Questions and responses 45th Parliament, 1st session May 26, 2025, to present

With regard to Old Age Security and the Guaranteed Income Supplement, for each of the 2023, 2024, and 2025 calendar years: (a) how many individuals received Old Age Security benefits, and what was the total amount of Old Age Security benefits paid; (b) how many individuals received both Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplement benefits, and what was the maximum income level at which Guaranteed Income Supplement eligibility ceased for (i) single seniors, (ii) senior couples, (iii) other recipient categories used by the government; (c) how many individuals were eligible to receive Old Age Security benefits but did not receive them, broken down by reason, where available; (d) what is the breakdown of Old Age Security recipients by total annual income, including the number of recipients and their average income within each of the following income ranges, (i) under $28,000, (ii) $28,000 to $56,999, (iii) $57,000 to $84,999, (iv) $85,000 to $99,999, (v) $100,000 and over; (e) for each income range in (d), what was the total amount of Old Age Security benefits paid; (f) how many Old Age Security recipients had annual incomes greater than $30,000 and continued to receive Guaranteed Income Supplement benefits, and what was the average income and average Guaranteed Income Supplement benefit received by these individuals; (g) how many Old Age Security recipients had annual incomes greater than $30,000 and did not receive Guaranteed Income Supplement benefits, but had annual incomes below the upper limit of the first federal personal income tax bracket, and what was their average income; (h) how many Old Age Security recipients had annual incomes above the upper limit of the first federal personal income tax bracket but below the Old Age Security recovery tax threshold, and what was their average income; (i) how many Old Age Security recipients were subject to a partial Old Age Security recovery tax (clawback), and what were the (i) average income, (ii) average amount of Old Age Security benefits received, (iii) average amount of Old Age Security benefits recovered through the clawback; (j) how many Old Age Security recipients were subject to a full Old Age Security recovery tax such that 100% of their Old Age Security benefits were recovered, and what were the (i) average income, (ii) average amount of Old Age Security benefits otherwise payable; (k) what was the Old Age Security recovery tax threshold and the income level at which Old Age Security benefits were fully recovered in each year; (I) what would have been the estimated fiscal cost to the federal treasury, based on 2023 and 2024 taxation data, if Old Age Security benefits had been exempt from income taxation; and (m) what estimates, analyses, or modelling has the government conducted regarding the fiscal and distributional impacts of exempting Old Age Security benefits from income taxation, and what were the results?

With regard to gender-specific religious persecution around the world: (a) has the government funded any initiatives or activities related to gender-specific religious persecution; (b) has the government issued any statements on gender-specific religious persecution, and, if so, on what dates; (c) has the government conducted any advocacy on cases involving gender-specific religious persecution; (d) for each case in (c), who were the people involved, where did the cases take place, and what was the nature of the advocacy; and (e) does the government support any recovery or immigration programs to support victims of gender-specific religious persecution and what is the nature of those programs?

With regard to the transportation of human organs and human tissue intended for transplantation by air in Canada, for each year since 2020: (a) how many human organs and human tissue shipments intended for transplantation were transported by air, broken down by (i) organ or tissue type, (ii) province or territory of origin, (iii) province or territory of destination, (iv) mode of air transportation; (b) which federal department, regulated air carriers, or other federally regulated entities collect, maintain, receive, or report data relating to the transportation of organs and tissue by air; (c) how many transportation-related incidents involving organs or tissue intended for transplantation were recorded, broken down by year, type of incident, and outcome; (d) how many organs or tissue shipments became unusable, in whole or in part, due to transportation-related issues; (e) what service standards or performance targets exist regarding the transportation of organs and tissue by air; (f) what plans exist to ensure the continued transportation of organs and tissue during airline labour disputes, severe weather events, airport closures, cybersecurity incidents, or other transportation disruptions; (g) with regard to the statement by Patty Hajdu, the Minister of Jobs and Families, on the shipments of critical goods such as pharmaceuticals and organ tissues that “over 40% of which are moved by Air Canada, should continue to reach their destinations”, what data, analysis, reports, briefings, or other information formed the basis for that statement; (h) what was used to calculate that figure, including the time period covered and the categories of pharmaceuticals, organs, tissues, or other medical materials included; and (i) which department, agency or external organization produced, verified, or supplied the information used in support of that statement?

With regard to residual deoxyribonucleic acid in the final product of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine (Comirnaty), and Health Canada's review of residual deoxyribonucleic acid associated with lipid nanoparticles, since December 1, 2019: (a) what records and data exist prior to the Interim Order concerning the presence of residual deoxyribonucleic acid in the Pfizer COVID-19 product, including, for each, record its title, date, author, recipient, and file or tracking number; (b) when and how did Health Canada first become aware of residual deoxyribonucleic acid, and what records document this; (c) when did Health Canada request information from Pfizer regarding residual deoxyribonucleic acid including reasons for this request, the dates, details of requests, and Pfizer's responses; (d) in the August 30, 2023 regulatory correspondence (New Drug Submission Control No. 276302), regarding the statement that certain elements "may be needed to maintain the structural integrity of the plasmid", (i) what elements were referred to, (ii) what is meant by "structural integrity," including whether it relates to the plasmid template, residual deoxyribonucleic acid, or another aspect, (iii) what evidence or analyses support this statement, (iv) which Health Canada unit authored or approved it, (v) what portions of the August 30, 2023 correspondence or related assessments were withheld or redacted, including the legal basis and reasons for each withholding; (e) what data or evidence did Pfizer provide Health Canada, and when, regarding residual deoxyribonucleic acid in Comirnaty, including levels, fragment size, characterization, manufacturing controls, specifications, batch variability, and impacts on product quality attributes; (f) what information and when did Pfizer provide data regarding the association of residual deoxyribonucleic acid captured within lipid nanoparticles including proportion encapsulated, mechanisms of association, interactions with lipids, biodistribution, persistence, and cellular interaction and possible deoxyribonucleic acid via lipid nanoparticle transfection; (g) what assessments has Health Canada conducted or commissioned to an independent agency regarding, (i) the impact of residual deoxyribonucleic acid on drug substance and product quality, stability, potency, and other critical quality attributes, and what were the outcomes, (ii) the quantity of residual deoxyribonucleic acid found in lipid nanoparticles versus naked deoxyribonucleic acid and what was the outcome, (iii) whether residual deoxyribonucleic acid functions solely as an impurity or has any role in formulation, structure, stability, or performance; (h) regarding the difference between naked deoxyribonucleic acid and deoxyribonucleic acid encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles, and the potential for either to persist in the body for prolonged periods, (i) what scientific evidence, studies, regulatory submissions, or assessments has Health Canada reviewed or relied upon, (ii) what information, analyses, or correspondence has Health Canada received from manufacturers or other regulators regarding the persistence, biodistribution, or clearance of deoxyribonucleic acid in naked form versus deoxyribonucleic acid protected within an lipid nanoparticle, (iii) what assessments, if any, has Health Canada conducted or commissioned regarding whether residual deoxyribonucleic acid is encapsulated within lipid nanoparticles, how much is encapsulated, and whether encapsulation changes persistence or biological interaction with cells, tissues, or the immune system; (i) is Health Canada aware of independent assessments of residual deoxyribonucleic acid, and, if so, which studies by date reviewed, title and author, and how did they inform Health Canada, and what steps did Health Canada take after examining these studies; (j) what communications or coordination have occurred between Health Canada and other regulators on residual deoxyribonucleic acid and its potential impacts including, (i) the United States' Food and Drug Administration, (ii) the European Medical Agency, (iii) the United Kingdom's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, (iv) Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration, (v) any others; and (k) what internal scientific position has Health Canada adopted regarding residual deoxyribonucleic acid contained in this product with respect to it as solely an impurity or how it may contribute to formulation, stability, or performance, and what scientific evidence support that position?

With regard to pilot licensing compliance and enforcement: (a) how many instances has Transport Canada identified since 2015 in which a pilot operated without the licence, rating, endorsement, or medical certificate required for their position, broken down by year; (b) how many administrative monetary penalties were issued in relation to such violations, broken down by year; (c) what was the total value of the penalties in (b), broken down by year; (d) how many pilot licence verification exercises, audits, reviews, or inspections were conducted by Transport Canada in each year since 2015; and (e) how many licence irregularities were identified through the activities in (d), broken down by year?

With regard to Transport Canada's licensing, certification, screening, and safety oversight information technology systems and modernization projects since January 1, 2015: (a) what projects have been undertaken to modernize, replace, or enhance such systems; (b) what was the original planned completion date and what is the current projected or actual completion date for each project; (c) what was the original approved budget and what is the current projected or actual cost for each project; (d) which projects have experienced delays and what were the reasons for each delay; (e) which projects have experienced cost overruns and what were the reasons for each overrun; (f) what department, agency, or organization was responsible for the procurement and implementation of each project; (g) for each project that experienced a delay, was the delay attributable, in whole or in part, to the procurement process, and, if so, what were the details; and (h) what impact, if any, did the delays in (d) have on Transport Canada's licensing, certification, screening, inspection, regulatory, or safety oversight activities?

With regard to government information, studies, analyses, assessments, briefing notes, reports, consultations, and engagements related to technologies designed to provide vehicle safety and extrication information to first responders, including rescue sheets, rescue cards, QR-code-based systems, and similar emergency response information systems: (a) what studies, analyses, assessments, briefing notes, reports, or consultations has Transport Canada undertaken, commissioned, or participated in since January 1, 2015; (b) for each item in (a), what was its title, date, purpose, and key findings or conclusions; (c) what information does Transport Canada have regarding vehicle manufacturers selling vehicles in Canada that utilize such systems; and (d) what discussions, consultations, or engagements has Transport Canada had with vehicle manufacturers, industry associations, emergency responders, firefighting organizations, or other stakeholders regarding the use of such systems?

With regard to government statistics related to motor vehicle extrications conducted by fire departments and first responders in Canada: (a) what was the total number of motor vehicle extrications in each year since 2015, broken down by province and territory; (b) what was the total number of incidents requiring the use of hydraulic rescue tools in each year since 2015, broken down by province and territory; and (c) what was the total number of individuals extricated from motor vehicles in each year since 2015, broken down by province and territory?

With regard to Build Canada Homes: (a) has the government established internal key performance indicators to assess the success of Build Canada Homes, and, if so, what are they, including (i) housing units delivered (total and by category, including affordable, supportive, and transitional), (ii) affordability outcomes (including rent or cost relative to income thresholds), (iii) project timelines (approval-to-construction and construction-to-completion), (iv) cost efficiency (cost per unit or per square foot), (v) level of private or non-governmental capital leveraged, (vi) adoption of modern construction methods (modular or prefabricated); (b) has the government established annual or multi-year targets for Build Canada Homes, and, if so, what are those targets, including (i) the number of units to be delivered annually, (ii) the number of affordable and non-market units to be delivered annually, (iii) the number or value of projects to be financed, (iv) any other relevant performance targets; (c) what outcome benchmarks has the government defined to evaluate Build Canada Homes' success over time, including benchmarks related to (i) improvements in housing affordability, (ii) reductions in core housing need or homelessness, (iii) increased housing supply relative to population growth, (iv) productivity improvements in the residential construction sector, (v) the extent to which Build Canada Homes contributes to closing the non-market housing gap in Canada, including any quantified estimates of that gap and timelines for addressing it; (d) has the government conducted any internal analyses, modelling, or performance frameworks (including those comparable to Departmental Plans, Results Frameworks, or National Housing Strategy targets) to define what constitutes success for Build Canada Homes, and, if so, what are the details of each, including the titles, dates, and key conclusions of each; (e) what departmental or interdepartmental bodies are responsible for monitoring Build Canada Homes' performance, and what reporting mechanisms are in place (annual reports, dashboards, or Treasury Board submissions), including any specific reporting requirements or frequencies; and (f) how does the government intend to publicly report on Build Canada Homes' performance, including the frequency, format, and level of detail of such reporting?

With regard to the prohibition under the Customs Tariff on the importation of goods mined, manufactured, or produced in whole or in part by forced labour or child labour, and the reporting requirements under the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act (Supply Chains Act): (a) since the coming into force of the Supply Chains Act on January 1, 2024, how many entities (including government institutions) have submitted annual reports; (b) what steps has the government taken to verify the accuracy and completeness of reports submitted under the Supply Chains Act; (c) since January 1, 2024, how many investigations have been initiated into potential violations or non-compliance with the Supply Chains Act; (d) how many penalties, fines, or other enforcement actions have been issued under the Supply Chains Act to date; (e) what resources have been allocated to enforcement of the import prohibition and the Supply Chains Act, including staffing levels (full-time equivalents), and budgets within Public Safety Canada, the Canada Border Services Agency, and other relevant departments for each fiscal year since 2020-21; (f) since January 1, 2020, how many shipments of goods have been detained, examined, seized, or refused entry by the Canada Border Services Agency on the basis of suspected forced labour or child labour, broken down by year and harmonized system subheading level (six digits); (g) of the shipments in (f), how many were (i) ultimately released into the Canadian market, (ii) permanently prohibited or destroyed, (iii) re-exported or otherwise disposed of, broken down by year and by country or region of origin; (h) what criteria and evidentiary thresholds does the Canada Border Services Agency use to determine whether goods are produced wholly or in part by forced labour or child labour; (i) to what extent is the government aware of specific companies, importers, or supply chains whose goods are currently entering Canada despite credible public or internal allegations of forced or child labour, and what actions, if any, have been taken in response; (j) what mechanisms exist within the government to track and monitor goods linked to forced or child labour once they have entered the Canadian market; (k) what assessment or analysis has the government conducted on the effectiveness of the Supply Chains Act and the import prohibition in reducing forced labour or child labour in goods sold in Canada, and what were the finding of each including on compliance rates, enforcement gaps, or economic impacts; (l) since January 1, 2020, what is the total estimated value of goods in (f), broken down by year and harmonized system subheading level (six digits); and (m) what mechanisms or tools does the Canada Border Services Agency currently use to identify or assess the risk of forced or child labour in imported goods, including any use of forced labour lists, importer data, third-party information, interdepartmental referrals, or international referrals?

With regard to the Canada-Taiwan Trade Co-operation Framework Arrangement (also referred to as the Canadian Taiwan Economic Cooperation Agreement Framework): (a) on what date was the text of the agreement agreed to by the parties; (b) on what date was the text of the agreement initialed by Canada's negotiators; (c) which ministers or departments have been responsible for advancing the agreement since its conclusion; (d) what specific steps, approvals, or reviews remain before the agreement can be formally signed; (e) what is the current status of the agreement within Global Affairs Canada and the Privy Council Office, including any ongoing reviews or legal examinations; (f) has the agreement been submitted to Cabinet for consideration, and, if so, on what dates; (g) has Cabinet issued any direction or decision regarding the timing or postponement of the agreement's signature, and, if so, on what dates; (h) what are the details of all internal documents, memoranda, or correspondence that have been generated regarding the agreement, since January 1, 2025, including, for each, the (i) date, (ii) sender, (iii) recipient, (iv) title, (v) type of document, (vi) summary of its contents; (i) has the government conducted any assessment or analysis of the potential diplomatic or economic repercussions of signing or not signing the agreement, and, if so, (i) on what dates were such assessments prepared, (ii) which departments were involved, (iii) what are the titles or reference numbers of any resulting reports or briefing materials; (j) what communications, briefings, or memoranda have been prepared since January 1, 2025, that reference Canada's relationship with the People's Republic of China in the context of this agreement; (k) what consultations have taken place with stakeholders, including industry associations, businesses, and provincial governments, regarding the agreement, broken down by (i) date, (ii) organization consulted, (iii) main topics discussed; (l) what estimates or projections has the government prepared regarding the anticipated economic and trade benefits of the agreement for Canada, including any figures related to job creation, export growth, supply chain resilience, or specific sectors such as semiconductors, digital trade, or energy; and (m) what is the government's current projected timeline for signing and implementing the agreement, including any target dates identified in internal planning documents?

With regard to foreign nationals holding a work permit under the foreign medical resident C45 stream of the International Mobility Program, broken down by calendar year from 2016 and further broken down by country of citizenship: (a) what is the total number of unique individuals who held a valid work permit under Labour Market Impact Assessment exemption code C45, as of December 31 of each year; (b) what is the total number of new work permits issued under the C45 stream during each calendar year; (c) what is the total number of work permits under the C45 stream that expired or reached their specified end-date during each calendar year; (d) of the expired work permits in (c), (i) how many individuals departed Canada following permit expiry, (ii) how many individuals remained in Canada under a valid temporary status; (e) what is the total number of individuals who held a work permit under the C45 stream and subsequently submitted an asylum or refugee claim in Canada; (f) what is the total number of individuals who held a work permit under the C45 stream and subsequently transitioned to another immigration status, broken down by specific pathway obtained, including permanent residence (via Express Entry, Provincial Nominee Programs, or humanitarian streams), unrestricted open work permits, and employer-specific work permits outside the C45 stream; (g) of the individuals in (a), what is the total number identified via the Employer Portal or application materials as internationally sponsored medical trainees whose training was funded by a foreign government; (h) with specific regard to citizens of Saudi Arabia, what is the total number who held a valid C45 work permit as of December 31 of each calendar year; (i) what is the distribution of the valid C45 work permits in (a), broken down by (i) host Canadian province or territory, (ii) the specific university Postgraduate Medical Education office listed as the employer; (j) what is the breakdown of the C45 work permits in (a) by National Occupational Classification code, specifically differentiating between specialists in clinical medicine, surgical specialists, and general practitioners or family physicians; (k) what is the total number of spouse open work permits and dependent study permits issued concurrently or subsequently to the family members of the C45 work permit holders in (a); and (l) what is the total number of employer compliance inspections conducted by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada on Canadian medical schools or hospitals hosting C45 permit holders, and how many (i) monetary penalties, (ii) non-compliance warnings, were issued?

With regard to the public consultation process used to inform the government's national AI for All strategy: (a) how many total responses were received through the consultation; (b) how many responses were marked as (i) submitted, (ii) in progress, (iii) draft, (iv) incomplete, (v) an other status, broken down by status; (c) how many responses were received from (i) individual Canadians, (ii) Canadian businesses, (iii) Canadian academic institutions, (iv) Canadian non-profit organizations, (v) provincial, territorial, or municipal governments, (vi) foreign individuals, (vii) foreign businesses, (viii) foreign academic institutions, (ix) foreign non-profit organizations, (x) any other category of respondent, broken down by category; (d) what criteria were used to determine whether a respondent was Canadian or foreign; (e) how many responses included sufficient information to identify the respondent's country of residence or principal place of business; (f) how many responses did not contain sufficient information to determine the respondent's country of residence or principal place of business; (g) what weighting, if any, was applied to responses from foreign individuals or organizations when developing the strategy; and (h) what steps were taken to ensure that the consultation results were representative of Canadians?

With regard to the Government of Canada's Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program: how many prohibited firearms have been physically surrendered and collected by the Waterloo Regional Police Service under the program?

With regard to the government's response to Order Paper Question Q-1123, concerning the Veteran Homelessness Program, since January 1, 2023: (a) how many homeless veterans have been housed by the recipients referenced in the response, specifying (i) which recipients housed them, (ii) where they have been housed; (b) where have homeless veterans been housed, broken down by (i) city, (ii) municipality, (iii) province or territory; (c) what is the total cost to house homeless veterans, broken down by (i) who received a contribution for housing homeless veterans, (ii) how much the recipient has spent on housing homeless veterans; and (d) has the government audited any of the contributions made to recipients under the transfer of payments, broken down by (i) who was audited, (ii) when the recipient was audited, (iii) who audited the recipient, (iv) who was not audited and why?

With regard to Old Age Security and the Guaranteed Income Supplement: (a) how many total Old Age Security applications were awaiting initial processing on the last day of each month from January 2026 to present; (b) how many Old Age Security applications had exceeded established service standards on the last day of each month from January 2026 to present; (c) what was the (i) average, (ii) median, processing time for initial Old Age Security applications in each month from January 2026 to present; (d) since the implementation of Cúram, how many applicants experienced a delay in receiving their first Old Age Security payment beyond the applicable service standard; (e) how many urgent Old Age Security cases were identified by Service Canada in each month since January 2026; (f) for the urgent cases in (e), what was the (i) average (ii) median, processing time from the moment the urgency was identified to the moment the payment was issued; (g) how many Old Age Security payments required correction due to administrative or system-related errors in each month since January 2026; (h) what was the payment accuracy rate for Old Age Security payments in each month since January 2026, and how is that rate calculated; (i) how many Old Age Security payments were identified as inaccurate in each month since January 2026; (j) what is the total amount spent on overtime by employees administering Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplement payments in each month since January 2026 to date; (k) what are the total expenditures associated with the implementation, maintenance, remediation, and support of the Cúram platform since the project's inception, broken down by fiscal year and expenditure category; (l) how many software defects, bugs, incidents, or system issues related to the Cúram software, have been identified since January 1, 2026, broken down by severity level; (m) how many software defects, bugs, incidents, or system issues remain unresolved as of the date of this question response; (n) how many complaints related to delayed Old Age Security or Guaranteed Income Supplement payments were received in each month since January 2026; and (o) what are the details of any reports, briefing materials, or other documents regarding Old Age Security processing backlogs, payment accuracy, or Cúram implementation, that have been provided to deputy ministers or ministers since January 1, 2025, including, for each, the (i) date, (ii) title, (iii) type of document, (iv) author, (v) recipients, (vi) summary of its subject matter?

With regard to the government's Buy Canadian Policy: (a) which departments, agencies, Crown corporations, and other government entities are (i) fully exempted, (ii) partially exempted, from the requirement to prioritize Canadian materials and suppliers; and (b) for each department, agency, Crown corporation or other government entity that is partially exempted, for which purchases are they not required to prioritize Canadian materials and suppliers?

With regard to the Chief Science Advisor of Canada: (a) since 2018, what are the details of all travel outside of Canada, done by the Advisor and paid for by the government, including, for each trip, the (i) dates, (ii) origin and destination, (iii) cost of airfare, (iv) cost of accommodations, (v) name of the hotel, (vi) other expenses incurred, broken down by type, (vii) total cost, (viii) purpose of the trip; and (b) what specific (i) accomplishments have been made, (ii) work as been done, by Mona Nemer, since her appointment to the role?

With regard to the Minister of Health's statement during Question Period on May 28, 2026 where she stated "I would also say that we have taken the right measures, because after our conversation with the board, they removed the CEO of the company": (a) what were the specific "measures" she was referring to; (b) who were the individuals defined as "our" when referring to the "conversation with the board"; (c) what board members were present during the "conversation" the Minister referred to; and (d) on what date did the "conversation" the Minister referred to occur, and at what location?

With regard to Health Canada's Special Access Program, since 2016, and broken down by calendar year: how many applications for restricted drugs, as listed under Part J of the Food and Drug Regulations, were (i) received, (ii) approved, (iii) denied, under the program, broken down by the specific name of the substance or drug?