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Mr. Mark Gerretsen (Kingston and the Islands, Lib.)

Dec/6/23 5:18:52 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I have two petitions to present today. The first has to do with the environment. I believe this is the 17th or 18th petition to this effect that I have been asked to present on behalf of Canadians. It calls attention to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's most recent report, which warns about the next two decades and the widespread devastation and extreme weather that will occur as result of global warming. The petitioners are calling on the Government of Canada to immediately move forward with bold emissions caps for the oil and gas sector that are comprehensive in scope and realistic in achieving the necessary targets that Canada has set to reduce emissions by 2030.

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Mr. Mark Gerretsen (Kingston and the Islands, Lib.)

Dec/6/23 5:19:41 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, the second petition I am presenting today comes from the Lord Strathcona Public School community in my riding of Kingston and the Island. The petitioners are specifically calling upon the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food to develop and prioritize funding for a national school food program through budget 2024 for implementation in schools by the fall of 2025. The petition draws attention to the fact that Statistics Canada data from 2022 indicates that one in four children in Canada lives in a food-insecure household, that Canada is the only G7 country without a national school food program, and that school food programs are recognized around the world as essential to health, well-being and education of students, with over 388 million children in at least 161 countries receiving free or subsidized school meals at their schools.

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Ms. Marilyn Gladu (Sarnia—Lambton, CPC)

Dec/6/23 5:20:44 p.m.
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Re: Bill S-210

Madam Speaker, I present a petition from residents of Canada who are concerned about young people being exposed to sexually explicit material and the harms associated with that. The petitioners recognize that online age verification technology is increasingly sophisticated and can now effectively ascertain the age of users without breaching their privacy rights. Knowing that was one of the primary recommendations made by stakeholders during a 2017 study by the Standing Committee on Health, the petitioners are calling upon the House of Commons to adopt Bill S-210, the protecting young persons from exposure to pornography act.

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Mr. Mike Morrice (Kitchener Centre, GP)

Dec/6/23 5:21:32 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, it is an honour to present a petition that recognizes that 22% of Canadians have a disability and that housing policy discriminates against people with disabilities. The petitioners specifically cite that no building code in Canada mandates that housing be accessible. They note that this leads to thousands being forced out of their dwellings at the most vulnerable time in their lives and that millions of health care dollars could be saved by enabling people to remain in their own accessible homes. The petitioners call on the House of Commons to amend the national building code to make universal design mandatory in all new multi-unit housing developments under the jurisdiction of the Government of Canada consistent with current legislation and conventions. They also call for ensuring the Canadian table for harmonized construction codes policy, the Canadian Board for Harmonized Construction Codes and the CMHC collaborate to defining and illustrate in the national building code what is “visitable”, “adaptable, “accessible”, “barrier-free” and “universal design”. Finally, the petitioners call on the House of Commons to require public funds or concessions for housing conferred on municipalities, developers or other organizations to be exclusively used for universally designed housing.

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Hon. Bardish Chagger (Waterloo, Lib.)

Dec/6/23 5:22:51 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I have a petition that has been shared with me by constituents within the riding of Waterloo and surrounding areas. The petitioners are calling on the House of Commons, in Parliament assembled, to demand an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Palestine conflict. They request that the blockade of the Gaza strip be lifted and that the creation of a humanitarian corridor be authorized, as well as emergency humanitarian intervention. They further ask that all parties involved meet their commitments under the Geneva Convention and international humanitarian law and that the international commitment to promote and defend human rights be upheld. These citizens and residents of Canada are calling upon the House of Commons, in Parliament assembled, to take any other measures necessary to protect civilians, both Israeli and Palestinian, and to help foster a climate conducive to building a lasting peace.

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Mr. Ken Hardie (Fleetwood—Port Kells, Lib.)

Dec/6/23 5:23:59 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I have a petition from the membership of the Fleetwood Christian Reformed Church asking for the expedition of the private sponsorship of Afghan refugees to Canada. The church has been active in sponsoring refugees for 40 years. Right now it is seeking to bring 16 Afghan refugees to Canada. Its concern is that the processing time is lengthy and it would like it reduced to a maximum of one year. I am pleased to present this petition on behalf of the petitioners.

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Mr. Yvan Baker (Etobicoke Centre, Lib.)

Dec/6/23 5:24:39 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I rise to present a petition today on behalf of over 550 members in my community of Etobicoke Centre and communities across Canada. The petitioners note the fact that, from 1869 to 1948, over 100,000 British children were sent to Canada from Great Britain. These home children often found themselves in indentured servitude on farms or as domestic labourers. Many faced cruel abuse. Today it is thought that more than 10% of Canada's population, about four million Canadians, are descendants of the British home children. The petitioners call on the Prime Minister to apologize to the home children, child migrants, who suffered in shame and isolation; to those who died while being ashamed of their history and deprived of their family; to the elderly survivors burdened by their past; and to the descendants, who are grappling with the intergenerational impacts of a system that mistreated and separated their families.

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Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)

Dec/6/23 5:25:39 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, it is with pleasure that I present the following questions that will be answered today: Nos. 1849, 1850, 1854, 1855, 1858 and 1860.

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The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes)

Dec/6/23 5:26:14 p.m.
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Is it agreed? Some hon. members: Agreed.

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Dec/6/23 5:26:14 p.m.
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Question No. 1848—

Questioner: Pat Kelly

With regard to Canada’s immigration system, labour shortages, and housing shortages: (a) for each year, since January 1, 2016, how many successful applicants for permanent residency were skilled tradespeople; (b) how many of the immigrants in (a) were qualified to work in residential construction in the province in which they settled; (c) what proportion of the immigrants in (a) did immigrants in (b) constitute; (d) how many of the immigrants in (b) found work in their respective trades within (i) one year, (ii) two years, (iii) three years; and (e) how many of the immigrants in (b) were employed in their respective trades as of October 1, 2023?

Question No. 1851—

Questioner: Todd Doherty

With regard to government financial forecasting: what is the projected interest rate and the range of possible interest rates that the government is using to make its forecasts, broken down by year, for each of the next five years?

Question No. 1852—

Questioner: Todd Doherty

With regard to the Benefits Delivery Modernization programme: (a) what are the total expenditures through the programme, broken down by year, since 2020; and (b) what are the details of all external contracts signed by the government as part of, or in relation to, the programme, including, for each, the (i) date, (ii) vendor, (iii) amount, (iv) description of the goods or services, including the scope of work, (v) manner in which the contract was awarded (sole-sourced, competitively bid)?

Question No. 1853—

Questioner: Todd Doherty

With regard to government contracts with Avascent, since January 1, 2016, broken down by department, agency, Crown corporation, or other government entity: (a) what was the total value of the contracts signed with Avascent, broken down by year; and (b) what are the details of each contract, including, for each, (i) the date, (ii) the vendor, (iii) the amount, (iv) a description of the goods or services, (v) the purpose of the contract and the scope of work, (vi) whether the contract was awarded through a competitive bid or sole-source process?

Question No. 1856—

Questioner: Marilyn Gladu

With regard to palliative care: (a) how much has the government spent on palliative care, including, but not limited to, funding for the provision of palliative care, the training of medical staff, and the development of the framework for palliative care across Canada, broken down by year, for each year from 2018 to date in 2023; and (b) what is the breakdown of (a) by item and type of expenditure?

Question No. 1857—

Questioner: Jasraj Singh

With regard to the federal carbon tax or price on carbon, since 2018, broken down by year: (a) what was the average dollar amount collected by the government from (i) individual Canadians, (ii) individual Canadian business; (b) what is the breakdown of (a)(i) and (a)(ii) by province or territory; (c) what was the per capita dollar amount collected by the government; (d) what is the breakdown of (c) by province or territory; (e) what was the average climate action incentive payment received by (i) individual Canadians, (ii) businesses; and (f) what is the breakdown of (e)(i) and (e)(ii) by province or territory?

Question No. 1859—

Questioner: Tracy Gray

With regard to Employment and Social Development Canada’s Benefits Delivery Modernization programme: (a) what is the total number of government employees or full time equivalents who worked on this project from 2017 to present, broken down by year; (b) what are the government’s projections of how many staff will be required to complete this programme, from now until 2030, broken down by year; (c) which consulting companies have been contracted in relation to the programme, including, for each, the (i) scope of their work, (ii) contract value; (d) what was the cost of the PwC Case Study referred to in the Auditor General of Canada’s report on Modernizing Information Technology Systems, published on October 19, 2023; and (e) what is the estimated annual cost to administer the programme, in total, broken down by (i) type of cost, (ii) year from 2017 to 2030?

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Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)

Dec/6/23 5:26:14 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, furthermore, if the government's responses to Questions Nos. 1848, 1851 to 1853, 1856, 1857 and 1859 could be made orders for return, these returns would be tabled immediately.

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Dec/6/23 5:26:14 p.m.
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Question No. 1849—

Questioner: Randall Garrison

With regard to the Enhanced Defence Agreement between Canada and the Republic of the Philippines announced in May 2023: (a) what is the status of the Enhanced Defence Agreement and has it been signed by both countries; (b) what examinations of the human rights situation in the Philippines were conducted before the Enhanced Defence Agreement was negotiated; (c) will ongoing human rights monitoring be included in this agreement and will it be a condition of Canada’s continued participation; (d) if human rights monitoring is included in the agreement, how will that be accomplished; (e) will the agreement be subject to periodic review, conducted by a parliamentary body such as the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs or the Standing Committee on National Defence, to hear from witnesses on the ongoing human rights conditions in the Philippines; and (f) when will the terms of the agreement be made public?

Question No. 1850—

Questioner: Ed Fast

With regard to the fourth annual report on medical assistance in dying in Canada 2022: (a) why wasn't the report tabled in Parliament prior to the date on which this question was filed; and (b) when will the report be tabled?

Question No. 1854—

Questioner: Karen Vecchio

With regard to the workplace assessment conducted by BDO for the Canadian Museum of History and completed in April of 2021: (a) how much was BDO paid to complete the assessment; (b) what was the start date and end date of the related contract; and (c) what was the specific assignment and scope of work provided to BDO?

Question No. 1855—

Questioner: Marilyn Gladu

With regard to medical assistance in dying (MAID): (a) how much has the federal government spent on MAID, including, but not limited to, funding for the provision of MAID, the training of medical staff, and the medications for MAID, broken down by year, from 2016 to 2023; and (b) what is the breakdown of (a) by item and type of expenditure?

Question No. 1858—

Questioner: Tracy Gray

With regard to the Auditor General of Canada’s report on Modernizing Information Technology Systems, published on October 19, 2023: (a) what are the names and descriptions of each government software application that the Auditor General identified as being in poor health; and (b) what are the names of the 562 software applications that the Auditor General identified as essential?

Question No. 1860—

Questioner: Shuvaloy Majumdar

With regard to the statement by the Director of Communications to the Minister of International Development that “We will continue to support civilians with life-saving humanitarian aid, while ensuring that no money goes into the hands of Hamas”: (a) what specific measures is the government taking to ensure that no money goes into the hands of Hamas; (b) has the government issued any type of directives, to all foreign aid recipients in the region, to take measures to ensure that they are not aiding Hamas in any way, either directly or indirectly, and, if so, (i) what were the directives, (ii) who issued the directives, (iii) on what date were the directives issued; and (c) is the government aware of any foreign aid, or money or goods purchased with foreign aid, including any bilateral or multilateral aid, ending up in the hands of Hamas at any point in the last five years, and, if so, what are the details and the government’s response to each instance?

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Mr. Kevin Lamoureux

Dec/6/23 5:26:33 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, finally, I ask that all remaining questions be allowed to stand.

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The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes)

Dec/6/23 5:26:39 p.m.
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Is that agreed? Some hon. members: Agreed.

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Mrs. Rachael Thomas

Dec/6/23 5:26:59 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The hon. member for Fleetwood—Port Kells spoke in the House a moment ago. He just put a tweet out into the public realm with regard to the leader of the official opposition. It insinuates that the leader of the official opposition should commit suicide, so I would like to give the member the opportunity to apologize for the statement and retract it.

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The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes)

Dec/6/23 5:27:23 p.m.
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This is social media information, so I am going to need to review the issue the hon. member is bringing before the House and come back to the House if need be. On a point of order, the hon. member for Kingston and the Islands.

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Mr. Mark Gerretsen

Dec/6/23 5:27:47 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, did I hear correctly that you are going to be coming back to the House with something on that? If so, I would like to contribute.

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The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes)

Dec/6/23 5:27:55 p.m.
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I mentioned at the beginning that it was a tweet and not something that happened in the House. I have just clarified that it is not the responsibility of the House to look at social media to decide whether or not something has been done. Therefore, I will not, after all, be reviewing a social media post. I can only review Hansard and what has been said in the House.

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Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)

Dec/6/23 5:28:42 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I would ask that all notices of motions for the production of papers also be allowed to stand at this time, please.

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The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes)

Dec/6/23 5:28:49 p.m.
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Is that agreed? Some hon. members: Agreed.

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