, why not?

Madam Speaker, I cannot believe that it is mid‑June and we are still debating the long-awaited bill to reform the Broadcasting Act. We have been waiting for 30 years. My colleague, the member for Drummond, and his colleagues at the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage almost managed to pass Bill C‑10, the first version of the current Bill C‑11, in the last Parliament. Our democracy and our work are dependent on royal assent, which was refused. We had to start over. I applaud the very useful work done during the 43th Parliament on the former Bill C‑10, which resulted in the current bill, Bill C-11, being more substantive. It has already been well-received by the creative industry. We therefore saved time. However, today, I am getting the unpleasant impression that this is the same movie over again. All that does is fuel cynicism among Canadians. I wonder if those who are dragging this out by filibustering really care at all about culture itself, its creators, its broadcasters and its audience. The audience is worried there will be no new content. They are worried about losing their content creators, who are stretched thin. That would mean losing the thing that has been giving life to modern societies, all the way back into antiquity: culture. For those watching our debates, I want to talk about the crucial steps involved in creating a finished work, or rather one that has been allowed to leave the nest. Indeed, a work is never really finished. It is a bit like raising children: We pour our love, values, time, energy and emotions into them, but there comes a time when we simply have to let them fly on their own, taking the best we have given them. A work of art is the same thing. I could talk about creating a painting, a dance, a circus show or a sculpture, or writing a novel or a play, but my world is music. Music is what I know. I know that all artistic endeavours go through essentially the same stages: research, development and creation of the idea through to final composition, preproduction, production, deciding where to release the work and how to promote it, marketing, and public performance. No matter the art or expression, there are many stages, all of them demanding. It is important to remember that, for many singers and musicians, the creative process does not end with recording their music and songs. Artists have to work on their instrument. Singers have to develop and refine their vocal technique. They have to pay a voice coach to help them manage their energy and polish their raw talent, just like professional athletes train to master their technique. It is hard work, and the best trainers are expensive. Singers also have to develop their musical ability. Many accompany themselves on an instrument or two. Those musical instruments are pretty much essential tools for setting lyrics to music. The next step is a comprehensive creative process that unites words and music. Some participate in workshops. Others are more self-taught. Still others call on the musical talents of veteran musicians. Eventually inspiration strikes. As if by magic, lyrics find their musical match, words weave their way in and out of chord progressions. That is the joy of creation. Once the song is written, or rather, the songs are written, because it takes more than one to market an artist, some fine-tuning is needed. Artists have to surround themselves with good musicians and find a producer to finance the recording of the songs, since the basic vehicle for the art of songwriting is people hearing the songs. Some will invest the money and produce it themselves. Others, a very small percentage, might be able to access a few government incentives. Most—and I emphasize that word—are their own producers and will invest their own money, or worse, go into debt to try to break into a market that has become increasingly opaque. Let us talk about the production stage. I will talk about my own experience, because it is mine, and it is the one I know best. I recorded one of my albums at my family's home in Isle-aux-Coudres. I wanted my collaborators and the musicians to be captivated by that majestic river, which I wanted to celebrate in song. I was hoping the setting would enrich their musical performance and therefore further enhance my songs. My father, who had always been a bit skeptical about this whole singing business, and who thought, like many people, that it was easy, fun and simple to make music if you had a bit of talent, was genuinely amazed at the science behind the recording process and the amount of time it requires. When he saw that it took half a day just to balance the drum and bass levels, he could hardly believe it. For a good week we worked on guitar, violin, the accordion, keyboards and vocals. We started the preproduction; we played all the songs to become familiar with them, to find the sounds and harmonies, to find the right instruments for each song. Then we were finally ready to record. Each song has its own universe. We start by recording a guiding vocal track. It is not the final vocal track, it is just the one that will guide the musicians. Then we record one by one and we record the final vocals and the vocal harmonies that support and enhance the whole work. We do all that for the 10 or 12 songs that will be part of the album that we hope will be the best one of our lives. Is that it? No, far from it. Then each song needs to be mixed, because all these sounds need to have a pleasant balance and appropriate audio to make it pleasing to the ear, which will drive the rest. After the mixing, is it done? No, not at all; then comes the mastering, what we call matriçage in French. We need a master in the art to ensure that every volume is appropriate for the different broadcasting forms, either the radio, headphones or outdoor broadcasts, at low decibel levels or high decibel levels. It is an art and it is expensive. Is it done? No, not yet. The next step is to find a graphic artist who will be able to showcase the entire work and create an attractive presentation for a CD booklet, the cover for a vinyl record, which is my favourite medium, or the visual accompaniment for the music on streaming platforms. Now is it done? No, not yet. The artist still has to get their music out there by hiring a manager or an agent, as the case may be, to promote the album to various broadcasters and promoters. It is of course imperative to create a show in order to bring the work to life. Then the process starts all over again: looking for a venue, a sound technician, a lighting technician and a stage manager, finding some available musicians and putting on a show. If, and only if, the work is a success with the public will the artist earn a little income from the process. I have to emphasize that, regardless of the artist's popularity, it is only if streaming platforms have copyright and reproduction rights obligations that all these efforts and the financial risk taking will be compensated with a small amount of royalties. That is what creating involves. Creators are resilient, patient and firmly convinced that their works play an important, not to say fundamental, role in the social universe of the community. The last time that I rose in the House to speak to Bill C‑11 was 34 days ago. According to the former minister of Canadian heritage and current Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, for every month that goes by without passing this bill, creators lose roughly $70 million. Using cross-multiplication, we can calculate that the creative industry has lost a little over $78 million since my last speech. Since the beginning of this Parliament, our culture and its content creators have been deprived of $1.33 billion. We cannot wait any longer to pass Bill C‑11. The survival of our artists, the very essence of our cultural past and future, has been hijacked by these political squabbles. We need to stop treating creators like drones that create art to entertain us. Yes, they do entertain us, but that is their job. It is a demanding job that requires a lot of discipline and courage. It is also, above all, how they earn their living.