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Tuesday, April 12, 2016 (No. 37)

Questions

The complete list of questions on the Order Paper is available for consultation at the Table in the Chamber and on the Internet. Those questions not appearing in the list have been answered, withdrawn or made into orders for return.

Q-70^1-2 — February 25, 2016 — — With regard to the National Energy Board’s review of the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project and the interim measures for pipeline reviews announced by the government on January 27, 2016: (a) how many Canadians applied to participate in the National Energy Board’s review of the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project, broken down by (i) individuals, groups, and authorized representatives, (ii) province and territory, (iii) whether they wished to participate as a commenter or as an intervenor, (iv) whether they were “directly affected” by the proposed project or had relevant information or expertise; (b) of those Canadians identified in (a), how many were accepted by the National Energy Board to participate as intervenors, broken down by (i) individuals, groups, and authorized representatives, (ii) province and territory, (iii) whether they wished to participate as a commenter or as an intervenor, (iv) whether they were “directly affected” by the proposed project or had relevant information or expertise; (c) of those Canadians identified in (a), how many were accepted by the National Energy Board to participate as commenters, broken down by (i) individuals, groups, and authorized representatives, (ii) province or territory, (iii) whether they wished to participate as a commenter or as an intervenor, (iv) whether they were “directly affected” by the proposed project or had relevant information or expertise; (d) of those Canadians identified in (a), how many were rejected by the National Energy Board from participating either as a commenter or as an intervenor, broken down by (i) individuals, groups, and authorized representatives, (ii) province and territory, (iii) whether they wished to participate as a commenter or as an intervenor, (iv) whether they were “directly affected” by the proposed project or had relevant information or expertise; (e) of those Canadians identified in (d) who were rejected from participating by National Energy Board, will their applications be reconsidered as part of interim review measures for the Trans Mountain Expansion Project announced by the government on January 27, 2016; (f) of those Canadians identified in (d) who were rejected from participating by National Energy Board, will they have an opportunity to apply to participate in the interim review measures for the Trans Mountain Expansion Project announced by the government on January 27, 2016; (g) of those Canadians identified in (d) who were rejected from participating by National Energy Board, will their views and expertise be solicited by the “Ministerial Representative” appointed by the government to “engage communities, including Indigenous communities potentially affected by the project, to seek their views and report back to the Minister of Natural Resources”; (h) of those Canadians identified in (b) who were accepted to participate by National Energy Board as intervenors, will the government provide funding for these individuals or organizations to present evidence and cross-examine as part of the interim review measures; (i) do the interim review measures alter, in any way, the current legislated time limit of May 20, 2016, for the National Energy Board to issue its report on the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project to the Governor in Council; and (j) as a result of the interim review measures, can any amendments be made to the National Energy Board’s final report after it has been issued to the Governor in Council?

Q-71² — March 8, 2016 — — With regard to the government’s budgets, whether or not all the departments committed to them, as relates to the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec: (a) what was the amount spent, and what amount remained unspent, for these activities, broken down by (i) fiscal year, (ii) program, (iii) region, from 2002-2003 to 2014-2015; (b) what amount has been spent, and what amount remains unspent, for these activities during the current fiscal year; (c) what was the amount budgeted to be spent on these activities, broken down by fiscal year from 2002-2003 to 2014-2015; and (d) what was the amount budgeted to be spent on these activities during the current fiscal year?

Q-72² — March 8, 2016 — — With respect to the sharing of entry and exit information at land based border crossings with the United States: (a) has the government made the United States government aware that some Canadians who cross in to the United States at a land crossing subsequently leave the United States, usually within a few days, to cross by land in to Mexico, or by air for some other destination; (b) has the United States government indicated how it plans to avoid incorrectly identifying such Canadians as overstaying their visas; (c) what paperwork and information should be kept by Canadians who spend the winter in Mexico after crossing in to that country by land, in order to satisfy United States representatives that they have not spent the winter months in the United States; and (d) is there any plan by the United States or Canada to introduce border crossing entry and exit information sharing with Mexico that could make the United States aware when a Canadian leaves the United States to enter Mexico?

Q-73² — March 9, 2016 — — With regard to the government’s support for the Canadian International Resources and Development Institute (CIRDI): (a) what is the breakdown of spending to date by (i) project, (ii) country of focus, (iii) individuals who travelled for each event, (iv) individuals from host countries who participated in each event; (b) what are the detailed sources of both committed and received funding by (i) the government, (ii) foreign governments, (iii) extractive sector companies, industry associations or other private sector organisations, (iv) academic institutions, (v) civil society organizations; (c) what are the details of all documents that CIRDI has submitted to the government, including project implementation plans, performance measurement framework, baseline study reports, annual work plans, audited financial statements, initial budgetary forecast, secondary budgetary forecast, quarterly or semi-annual financial reports, quarterly and semi-annual and annual narrative reports, and risk reports, as required under the government’s contribution agreement with CIRDI, as well as the details of any other related documents; (d) does CIRDI meet or fail to meet the three conditions of Section 4(1) of the Official Development Assistance Accountability Act and how has the current government determined so; (e) what is the due diligence policy to ensure that a request received from a foreign country official for assistance is a legitimate request, based on principles of democracy, the public interest, and other principles; (f) what is CIRDI’s role in Canada’s “economic diplomacy” concept, announced as part of the 2013 “Global Markets Action Plan”; (g) what due diligence has the current government performed prior to giving and renewing its support for CIRDI’s mandate and continued funding, to ensure that its mandate and justification for funding (i) are evidence-based provided by reputable, non-partisan sources, (ii) align with the recommendations of the National Roundtables and ensure that Canada is living up to its international obligations to promote universal respect for human rights as signatory to seven human rights treaties, (iii) make due consideration of the solicited responses to the Canadian International Development Agency's 2012 Consultation Note for Request for Proposals development of the Canadian International Institute for Extractives Industries and Development, (iv) align with what indigenous peoples, citizen groups, and grass-roots civil society organizations in host-countries have requested; (h) who from the government participates or has participated in the advisory committee to CIRDI and what is the full composition of CIRDI’s advisory committee; (i) what are CIRDI’s activities, projects, and initiatives in (i) Peru, (ii) Ecuador, (iii) Colombia, (iv) Mongolia, (v) Ethiopia, (vi) Western Africa; (j) of the activities, projects, and initiatives acknowledged in (i), what are the details of all documentation describing (i) the rationale for each project, (ii) the inception and design of project goals, methodologies, and participant profiles, (iii) a list of project participants, their affiliations, and justification for their participation, (iv) all project proponents and any conflicts of interest, (v) project summary reporting including feedback, criticism, complaints; (k) how do the activities, projects, initiatives of CIRDI listed in (i) support mining company interests or other Canadian economic interests; (l) for each of CIRDI’s proposed, current, or completed projects, how has the long-term effect on poverty reduction and sovereignty been or how is it being (i) evaluated, (ii) verified; (m) what is the update on the $15.3 million project with Ethiopia’s Ministry of Mines, and what is (i) the full, official project description, (ii) the complete project scope, (iii) the original request from Ethiopia, and details thereof, (iv) due diligence analysis and reporting to demonstrate that this project aligns both with the Official Development Assistance Accountability Act and what the Ethiopian people, especially mining-affected communities and the organizations that work with them, are requesting; (n) as of May 2016, what is the current directive and mandate of the government for CIRDI; and (o) what are the government’s plans to either renew or terminate CIRDI after its five-year mandate and funding expires in 2018?

Q-74² — March 10, 2016 — — With regard to Fisheries and Oceans Canada' commitment in the 2016-17 Report on Plans and Priorities to increase the amount of marine and coastal protected areas to five per cent by 2017 and ten per cent by 2020, in part by advancing the Hecate/Queen Charlotte Sound Glass Sponge Reefs, the Anguniaqvia niqiqyuam, St. Ann’s Bank, the Laurentian Channel, and the American Bank towards designations as possible new Marine Protected Areas (MPA) under the Oceans Act: (a) how were these five areas identified; (b) what scientific analyses were completed in relation to the identification of these five areas; (c) what activities are the Department of Fisheries and Oceans proposing to prohibit from taking place in each of these designated areas; (d) what is the expected economic impact of giving these areas an MPA designation; and (e) has Fisheries and Oceans Canada held consultations with those who may be adversely affected economically by the MPA designation?

Q-75² — March 10, 2016 — — With regard to “A Special Report on Wild Atlantic Salmon in Eastern Canada” prepared by the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans’ Advisory Committee on Atlantic Salmon: (a) what scientific analyses were completed by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans on each of the 61 recommendations contained in the report; (b) which of the recommendations identified in (a) have been implemented in whole or in part; (c) of the recommendations identified in (b), what was the cost of implementation both on a one-time and ongoing basis; and (d) when are the remaining recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Atlantic Salmon, in whole or in part, expected to be implemented?

Q-76² — March 10, 2016 — — With regard to E Division of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), in the province of British Columbia, from 2011 to 2015, inclusively: (a) how many of the following were equipped with Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), broken down by year, (i) all vehicles, (ii) patrol vehicles, (iii) supervisor vehicles, (iv) marine vehicles, (v) other vehicles; (b) for each RCMP jurisdiction and detachment, broken down by year, (i) how many vehicles carried AEDs, (ii) how many occasions were RCMP vehicles dispatched in response to calls for which medical assistance was the primary purpose, (iii) how many occasions were RCMP officers the first emergency services personnel to arrive on scene when medical assistance was the primary requirement, (iv) what was the total number of instances where an AED from an RCMP vehicle was used, (v) with regard to instances where an AED from a police vehicle was used, how many subjects survived, (vi) what was the total number of instances where a Conducted Energy Weapon (CEW) was discharged by an RCMP officer, (vii) what was the total number of instances where an AED from an RCMP vehicle was used after a CEW was discharged by an RCMP officer; (c) what are the annual costs associated with AEDs in police vehicles and what do these costs account for, broken down by year; (d) what was the financial cost of all the AEDs identified in (a); and (e) what are the legislative, policy and regulatory instruments which govern the use of AEDs by the RCMP in British Columbia?

Q-77² — March 10, 2016 — — With regard to the Minister of International Trade and her negotiations with the United States on softwood lumber: (a) when did formal negotiations on a new Softwood Lumber Agreement commence; (b) how many negotiating sessions have been held to date; and (c) who were the participants of those negotiations in Canada, the United States or elsewhere?

Q-78² — March 17, 2016 — — With regard to federal spending within the electoral district of Perth—Wellington for each fiscal year from 2011-2012 to 2015-16, what is the list of grants, loans, contributions and contracts awarded by the government, broken down by (i) department and agency, (ii) municipality, (iii) name of the recipient, (iv) amount received, (v) program under which the spending was made, and (vi) date?

Q-79² — March 17, 2016 — — With regard to the government’s decision to resettle 25 000 Syrian refugees, what is: (a) the total dollar value being disbursed to each refugee upon arriving in Canada; (b) the total dollar value the government is providing each refugee on a monthly basis; (c) the anticipated end date for the government’s financial assistance to each refugee; (d) the monthly cost for all refugee temporary housing; and (e) the cost of any and all subsidies provided to Syrian refugees once placed in permanent housing?

Q-80² — March 17, 2016 — — With regard to the Prime Minister's decision to hire staff to care for his children: (a) what is the total combined salary cost for all caregivers; (b) the cost of the benefit package for the caregivers; (c) the anticipated cost of all meals to be provided, per diem included; (d) the budgeted cost for all caregiver domestic travel; (e) the budgeted cost of all caregiver international travel; and (f) the cost of living accommodations for all caregivers employed by the Prime Minister?

Q-81² — March 17, 2016 — — With regard to the Prime Minister's trip to Washington for a State Dinner with President Obama, what is: (a) the total combined cost for all persons attending on the trip; (b) the cost of the accommodations; (c) the anticipated cost of all meals to be provided as well as per diem; and (d) the total number of persons attending as part of the delegation invited by the Prime Minister?

Q-82² — March 17, 2016 — — With regard to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s PromoScience Program, for 2015: (a) which organizations received funding; (b) how much did they receive, in total and broken down by organization; (c) where are these organizations located, broken down by city?

Q-83² — March 17, 2016 — — With regard to the government's use of temporary help services and contracts: (a) what companies are contracted by the government to provide temporary help services, broken down by department and agency; (b) what is the average length of employment for temporary workers, broken down by department and agency; (c) what mechanisms does the government use to track the work done by contractors across government departments and agencies; (d) how many temporary staff were hired by the government, broken down by (i) province and territory, (ii) year, from 1999-2000 to present; (e) how much is disbursed by the government on average for (i) temporary staff, in terms of annual full-time equivalency, broken down by classification, (ii) permanent staff, in terms of annual full-time equivalency, broken down by classification; (f) what is the percentage change in expenditures for temporary help services and salary costs for indeterminate, term, and casual employees from 2008-2009 to 2014-2015 (in unadjusted dollars, reference 1999-2000); (g) what were the reasons given for engaging temporary help services, broken down by year, beginning from 2007-2008; (h) what were the percentages of contracts allocated for temporary help services for each cost range of less than $20,000, between $20,000 and $60,000, and more than $60,000, broken down by (i) reasons for the hires, (ii) year, beginning from 2007-2008; (i) what is the average age of temporary staff hired, broken down by (i) region, (ii) department or agency, (iii) classification?

Q-84² — March 21, 2016 — — With regard to Canada's delegation at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP21): (a) what is the first and last name of each delegate; (b) which organization did each delegate represent; (c) what is the total cost for using government aircraft to transport delegates to and from Paris; and (d) broken down by each delegate who stayed in Paris, for how many days and on which dates did the government cover costs?

Q-85² — March 22, 2016 — — With regard to the Natural Research Council of Canada’s (NRC) National Fire Laboratory (NFL), located at Concession Road 8, Mississippi Mills, Ontario: (a) on what date were Perfluoroalkylated Substances (PFAS) first used at the NRC NFL facility; (b) since 1981, how many instances, broken down by year, and in what capacity have PFAS been used at the NRC NFL facility; (c) since 1981, how many assessments and tests, conducted or paid for by the government, have occurred which resulted in the discovery of PFAS in the groundwater at the NRC NFL facility, and on what date (i) did each assessment and test begin, (ii) were the results of these tests known by the NRC, (iii) were the results of these assessments and tests made public; (d) what events and policies led to the assessments and tests referred to in (c); (e) since 1981, how many assessments and tests, conducted or paid for by the government, have occurred which resulted in the discovery of PFAS in the groundwater of properties adjacent to or nearby the NRC NFL facility, and on what date (i) did each assessment and test begin, (ii) were the results of these tests known by the NRC, (iii) were the results of these assessments made public; (f) what events and policies led to the assessments and tests referred to in (e); (g) under what circumstances would the discovery of PFAS in the groundwater at the NRC NFL facility initiate assessments or tests for PFAS in the groundwater of adjacent or nearby properties, and what policy regulates this procedure; (h) under what circumstances would the discovery of PFAS in the groundwater at the NRC NFL facility not initiate assessments or tests for PFAS in the groundwater of adjacent or nearby properties, and what policy regulates this procedure; (i) in each instance of the discovery of PFAS in groundwater at the NRC NFL facility and subsequent testing for PFAS in groundwater of properties adjacent to and nearby the NRC NFL facility, (i) how much time elapsed between the date of receipt of test results from the NFL property and initiation of testing of adjacent and nearby properties, (ii) does any policy regulate the amount of time that may elapse between the testing of the NFL property and adjacent and nearby properties and, if so, what are the details of this policy, (iii) for each instance in which the time elapsed exceeded that specified in the policy in (i) (ii), what was the reason for the delay; (j) what policies, procedures, regulations, and other measures does the NRC have in place to ensure that chemicals from the NFL facility do not enter the groundwater in surrounding properties; (k) does the NRC have policies and procedures for compensation to owners of private property that is negatively affected by activities a NRC facilities; (l) what policies, procedures, and regulations determine what is a safe, and unsafe, amount of PFAS in drinking water; and (m) what policies, procedures, and regulations determine what is a safe, and unsafe, duration of time to consume PFAS in drinking water before negative health effects may develop?

Q-86² — March 23, 2016 — — With regard to the Prime Minister of Canada’s state visit to the United States of America from March 9 to 11, 2016: (a) who was part of the Canadian delegation; and (b) what were the costs of the Canadian delegation, broken down by guest and for (i) transportation, (ii) accommodations, (iii) meals?

Q-87² — April 7, 2016 — — With regard to the 2016-2017 Main Estimates for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), specifically the 134% increase in proposed spending on “Internal Services” as compared to the 2015-2016 Main Estimates: (a) what Budget line item will these funds be drawn from; (b) how many Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs) will this increase add to the CIHR's payroll; (c) will any added FTEs be permanent employees or contracted for a definite time period, and, if so, how many will there be in each staffing category; and (d) how many additional FTEs will be executive-level?

Q-88² — April 7, 2016 — — With regard to the government hiring consultants, including an American investment bank, to help analyze the feasibility of a $1 billion (U.S.) aid package to Bombardier Inc.: (a) what was the total cost of all American consultants hired; (b) what were the criteria for hiring these consultants; (c) for each consultation in (a), (i) what organizations and individuals were consulted, (ii) what were the dates, (iii) what was the location; (d) what other consultations has the government conducted with other outside sources on this subject; and (e) for each consultation in (d), (i) what was the total cost of other outside sources hired, (ii) what organizations and individuals were consulted as a result?

Q-89² — April 7, 2016 — — With regard to employment in the public service as of October 19, 2015: (a) what was the total number of full-time employees; (b) what was the total number of part-time employees; (c) what was the total number of casual employees; (d) what was the total number of contract employees; (e) how many employees were on leave; (f) how many employees worked in the National Capital Region; and (g) how many employees worked outside the National Capital Region?

Q-90² — April 7, 2016 — — With regard to federal spending within the electoral district of , for each fiscal year since 2010-2011 inclusively: (a) what are the details of all grants, contributions, and loans to any organization, body, or group, broken down by (i) name of the recipient, (ii) municipality of the recipient, (iii) date on which the funding was received, (iv) amount received, (v) department or agency providing the funding, (vi) program under which the grant, contribution, or loan was made, (vii) nature or purpose; and (b) for each grant, contribution and loan identified in (a), was a press release issued to announce it and, if so, what is the (i) date, (ii) headline, (iii) file number of the press release?

Q-91² — April 7, 2016 — — With regard to the area defined by FEDNOR as Northern Ontario, since November 4, 2015, what is the list of grants, loans, contributions, and contracts awarded by the government broken down by (i) recipient, (ii) constituency, (iii) amount?

Q-92² — April 7, 2016 — — With regard to the upcoming Aerospace Trade Mission to Kyiv, Ukraine, May 22-25, 2016, organized by the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada, in collaboration with the Canada Eurasia Russia Business Association, Export Québec, and Global Affairs Canada: (a) which individuals and organizations are listed as participants for this trade mission; (b) how much funding will be provided by Global Affairs Canada in support of this trade mission; (c) how much direct and indirect funding will be provided by the Canadian Embassy to Ukraine in support of this trade mission; (d) with regard to answers (b) and (c), how will these funds be allocated; and (e) was the Embassy of Ukraine to Canada and representatives from the Ukrainian-Canadian community consulted during the planning stages of this trade mission?

Q-93² — April 7, 2016 — — With regard to the process of administering pension payments to retired members of the Canadian Armed Forces: (a) how many staff, military and civilian, administered Regular Force pensions since 2012, broken down by fiscal year; (b) what are the longest, shortest and average lengths of time that a Reserve Force member in the part-time pension plan had to wait before receiving a pension cheque since 2012, broken down by fiscal year; (c) what are the longest, shortest and average lengths of time that a Reserve Force member in the full-time pension plan had to wait before receiving a pension cheque since 2012, broken down by fiscal year; (d) what is the average wait time for a General/Flag Officer for a pension since 2012, broken down by fiscal year; (e) what is the average wait time for an officer for a pension cheque since 2012, broken down by fiscal year; (f) what is the average wait time for a non-commissioned member for a pension cheque since 2012, broken down by fiscal year; (g) in comparison with the public service pension plan and the RCMP pension plan, what are the average wait times for a pension cheque; (h) are pensions that take longer than 30 days to implement, and that are paid in arrears to service members, paid with the prevailing interest rate as compensation for the unnecessary delay and, if not, why; (i) what is the government's policy regarding paying interest on pensions in arrears; and (j) what is the Canadian Armed Force's policy regarding paying interest on pensions in arrears?


¹ Requires Oral Answer ² Response requested within 45 days