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44th PARLIAMENT, 1st SESSION

Journals No. 295 Monday, April 8, 2024 11:00 a.m.

The clerk informed the House of the unavoidable absence of the Speaker.

Whereupon, Mr. d'Entremont (West Nova), Deputy Speaker and Chair of Committees of the Whole, took the chair, pursuant to subsection 43(1) of the Parliament of Canada Act.

Prayer

Vacancies

The Deputy Speaker informed the House that a vacancy had occurred in the representation in the House of Commons, for the electoral district of Elmwood—Transcona, in the Province of Manitoba, by reason of the resignation of Daniel Blaikie, and that, pursuant to paragraph 25(1)(b) of the Parliament of Canada Act, the Speaker had addressed, on Sunday, March 31, 2024, a warrant to the Chief Electoral Officer for the issue of a writ for the election of a member to fill the vacancy.

Question of Privilege

The House resumed consideration of the motion of Mr. Barrett (Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes), seconded by Mrs. Kusie (Calgary Midnapore), — That the House, having considered the unanimous views of the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates, expressed in its 17th report, find Kristian Firth to be in contempt for his refusal to answer certain questions and for prevaricating in his answers to other questions and, accordingly, order him to attend at the bar of this House, at the expiry of the time provided for Oral Questions on the third sitting day following the adoption of this order, for the purposes of (a) receiving an admonishment delivered by the Speaker; (b) providing responses to the questions referred to in the 17th report; and (c) responding to supplementary questions arising from his responses to the questions referred to in the 17th report;

And of the amendment of Mr. Gerretsen (Kingston and the Islands), seconded by Mr. van Koeverden (Milton), — That the motion be amended by:

(a) deleting the words “, at the expiry of the time provided for Oral Questions on the third sitting day following the adoption of this order,”; and

(b) adding the following:

“provided that; (d) it be an instruction to the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs to study the procedure for questioning Kristian Firth at the bar of the House and report back to the House with recommendations within 10 sitting days following the adoption of this order; and (e) Kristian Firth attend the bar of the House no later than three sitting days following concurrence in the report.”.

The debate continued.

Statements By Members

Pursuant to Standing Order 31, members made statements.

Certificates of Election

The Deputy Speaker informed the House that the clerk had received from the Chief Electoral Officer a certificate of the election of Mr. Jivani (Durham).

Mr. Jivani (Durham), having taken and subscribed the oath required by law, took his seat in the House.

Oral Questions

Pursuant to Standing Order 30(5), the House proceeded to Oral Questions.

Daily Routine Of Business

Tabling of Documents

The Deputy Speaker laid upon the table, — Report on sponsored travel by members of the House of Commons for the year 2023, pursuant to subsection 15(3) of the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons. — Sessional Paper No. 8527-441-44.

Pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), Ms. Joly (Minister of Foreign Affairs) laid upon the table, — Copy of the Protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty on the Accession of the Republic of Finland and the Protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty on the Accession of the Kingdom of Sweden, and Explanatory Memorandum, done at Brussels on July 5, 2022. — Sessional Paper No. 8532-441-52.

Pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), Mr. Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons) laid upon the table, — Government responses, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), to the following petitions:

— No. 441-02107 concerning information and privacy;

— No. 441-02140 concerning natural resources and energy;

— Nos. 441-02141, 441-02147 and 441-02164 concerning social affairs and equality;

— Nos. 441-02151 and 441-02156 concerning the environment;

— Nos. 441-02152, 441-02172, 441-02173, 441-02174, 441-02180 and 441-02184 concerning justice;

— Nos. 441-02158, 441-02178, 441-02182 and 441-02183 concerning business and trade;

— Nos. 441-02159, 441-02162, 441-02163 and 441-02168 concerning health;

— Nos. 441-02167, 441-02169, 441-02176, 441-02177 and 441-02195 concerning foreign affairs;

— No. 441-02197 concerning taxation.

Presenting Reports from Committees

Ms. Chagger (Waterloo), from the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, presented the 62nd report of the committee, which was as follows:

The committee recommends, pursuant to Standing Orders 104 and 114, the following changes to the lists of members of the following standing committees:

Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics


Darren Fisher for Mona Fortier

Standing Committee on Finance


Don Davies for Daniel Blaikie

Standing Committee on Health


Peter Julian for Don Davies

Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security


Alistair MacGregor for Peter Julian

The committee further recommends, pursuant to Standing Orders 104 and 114, that the names of the following members be added to the lists of associate members of the following standing committees:

Standing Committee on Health


Don Davies

Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security


Peter Julian

A copy of the relevant Minutes of Proceedings (Meeting No. 1) is tabled.

Motions

By unanimous consent, it was resolved, — That the 62nd report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, presented earlier today, be concurred in.

Presenting Petitions

Pursuant to Standing Order 36, petitions certified by the Clerk of Petitions were presented as follows:

— by Mr. Kmiec (Calgary Shepard), one concerning justice (No. 441-02277), one concerning the democratic process (No. 441-02278) and one concerning the environment (No. 441-02279);

— by Mrs. Wagantall (Yorkton—Melville), three concerning justice (Nos. 441-02280, 441-02281 and 441-02282) and three concerning health (Nos. 441-02283, 441-02284 and 441-02285);

— by Mr. Vis (Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon), one concerning health (No. 441-02286);

— by Ms. May (Saanich—Gulf Islands), one concerning business and trade (No. 441-02287);

— by Mr. Lamoureux (Winnipeg North), one concerning transportation (No. 441-02288);

— by Mr. Berthold (Mégantic—L'Érable), one concerning taxation (No. 441-02289);

— by Mr. Morrice (Kitchener Centre), one concerning foreign affairs (No. 441-02290);

— by Mr. Maguire (Brandon—Souris), one concerning foreign affairs (No. 441-02291) and one concerning taxation (No. 441-02292);

— by Mr. Fillmore (Halifax), one concerning taxation (No. 441-02293);

— by Mr. Mazier (Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa), one concerning justice (No. 441-02294);

— by Mr. Viersen (Peace River—Westlock), one concerning justice (No. 441-02295);

— by Mr. Genuis (Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan), one concerning civil and human rights (No. 441-02296).

Questions on the Order Paper

Mr. Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons) presented the answers to questions Q-2280, Q-2282, Q-2283, Q-2289, Q-2291, Q-2293, Q-2294, Q-2297, Q-2300, Q-2304, Q-2306 to Q-2308, Q-2310, Q-2311, Q-2313, Q-2317, Q-2318, Q-2322, Q-2323, Q-2325, Q-2326, Q-2328 to Q-2330, Q-2332, Q-2336, Q-2337, Q-2339, Q-2340, Q-2344 and Q-2354 on the Order Paper.

Pursuant to Standing Order 39(7), Mr. Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons) presented the returns to the following questions made into orders for return:

Q-2279 — — With regard to the mandate and responsibilities of the Grocery Task Force, broken down by month since its inception: (a) what are the details of all engagements with governments and consumer advocacy stakeholders, including the (i) date of the engagement, (ii) purpose of the engagement, (iii) name of the organization or government being engaged, (iv) activities being coordinated; (b) what are the details of all engagements with external partners, experts, and industry representatives to undertake analysis, including the (i) date of the engagement, (ii) purpose of the engagement, (iii) partner, expert, or representative being engaged; (c) what work has been done with consumer groups to report findings to Canadians, including the (i) date that work was initiated, (ii) consumer group with which work was done, (iii) details of the findings that resulted in work, (iv) date on which those findings were reported to Canadians; and (d) what grocery-related information has the task force shared with Canadians to help them make informed marketplace choices? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2279.

Q-2281 — — With regard to vehicles owned by Parks Canada: (a) how many vehicles does Parks Canada own, in total and broken down by National Park, Historic Site or other location where the vehicle is based out of; and (b) of the vehicles in (a), how many are electric vehicles, in total and broken down by National Park, Historic Site or other location where the vehicle is based out of? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2281.

Q-2284 — — With regard to federal childcare investments, since October 1, 2021: (a) how many new childcare spaces have been built as a result of federal funding, broken down by province or territory, and by year; and (b) how many early childhood educators have been trained or hired as a result of federal funding, broken down by province or territory, and by year? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2284.

Q-2285 — — With regard to federal investments to private sector pharmaceutical companies, since January 1, 2006: how much federal funding has been provided, broken down by company and by year? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2285.

Q-2286 — — With regard to the Port of Montreal, broken down by year, since 2019: (a) how many stolen vehicles does the government estimate have arrived at or passed through the port; and (b) of the stolen vehicles in (a), how many did the (i) Port of Montreal, (ii) RCMP, (iii) Canada Border Services Agency, seize before they were transported aboard? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2286.

Q-2287 — — With regard to the government's purchase of COVID-19 vaccines, beginning January 1, 2020: (a) which companies did the government purchase the vaccines from; (b) for each company in (a), (i) how many vaccines were purchased, in total and broken down by type of vaccine, (ii) how much was each company paid by the government for each order placed, (iii) where is each company headquartered, (iv) in what city and country did each company manufacture the vaccines; and (c) what is the breakdown of each vaccine purchased and how many were (i) distributed domestically, (ii) distributed internationally, broken down by country, (iii) not used or destroyed due to expiration or other factors? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2287.

Q-2288 — — With regard to the government's purchase of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, beginning January 1, 2020: (a) which companies did the government purchase PPE from; and (b) for each company in (a), (i) how much equipment was purchased, in total and broken down by type of PPE, (ii) how much was each company paid by the government for the equipment, (iii) where is each company headquartered, (iv) in what city and country did each company manufacture the PPE? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2288.

Q-2290 — — With regard to the government's purchase of COVID-19 rapid tests, since January 1, 2020: (a) which specific companies did the government purchase these tests from; (b) how many tests did the government purchase from each company; (c) how much was each company paid by the government for the tests; (d) where is each of the companies in (a) headquartered; and (e) in what city and country did each company manufacture the COVID-19 rapid tests? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2290.

Q-2292 — — With regard to the sales and transfers of military equipment and weapons from Canada to Israel and in light of the International Court of Justice determination that Israel is carrying out a plausible genocide in Gaza and has issued several orders to Israel: (a) what military equipment and weapons has the government of Canada sent or approved to be sent to Israel since October 7, 2023; (b) what military equipment and weapons has the government of Canada sent or approved to be sent to Israel since January 26, 2024; (c) what military equipment and weapons has the government of Canada rejected sending to Israel since October 7, 2023; (d) what military equipment and weapons has the government of Canada rejected sending to Israel since January 26, 2024; (e) what surveillance equipment has the government of Canada sent or approved to be sent to Israel since October 7, 2023; (f) what surveillance equipment has the government of Canada sent or approved to be sent to Israel since January 26, 2024; (g) what surveillance equipment has the government of Canada rejected sending to Israel since October 7, 2023; (h) what surveillance equipment has the government of Canada rejected sending to Israel since January 26, 2024; (i) what is the monetary value of the military equipment and weapons the government of Canada has sent to Israel since October 7, 2023; (j) what is the monetary value of the surveillance equipment the government of Canada has sent to Israel since October 7, 2023; (k) what is the monetary value of the surveillance equipment, military equipment and weapons the government of Canada sent to Israel in 2021, 2022, and 2023; (l) what surveillance equipment, military equipment and weapons the government of Canada sent to Israel in 2021, 2022, and 2023; (m) as a signatory to the Genocide Convention, has the government of Canada taken legal advice to comply with the orders that the International Court of Justice has issued to Israel and to ensure the government of Canada does not contravene them; and (n) what plan, if any, does the Government of Canada have to comply with the orders of the International Court of Justice? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2292.

Q-2295 — — With regard to Reaching Home: Canada's Homelessness Strategy, broken down by province and territory from its inception in 2019 to present: (a) how much of the funding allocated to the program has been committed to date, broken down by its four funding streams, the (i) Designated Communities stream, (ii) Rural and Remote Homelessness stream, (iii) Territorial Homelessness stream, (iv) Indigenous Homelessness stream; (b) how much of the allocated funding has been spent to date, broken down by its four funding streams, the (i) Designated Communities stream, (ii) Rural and Remote Homelessness stream, (iii) Territorial Homelessness stream, (iv) Indigenous Homelessness stream; (c) how many people have been recipients of programs or services associated with Reaching Home, broken down by (i) gender, (ii) status as Indigenous, (iii) those self-identified as Black or racialized, (iv) status as immigrant or refugee (v) those self-identified as Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, plus (2SLGBTQI+), (vi) those living with a disability, (vii) those living with a substance use disorder, (viii) those living with unmet mental health needs? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2295.

Q-2296 — — With regard to childcare workers spanning from 2017 to present, broken down by province and territory: (a) what was the total number of childcare workers, broken down by (i) self-identified gender, (ii) self-identified racial background, (iii) self-identified status as Indigenous, (iv) status as immigrant or refugee, (v) self-identified Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, plus (2SLGBTQI+), (vi) self-identified as living with a disability, (vii) resided in an urban region, (viii) resided in a Northern, rural, or remote region, (ix) income tax bracket, (x) education level; (b) what was the median income of childcare workers, broken down by (i) self-identified gender, (ii) self-identified racial background, (iii) self-identified status as Indigenous, (iv) status as immigrant or refugee, (v) self-identified 2SLGBTQI+, (vi) self-identified as living with a disability, (vii) resided in an urban region, (viii) resided in a Northern, rural, or remote region, (ix) education level; and (c) what job-related benefits were childcare workers entitled to, broken down by (i) self-identified gender, (ii) self-identified racial background, (iii) self-identified status as Indigenous, (iv) status as immigrant or refugee, (v) self-identified 2SLGBTQI+, (vi) self-identified as living with a disability, (vii) resided in an urban region, (viii) resided in a Northern, rural, or remote region, (ix) education level? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2296.

Q-2298 — — With regard to the enactment of the Emergencies Act by the government in 2022: (a) what was the cost burden for the government, broken down by federal department and agency, including (i) actuarial costs, (ii) equipment costs, (iii) skilled labour costs (e.g. judges, police officers), (iv) other costs broken down by type; and (b) what is the total value of costs that were disbursed to other levels of government, broken down by (i) province, (ii) municipality? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2298.

Q-2299 — — With regard to government advertising on social media to promote COVID-19 vaccines: (a) what was the amount spent on such social media advertising, in total, and broken down by year since 2020; and (b) what is the breakdown of (a) by type of spending (graphic design, celebrity endorsement fee, ad placement) and by social media platform? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2299.

Q-2301 — — With regard to the government's requirement during the COVID-19 pandemic that federal public servants provide proof of vaccination: (a) what are the total expenditures on compensation, severance packages and settlements to employees who were impacted by the requirement, including, but not limited to, payments made to mediators, agents, lawyers, or for legal proceedings; (b) how many employees received payments mentioned in (a); and (c) what is the breakdown of (a) and (b) by reason for the payment and how the amount was arrived at (negotiated settlement, legal proceedings, etc.)? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2301.

Q-2302 — — With regard to the government's rebranding of the carbon tax: (a) which consulting, polling or research firms is the government using services or data from, in relation to the rebranding; (b) what are the details of all contracts related to the rebranding, including, for each, the (i) date, (ii) value, (iii) vendor, (iv) description of goods or services, (v) manner in which the contract was awarded (sole-sourced or competitive bid); and (c) on what date did the government begin conducting research on the rebranding of its carbon tax? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2302.

Q-2303 — — With regard to the government's claim that 97% of fuel used on farms is exempt from the carbon tax: (a) how did the government come up with that figure; and (b) what specific data was used, and what assumptions were made by the government in arriving at that figure? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2303.

Q-2305 — — With regard to the 2 Billion Trees Commitment, broken down by province or territory since its inception: (a) what is the total amount of funding allocated to the (i) cost-sharing agreements with provinces and territories, (ii) Private Lands stream, (iii) Urban Lands stream, (iv) Federal Lands stream, (v) distinctions based Indigenous stream; (b) for the funding identified in (a), what amount of funding has been delivered to provinces, territories, or organizations; and (c) what is the total amount of funding that is on hold or remains undelivered as part of this program? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2305.

Q-2309 — — With regard to the federal government's commitment to resettle 15,000 refugees in Canada following the renegotiation of the Safe Third Country Agreement: (a) what is the breakdown by country of origin; (b) what is the breakdown by country of citizenship; (c) what is the breakdown by demographics of the claimants by (i) age, (ii) sex or gender; and (d) how many claims were (i) accepted, (ii) refused, (iii) still awaiting a decision? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2309.

Q-2312 — — With regard to the $285 million committed over five years to the Wildfire Resilient Futures Initiative: how much of this commitment has been spent to date, in total, and broken down by specific investments? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2312.

Q-2314 — — With regard to the Apartment Construction Loan Program and its precursor the Rental Construction Financing Initiative, broken down by year, by province or territory, and by type of end user (market housing developer, non-profit housing developer, municipality), between fiscal years 2017-18 and 2027-28: (a) how much funding has been allocated to the program; (b) how much funding has been committed; (c) how much funding has been transferred to the recipients; (d) how many units have been constructed or are expected to be constructed; and (e) how much has the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation spent, or is it projected to spend, administering the program? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2314.

Q-2315 — — With regard to the Affordable Housing Fund, and its precursor, the National Housing Co-Investment Fund, broken down by year, by province or territory, and by type of end user (market housing developer, non-profit housing developer, municipality), between fiscal years 2017-18 and 2027-28: (a) how much funding has been allocated to the program; (b) how much funding has been committed; (c) how much funding has been transferred to the recipients; (d) how many units have been constructed or are expected to be constructed; and (e) how much has Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation spent, or is it projected to spend, administering the program? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2315.

Q-2316 — — With regard to the Rapid Housing Initiative, including Rounds 1, 2, and 3, broken down by year, by province or territory, and by type of end user (market housing developer, non-profit housing developer, municipality), between fiscal years 2017-18 and 2027-28: (a) how much funding has been allocated to the program; (b) how much funding has been committed; (c) how much funding has been transferred to the recipients; (d) how many units have been constructed or are expected to be constructed; and (e) how much has the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation spent, or is it projected to spend, administering the program? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2316.

Q-2319 — — With regard to the Housing Accelerator Fund, broken down by year, by province or territory, and by type of end user (market housing developer, non-profit housing developer, municipality), between fiscal years 2017-18 and 2027-28: (a) how much funding has been allocated to the program; (b) how much funding has been committed; (c) how much funding has been transferred to the recipients; (d) how many units have been constructed or are expected to be constructed; and (e) how much has the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation spent, or is it projected to spend, administering the program? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2319.

Q-2320 — — With regard to the Federal Land Initiative, broken down by year, by province or territory, and by type of end user (market housing developer, non-profit housing developer, municipality), between fiscal years 2017-18 and 2027-28: (a) how much funding has been allocated to the program; (b) how much funding has been committed; (c) how much funding has been transferred to the recipients; (d) how many units have been constructed or are expected to be constructed; and (e) how much has the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation spent, or is it projected to spend, administering the program? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2320.

Q-2321 — — With regard to government funding for initiatives to alleviate homelessness, broken down by year for each of the last five years: (a) how much has been spent by the government, in total and broken down by province or territory and by major metropolitan area for each department or agency that provides such funding; (b) what are the details of all funding provided, including the (i) date, (ii) recipient, (iii) location of the recipient, (iv) amount of funding, (v) type of funding, (vi) program under which the funding was provided, (vii) purpose of the funding or project description; (c) how much has the government spent to administer programs aimed at reducing homelessness; (d) how many homeless people, including all forms of homelessness, were there in Canada, broken down by province or territory and major metropolitan area; and (e) for each number in (d), (i) what is the yearly change in terms of both numbers and percentages, (ii) what is the total change over the past five years in terms of both numbers and percentages? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2321.

Q-2324 — — With regard to the ArriveCAN application: (a) what was the cost of the update or release that resulted in the glitch in ArriveCAN that sent erroneous notifications instructing people arriving in Canada to quarantine, as reported by the CBC on July 22, 2022; and (b) what were the costs of any government-paid quarantines resulting from this glitch in ArriveCAN, in total and broken down by month, location, hotel, and type of cost? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2324.

Q-2327 — — With regard to the electoral district of Courtenay—Alberni, broken down by fiscal year, since fiscal year 2005-06: what are all the federal infrastructure investments, including direct transfers to municipalities, regional district associations or First Nations, national parks, highways, etc.? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2327.

Q-2331 — — With regard to Correctional Service Canada (CSC), in total and broken down by year since 2016: (a) how many times has CSC overridden an inmate's security level in relation to the security level cut-off scores in the (i) Security Reclassification Scale, (ii) Security Reclassification Scale for Women, (iii) Security Reclassification Scale for Women - Version 2; (b) of the instances in (a), how many times was the level of custody overridden to be (i) lower than cut-off scores, (ii) higher than cut-off scores; (c) what is the breakdown of instances in (a) by original and new security level (e.g. minimum security to maximum security, maximum security to medium security, etc.); and (d) of the inmates who were classified as (i) dangerous offenders, (ii) high-profile offenders, (iii) multiple murderers, how many had their security level overridden to a lower classification? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2331.

Q-2333 — — With regard to government funding allocated to initiatives to alleviate homelessness, broken down by year for the next five years: (a) how much has been allocated by the government, in total and broken down by province or territory, for each department or agency that will provide such funding; (b) what are the details of all funding allocated, including the (i) project name, (ii) amount, (iii) purpose of the funding, (iv) type of project to be funded, (v) locations where the funding will be spent; (c) how much is the government projected to spend to administer programs aimed at alleviating homelessness; (d) what are the government's projections on how many homeless people, including all forms of homelessness, will exist in Canada, broken down by province or territory and major metropolitan area; and (e) for each number in (d) that increases, what is the government's rationale for projecting an increase? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2333.

Q-2334 — — With regard to the government's use of data extraction tools capable of unlocking mobile phones, computers, or similar devices, since January 1, 2018, broken down by year and by department or agency: (a) how many times were such tools used with judicial authorization on individuals (i) employed by the department or agency, (ii) not employed by the department or agency; (b) how many times were such tools used without judicial authorization on individuals (i) employed by the department or agency, (ii) not employed by the department or agency; (c) for each time in (a), was the collected data kept or destroyed after it had been used; (d) for each time in (a) and (b), did the individual whose data was collected receive notification of the collection (i) before, (ii) after, their data was collected; and (e) were there any instances where, at any point, an individual whose data was collected was not informed, and if so, what is the description of each such incident and the rationale for not informing the individual? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2334.

Q-2335 — — With regard to travellers entering Canada, broken down by year since 2020: (a) how many travellers entered Canada, in total, and broken down by type of point of entry (air, road, marine); and (b) for each category in (a), how many and what percentage of travellers (i) submitted their declaration through the ArriveCAN application prior to arrival, (ii) arrived without using the ArriveCAN application? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2335.

Q-2338 — — With regard to Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) employees in the Human Resources and Corporate Services sectors, broken down by fiscal year from 2014-15 to 2023-24: (a) what was, or is, the total budget for each sector; (b) for Human Resources, what is the number of full time equivalents (FTE); (c) for each FTE in (b), what are their (i) roles, responsibilities, or job description, (ii) job title, including Treasury Board classification, (iii) associated salary range; (d) for Corporate Services, what is the number of FTEs; (e) for each FTE in (d), what are their (i) roles, responsibilities, or job description, (ii) job title, including Treasury Board classification, (iii) associated salary range; and (f) what is the average salary of all FTEs in each sector? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2338.

Q-2341 — — With regard to Polar Knowledge Canada and the Canadian High Arctic Research Station (CHARS), which Polar Knowledge Canada operates: (a) how many full time equivalent (FTE) positions have been vacated in each year since 2015, in total, and broken down by Treasury Board classification level (e.g. AS-04, EX-02, etc.); (b) how many FTEs have been hired in each year since 2015, broken down by Treasury Board classification level; (c) of the employees currently at Polar Knowledge Canada, how many and what percentage have been there longer than (i) one year, (ii) five years, (iii) 10 years; (d) how many complaints regarding workplace harassment, bullying, racism, sexism, reprisal for whistleblowing, assault or other matters have been made by former or current Polar Knowledge Canada staff or consultants, or others who interact with Polar Knowledge Canada or CHARS, against Polar Knowledge Canada or CHARS (i.e. their staff or the entities), in each year since 2015, broken down by (i) year, (ii) resolution status; (e) what are the total expenditures on payouts or settlements made to former or current staff or consultants, or others who interact with Polar Knowledge Canada or CHARS, related to complaints made regarding workplace harassment, bullying, racism, sexism, reprisal for whistleblowing, assault or other matters against Polar Knowledge Canada or CHARS (i.e. their staff or the entities); (f) how much in severance or other types of payouts has been paid to departing Polar Knowledge Canada and CHARS staff, broken down by year, since 2015; (g) what are the expenditures in legal fees spent by Polar Knowledge Canada or CHARS in relation to complaints made regarding harassment, bullying, racism, sexism, reprisal for whistleblowing, assault or other matters, broken down by year, since 2015; (h) since 2015, have any requests been made to increase funding related to legal fees beyond the original annual budgeted amount by either Polar Knowledge Canada or CHARS, and, if so, what are the details of any such requests, including, for each, (i) the date, (ii) who made the request, (iii) the outcome; (i) what is the total number of lawsuits regarding harassment, negligence, unfulfilled contracts or wrongful dismissal that were filed against Polar Knowledge Canada or CHARS, broken down by year; (j) what are the details of all contracts issued since 2015, including, for each, the (i) vendor, (ii) vendor address, (iii) date, (iv) total dollar value of the contract, (v) scope and deliverables of the contract, (vi) manner in which the contract was awarded (i.e. sole-sourced, competitive bid); (k) how many FTE positions are or have been filled by persons that are family members or close friends of existing employees at Polar Knowledge Canada or CHARS; (l) what are the details of Polar Knowledge Canada’s or CHARS' nepotism policy in their hiring policies from 2015 to the present, including the details of any substantive changes that have been made and the year any such changes were made; (m) what are the details of Polar Knowledge Canada’s and CHARS' contract procurement processes and policies from 2015 to the present, including the details of any substantive changes that have been made and the year any such changes were made; (n) what are the details of Polar Knowledge Canada’s and CHARS' workplace harassment policies, including prevention policies, and the details of any substantive changes that have been made and the year any such changes were made; (o) what are the details of Polar Knowledge Canada's and CHARS' current organizational charts, including all permanent full- and part-time positions, and any contractors involved in day-to-day operations, as well as associated Treasury Board classification levels; (p) what were the results of the aggregated data from the 2022 Public Service Employee Survey for Polar Knowledge Canada, broken down by survey question posed to employees (e.g. My Job, My Work Unit, My Immediate Supervisor, Senior Management, My Organization (Department or Agency), Mobility and Retention, Harassment, Discrimination, Stress and Well-Being, Duty to Accommodate, Compensation, Hybrid Work, General Information, etc); and (q) how many grants, contributions or contracts were flagged by Polar Knowledge Canada staff or members of its Board of Directors for potential conflicts of interests, broken down by year and value? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2341.

Q-2342 — — With regard to the government's decision to rebrand the carbon tax incentive payment to Canada's carbon rebate: what are the projected costs associated with the rebranding, including the implementation costs and any costs incurred in the development process of the new name, broken down by type of expense? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2342.

Q-2343 — — With regard to federal housing investments to build, repair, or renovate student housing since January 1, 2006: how many dollars of federal funding have been invested, broken down by (i) province or territory and city, (ii) funding type, (iii) year, (iv) number of units supported? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2343.

Q-2345 — — With regard to records from Veterans Affairs Canada home care programs: (a) how many veterans accessed home care programs each year since 2016, in total, and broken down by province or territory; and (b) how many veterans living abroad accessed home care programs each year since 2016, in total, and broken down by country? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2345.

Q-2346 — — With regard to Canada's 2021 census and information about veterans held by the RCMP and Canadian Armed Forces: (a) how many veterans live in each province and territory; (b) what is the breakdown of (a) by federal electoral district; (c) how many veterans currently reside outside of Canada, in total, and broken down by country; and (d) how many veterans have been released from the RCMP or Canadian Armed Forces in the last 10 years, broken down by year? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2346.

Q-2351 — — With regard to contracts signed by the government with GC Strategies since November 4, 2015, broken down by type of government entity (i.e. department, agency, Crown corporation, other government entity): (a) what is the total value of the contracts; (b) what are the details of each contract, including the (i) date, (ii) vendor, (iii) value, (iv) description of the good or services provided, (v) manner in which the contract was awarded (i.e. sole-sourced, competitive bid); and (c) for each contact, did the government do a value-for-money assessment, and, if so, what was the result? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2351.

Q-2352 — — With regard to the Canada Infrastructure Bank’s expenditures since 2017, incurred on projects that were not completed, indefinitely delayed, or otherwise abandoned, including those that never reached the Financial Close stage: (a) for each project, what is the breakdown of expenditures by (i) project name and project partners, (ii) category and type of expenditure; (b) what are the details of all contracts associated with expenditures in (a), broken down by project, and including, for each, the (i) amount, (ii) vendor, (iii) date and duration, (iv) description of the goods or services provided, (v) manner in which the contract was awarded (sole-sourced, competitive bid); and (c) for each contract in (b) that involved consulting or providing advice, including legal, financial, technical, and other advice, (i) what were the topics or questions which required consultation, (ii) what specific goals or objectives were related to the contract, (iii) were the goals or objectives met? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2352.

Q-2353 — — With regard to bonuses paid out at the Canada Infrastructure Bank in the 2022-23 fiscal year: (a) what was the total amount paid out in bonuses; (b) how many and what percentage of officials (i) at or above the executive (EX) level, or equivalent, (ii) below the EX level, or equivalent, received bonuses; and (c) what is the breakdown of how much money was paid out in (a) to officials at or above the EX level versus officials below the EX level? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2353.

Q-2355 — — With regard to the government’s housing policies and Immigration Levels Plan for 2024-2026: (a) what analyses has the government done to estimate the housing infrastructure required to meet its immigration targets; (b) what are the results of those analyses; (c) what is the projected gap in housing supply vis-à-vis the number of immigrants the government will be welcoming at each phase of its 2024-2026 Immigration Levels Plan; (d) according to the government’s own data and estimates, how many permanent and temporary immigrants are currently without affordable housing; and (e) what are the projected impacts of immigration levels on housing affordability going forward? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2355.

Pursuant to Standing Order 39(7), Mr. Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons) presented the revised returns to the following questions made into orders for return:

Q-1589 — — With regard to the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP): (a) how many project applications were submitted in each province for the last three calls for community project proposals, broken down by constituency; (b) how many of the projects in (a) received a grant or contribution, broken down by constituency; (c) what calculation formulas are used to allocate grants and contributions by province when calls for project proposals are made; (d) according to the memorandum of understanding, what are the details of the collaboration between the Government of Canada and the Government of Quebec for the implementation of the NHSP; and (e) who sits on the selection committee established by the memorandum of understanding in (d)? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-1589-01.

Q-2002 — — With regard to government contracts signed with GCstrategies since November 4, 2015, and broken down by department, agency, Crown corporation, or other government entity: (a) what are the details of all such contracts, including, for each, the (i) date signed, (ii) value, (iii) start and end date of the work, (iv) detailed description of the goods or services, (v) details on how the contract was awarded (sole-sourced, competitive bid), (vi) titles of officials who approved or signed off on the contract; and (b) for each contract in (a), what is the current status, including if any aspects of the contract remain open, or if the contract has been completed and settled? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2002-01.

Q-2261 — — With regard to bonuses for executives at the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC), broken down by year since 2020: how many and what percentage of executives got bonuses (i) in total, (ii) broken down by province, (iii) broken down by correctional institution or other place of employment (i.e. CSC head offices)? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2261-01.

Question of Privilege

And of the amendment of Mr. Gerretsen (Kingston and the Islands), seconded by Mr. van Koeverden (Milton), — That the motion be amended by:

(a) deleting the words “, at the expiry of the time provided for Oral Questions on the third sitting day following the adoption of this order,”; and

(b) adding the following:

The debate continued.

Motions

By unanimous consent, it was ordered, — That, notwithstanding any standing order, special order or usual practice of the House:

(a) at the ordinary hour of daily adjournment later this day or when no member rises to speak, whichever is earlier, the motion on the question of privilege standing in the name of the member for Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes regarding summoning Kristian Firth to the bar of the House and the amendment standing in the name of the member for Kingston and the Islands, be deemed withdrawn; and

(b) the House, having considered the unanimous views of the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates, expressed in its 17th report, find Kristian Firth to be in contempt for his refusal to answer certain questions and for prevaricating in his answers to other questions and, accordingly, order him to attend at the bar of this House, at the expiry of the time provided for Oral Questions on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, for the purposes of:

(i) receiving an admonishment delivered by the Speaker,

(ii) providing responses to the questions referred to in the 17th report,

(iii) responding to supplementary questions arising from his responses to the questions referred to in the 17th report,

provided that,

(iv) during Mr. Firth’s attendance at the bar for the purpose of responding to questions, which shall be asked by members, with questions and answers being addressed through the Speaker,

(A) 10 minutes be allocated to each recognized party for the first and second rounds in the following order: Liberal Party, Conservative Party, Bloc Quebecois and New Democratic Party,

(B) during the third round, five minutes be allocated to each of the recognized parties with an additional five-minute period for the Green Party,

(D) in the case of questions and answers, Mr. Firth’s answers shall approximately reflect the time taken by the question,

(v) at the expiry of time provided herein, and after Mr. Firth has been excused from further attendance, the House shall resume consideration of the usual business of the House for a Wednesday,

(vi) it be an instruction to the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates to consider Mr. Firth’s testimony at the bar of the House and, if necessary, recommend further action.

Question of Privilege

And of the amendment of Mr. Gerretsen (Kingston and the Islands), seconded by Mr. van Koeverden (Milton), — That the motion be amended by:

(a) deleting the words “, at the expiry of the time provided for Oral Questions on the third sitting day following the adoption of this order,”; and

(b) adding the following:

The debate continued.

Pursuant to order made earlier today, the main motion and the amendment were deemed withdrawn.

Government Orders

Take-note debates

At 6:19 p.m., by unanimous consent and pursuant to order made Thursday, March 21, 2024, and Standing Order 53.1, the House resolved itself into a committee of the whole for the consideration of the following motion, — That this committee take note of softwood lumber. (Government Business No. 38)

At 10:19 p.m., the committee rose.

Returns and Reports Deposited with the Clerk of the House

Pursuant to Standing Order 32(1), papers deposited with the Clerk of the House were laid upon the table as follows:

— by the Speaker — Report of the Canadian Human Rights Commission for the year 2023, pursuant to the Canadian Human Rights Act, R.S. 1985, c. H-6, sbs. 61(4) and to the Employment Equity Act, S.C. 1995, c. 44, s. 32. — Sessional Paper No. 8560-441-123-03. (Pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(e), permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights)

— by the Speaker — Report of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal for the year 2023, pursuant to the Canadian Human Rights Act, R.S., 1985, c. H-6, sbs. 61(4). — Sessional Paper No. 8560-441-661-03. (Pursuant to Standing Order 32(5), permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights)

— by Mr. Duclos (Minister of Public Services and Procurement) — Response of the government, pursuant to Standing Order 109, to the seventh report of the Standing Committee on National Defence, "Public Procurement of the CP-140 Aurora Replacement" (Sessional Paper No. 8510-441-347), presented to the House on Friday, November 24, 2023. — Sessional Paper No. 8512-441-347.

— by Mr. Holland (Minister of Health) — Response of the government, pursuant to Standing Order 109, to the 16th report of the Standing Committee on Health, "Strengthening the Oversight of Breast Implants" (Sessional Paper No. 8510-441-353), presented to the House on Thursday, November 30, 2023. — Sessional Paper No. 8512-441-353.

— by Mr. LeBlanc (Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs) — Response of the government, pursuant to Standing Order 109, to the fourth report of the Special Committee on the Canada–People’s Republic of China Relationship, "The Chinese Communist Party’s Overseas Police Service Stations" (Sessional Paper No. 8510-441-349), presented to the House on Wednesday, November 29, 2023. — Sessional Paper No. 8512-441-349.

— by Mr. LeBlanc (Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs) — Report on the administration of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Superannuation Account, together with the Auditor General's Report, for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023, pursuant to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Superannuation Act, R.S. 1985, c. R-11, s. 31. — Sessional Paper No. 8560-441-231-03. (Pursuant to Standing Order 32(5), permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security)

— by Mr. Rodriguez (Minister of Transport) — Response of the government, pursuant to Standing Order 109, to the 16th report of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, "Striking a Balance: Electronic Logging Device Requirements Impacting Animal Transportation" (Sessional Paper No. 8510-441-362), presented to the House on Monday, December 11, 2023. — Sessional Paper No. 8512-441-362.

— by Mr. Virani (Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada) — Report of the Canadian Judicial Council on the seminars on matters related to sexual assault law and social context for the year 2023, pursuant to the Judges Act, R.S. 1985, c. J-1, sbs. 62.1(2). — Sessional Paper No. 8560-441-1285-03. (Pursuant to Standing Order 32(5), permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights)

Petitions Filed with the Clerk of the House

Pursuant to Standing Order 36, a petition certified by the Clerk of Petitions was filed as follows:

— by Mr. Maguire (Brandon—Souris), one concerning taxation (No. 441-02297).

Adjournment

Accordingly, at 10:19 p.m., the Deputy Speaker adjourned the House until tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).