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Thursday, May 4, 2006 (No. 16)

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 Those questions not appearing in the list have been answered, withdrawn or made into orders for return.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-1² — April 4, 2006 — — With regard to payments made to Canadian farmers through the Pesticide Residue Compensation Act: (a) what is the total amount of payments made to date under the authority of the Pesticide Residue Compensation Act; (b) what is the breakdown of those payments between the provinces of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick; and (c) how many individual payments have been authorized by the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and, of these, how many were made as part of cost-sharing payments with provincial governments?

Q-2 — April 4, 2006 — — With regard to the Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization Program (CAIS), from its inception until January 23, 2006: (a) what has been the annual allocation and expenditure by the federal government; (b) what has been the annual allocation and expenditure by each provincial government; (c) what has been the combined federal and provincial annual allocation and expenditure by province; (d) what has been the annual allocation and expenditure by commodity sector, nationally and provincially; and (e) have any audits, evaluation reports or analysis of the CAIS program been conducted by or for the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food?

Q-3 — April 4, 2006 — — With regard to any and all contracts awarded by the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food and any other federal department to the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI), in the years 2004 and 2005: (a) what were the amounts of the contracts, identified by specific contract and amount of contract; (b) what were the terms of the contracts; and (c) what papers, presentations and submissions were submitted by CAPI to the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food or any other federal department as a result of any contract?

Q-4 — April 4, 2006 — — With regard to the report “Empowering Canadian Farmers in the Marketplace”: (a) what have been the specific responses prepared by the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food to any or all of its recommendations; and (b) what have been the specific responses prepared by any other federal department or agency to any or all of the recommendations?

Q-5 — April 4, 2006 — — With regard to correspondence between the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food and the Canadian Wheat Board: (a) did the Department correspond either in writing or by e-mail with the Canadian Wheat Board between November 1, 2005 and February 13, 2006 and, if so, on which dates; and (b) in any correspondence were specific questions or requests for information submitted to the Canadian Wheat Board and, if so, which questions or requests for information were submitted and on which dates were the responses due?

Q-6² — April 4, 2006 — — With regard to the federal Chief Firearms Officer Services Policy Manual which states: “An individual may be authorized to carry restricted firearms or certain handguns (as precribed in Section 12(6) of the Firearms Act) for two purposes: (1) protection of life, and (2) lawful occupation which includes employees of the armoured vehicle industry and those who require firearms for protection of life from wild animals while working in the remote wilderness”: (a) how many “protection of life” carry permits have been issued since December 1, 1998, in each province and territory; and (b) what types of firearms were applicants permitted to carry for their own protection?

Q-7² — April 4, 2006 — — How many individuals are there in Canada who are considered too dangerous to own firearms including: (a) number of convicted violent criminals, prisoners and parolees; (b) number of persons prohibited from owning guns; (c) number of persons with an outstanding criminal arrest warrant; (d) number of persons charged with a violent criminal offence that are out on bail; (e) number of persons with a restraining order against them; (f) number of persons that have had their firearms licence refused or revoked; and (g) number of firearms licence holders that are under investigation for incidents that may result in their firearms licence being revoked?

Q-8 — April 5, 2006 — — With regard to the government and the Farmer Rail Car Coalition (FRCC): (a) has this group received any monetary support from any government ministry or Crown corporation and, if so, what form did this monetary support take; (b) were any third parties working on behalf of FRCC paid fees or per diems by any government ministry or Crown corporation for FRCC related work; (c) if loans were granted, what are the conditions of repayment; (d) did any registered lobbyists represent the FRCC to the government; (e) did any government ministry or Crown corporation provide any office space, administrative services or other services in kind to FRCC executives or representatives; (f) were any government funds provided to the interim management group which preceded the FRCC, or its member organizations, or any consultants or lobbyists doing work on behalf of the interim management group; and (g) if so, what are the terms and conditions of payment or repayment of any government funds disbursed?

Q-9² — April 20, 2006 — — With regard to the mandate of the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI): (a) what criteria are used by the OSFI in determining whether the pension contributions by a company can be reduced; (b) what criteria are used by the OSFI in determining by how much a company's pension contributions can be reduced; (c) what criteria are used by the OSFI when determining whether the pension payouts by a company can be reduced; and (d) what criteria are used by the OSFI in determining by how much a company's pension payouts can be reduced?

Q-10 — April 20, 2006 — — How much money has the government paid out (including federal grants, disbursements by granting councils and by the Business Development Bank of Canada) for science and technology projects undertaken at all Canadian colleges and universities since 2002-2003, and, in each case: (a) how much was disbursed; (b) which departments were involved; (c) who received the funds; (d) where are the recipients located; (e) what was the specific purpose of the disbursement; and (f) how long did the funding last?

Q-11² — April 20, 2006 — — With regard to Arctic sovereignty: (a) does the government believe that it has a strong claim to shipping rights in the Northwest Passage; (b) what is the legal basis for this claim; (c) does the government believe that climate change has the potential to affect claims to our Arctic sovereignty; (d) if climate change poses a threat to our claims, what steps will be taken to mitigate climate change; (e) is the government aware of any activity by foreign submarines in Arctic waters since 1991; (f) which countries possess the ability to operate in our Arctic waters undetected; (g) which countries agree with our Arctic claims; and (h) which countries contest our claims and on what grounds?

Q-12² — April 20, 2006 — — With regard to planned procurement and construction by the Department of National Defence: (a) will the government follow the fast-tracked process for procurement outlined by the previous Minister of National Defence; (b) how will any processes for procurement differ from previous processes; (c) what is the government proposing in terms of equipment procurement over the next two years; (d) is the government beginning any feasibility studies of new military ports, particularly in the Arctic; (e) has the government undertaken any environmental impact studies on the results of creating a deep water port near Iqaluit; (f) has the government done any feasibility studies for icebreakers that could be used in the Arctic, and, if so, what was recommended as the most useful icebreakers for Canada in the Arctic; (g) has the government done any feasibility studies on a sonar listening system in the Arctic to detect foreign submarines, and, if so, what was the recommended configuration and cost of the system?

Q-13² — April 24, 2006 — — With regard to Canada's commitments in Afghanistan: (a) what is the estimated cost of Canada's continuing commitments; (b) what is the current command structure of Canadian Forces in Afghanistan, particularly their relation to United States of America (USA) forces; (c) what is the total number of Canadian soldiers present in Afghanistan at the moment and how will this change over the next 12 months; (d) how will force levels change over the next decade; (e) how does the government see the mission in Afghanistan aligning with Canada's role in the world; (f) is the government aware of the conditions in USA-controlled and Afghanistan-controlled detention facilities in Afghanistan, and, if so, what has the government determined about the conditions; (g) has the government sought assurances from the USA regarding the treatment of prisoners who are handed over to USA or Afghan forces; (h) does the government believe that the Prisoner Transfer Arrangement signed on December 18, 2005 by the Chief of Defence Staff prevents the onward transfer of prisoners to countries other than Canada and Afghanistan; (i) have foreign forces ever surrounded Canadian encampments or bases with anti-personnel land mines; (j) are Canadian bases surrounded by any anti-personnel landmines that have been left from previous conflicts in Afghanistan; (k) how long does the government expect the Canadian military presence in Afghanistan to last; (l) does the government have any plans for further debate in the House of Commons regarding the deployment in Afghanistan; (m) does the government have any plans for a vote in the House regarding new deployments in Afghanistan; (n) are Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan part of the American Operation Enduring Freedom; (o) will Canadian Forces in Afghanistan come under North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) command, and, if so, when will this happen; (p) does the government believe that the current mission has a United Nations mandate, and, if so, how was it achieved; (q) has the government considered a possible renewal or modification of the Canadian mission, once current commitments have been fulfilled; (r) what is the date on which Canada will have to notify NATO if it wishes to make commitments past February 2007; (s) has the government considered building a joint detention facility with the Netherlands to hold prisoners; (t) have Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan been instructed to uphold both the spirit and the letter of the Ottawa Convention on anti-personnel land mines; (u) has the government created an exit strategy for our deployment; (v) if we continue at current force levels in Afghanistan, what would be the number of deployable troops available to the Canadian Forces, both at home and abroad, over the next five years; and (w) what is the expected wear on equipment if a long-term mission is taken on?

Q-14² — April 25, 2006 — — With regard to the Canadian Armed Forces presence in Afghanistan: (a) how many humanitarian, restoration or development construction projects has the Canadian Armed Forces participated in during its deployment in Afghanistan; (b) how many have been completed; (c) how many are currently under construction; (d) what is the specific nature of these projects; (e) what are the locations, by province or region, of these projects; and (f) how many of these projects have subsequently been attacked or damaged by insurgents or others, and, of those affected or damaged, how many are under repair, damaged and waiting for repair, destroyed, intact but unused, or intact but being used for purposes other than originally intended?

Q-15² — April 25, 2006 — — With regard to the Canadian Armed Forces presence in Afghanistan: (a) how many persons taken prisoner or detained by the Canadian Armed Forces in Afghanistan have been turned over to (i) Afghani officials, (ii) American officials, (iii) officials of other countries or organizations; and (b) how many of these persons remain in custody?

Q-16 — April 26, 2006 — — With regard to the decision by the Minister of Natural Resources to discontinue or cancel the funding of certain programs and initiatives relating to climate change, the reduction of pollution and the reduction of greenhouse gases: (a) for which of these programs and initiatives was funding cancelled or not renewed; (b) what current, statistical or empirical data, rationale and evidence can the Minister demonstrate to support the discontinuation or cancellation of the funding of these programs and initiatives; (c) what cost-benefit analysis, or financial estimates compiled for or by the Department of Natural Resources, relating to the discontinuation, cancellation or otherwise withdrawal of funding of these programs and initiatives, can the Minister provide; (d) what information was provided to the Minister or his staff by way of analysis prior to this decision; (e) what recommendations, pertinent to the decision to discontinue or cancel funding of these programs and initiatives, were made by the Department of Natural Resources to the Minister; and (f) what information, pertinent to the decision to discontinue or cancel funding of these programs and initiatives, was provided by other departments or the Privy Council Office to the Minister?

Q-17 — April 26, 2006 — — With regard to the proposal by the government to give public transit riders a tax credit to cover the cost of monthly transit passes: (a) what data, in either summary or raw form, or analysis relating to the cost for each tonne of carbon dioxide saved (not emitted) has been provided to the Minister of Natural Resources by (i) the Department of Natural Resources, (ii) the Department of Finance, (iii) Environment Canada; and (b) what analysis was provided to the Minister of Natural Resources comparing a tax credit, to cover the cost of monthly transit passes, with the benefits of providing capital investments, to be shared with provinces and municipalities, in public transit infrastructure?

Q-18¹ — April 27, 2006 — — With regard to the Goose Bay Diversification Fund, announced by the Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency on November 24, 2005: (a) how many applications or proposals have been received in respect of this fund, and, of those, how many have been (i) accepted, (ii) rejected, (iii) otherwise treated; and (b) what has been the total contribution to each of the accepted applications or proposals?

Q-19² — May 1, 2006 — — With regard to the government’s fiscal and economic policy: (a) how much per year does the average person earning less than the basic personal exemption pay in GST; (b) how much money per year would the average person earning less than the basic personal amount save from a one percent reduction in the GST; (c) how much does the average person earning $200,000 per year pay in GST; (d) how much have the average and median personal incomes, before federal tax, increased since 1993; (e) how much have the average and median personal incomes, after federal tax, increased since 1993; (f) how much have the average and median family incomes, before federal tax, increased since 1993; (g) how much have average and median family incomes, after federal tax, increased since 1993; (h) how much less or more tax did a person earning the median income in Canada pay in 2005 versus 1993 after adjusting for inflation and wage increases; and (i) how many jobs were created in Canada between 1993 and 2006?

Q-20 — May 2, 2006 — — With respect to the proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals in Robbinston, Maine: (a) would the constant intense light canopies at the proposed LNG terminals influence fisheries and aquaculture experiments involving photoperiod or other light related research being conducted now or in the future; (b) would vibration and noise from the regassification plant, the ships, or the tugs have any impact on the areas currently used by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the Huntsman Marine Science Centre or universities for research and education, or on the St. Andrews Biological Station itself; (c) what will these impacts be; (d) if seawater is used in the regassification process, would the resultant temperature change (reputed to be 10 degrees Celsius) and the resultant reduction of plankton populations influence the fish and invertebrate populations currently being studied in Passamaquoddy Bay or the anadromous fish runs using the St. Croix watershed; and (e) will physiological barriers be established that will interfere with the migration of important migratory species such as smelt, alewives and salmon?

Q-21 — May 2, 2006 — — With respect to the proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals in Robbinston, Maine: (a) what impact will increased passage of ships, tankers and tugs have on marine mammal populations, such as fin, minke, right whale and harbour porpoise, that depend on Head Harbour Passage, Friar’s Bay and Western Passage; (b) what impact will the vibration and noise have on echolocation in listed species such as the northern right whale and harbour porpoise as well as species of concern like the finback whale; (c) what impact will the vibration and noise have on communications between mother harbour porpoise and their calves at the entrance to Head Harbour; (d) will increased ship traffic influence the summer population known to frequent the right whale sanctuary off Grand Manan; (e) what is the legal role of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) in protecting these species as it relates to the passage of foreign vessels; (f) what assurances can DFO give that the interests of Head Harbour Passage, Friar’s Bay and Western Passage aquaculture operations and fishermen throughout the area; particularly handliners, weed gatherers, urchin fishermen, scallopers, longliners, draggers, herring fishermen, lobster fishermen, and others will be protected; (g) what laws will keep fishing activities such as lobster fishing from being banned if LNG terminals are built in the Passamaquoddy Bay region; (h) what assurances will fishermen and aquaculture operations on Grand Manan have that the ferry route between the island and the mainland will not be disrupted by the passage or layover of LNG tankers; (i) if LNG tankers lay over off Head Harbour Passage, in Friar’s Bay or in Passamaquoddy Bay, what efforts will DFO make to insure that these waters are open to Canadian fishermen and citizens in pursuit of their livelihood and recreational interests; and (j) are these above-mentioned rights protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms?


¹ Requires Oral Answer ² Response requested within 45 days