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

With regard to asylum claims assessed by the Immigration and Refugee Board, and broken down by year since January 1, 2020: (a) how many claims were received by the Refugee Protection Division, in total and broken down by (i) country of origin, (ii) original purpose of entry, including whether the claimant was a visitor or student, (iii) type of claimed persecution, (iv) type of legal representation; (b) how many claims were approved by the Refugee Protection Division in total and broken down by (i) country of origin, (ii) original purpose of entry, including whether the claimant was a visitor or student, (iii) type of claimed persecution, (iv) type of legal representation; (c) how many claims were rejected by the Refugee Protection Division, in total and broken down by (i) country of origin, (ii) original purpose of entry, including whether the claimant was a visitor or student, (iii) type of claimed persecution, (iv) type of legal representation; (d) of the claims that were rejected by the Refugee Protection Division, how many were appealed to the Refugee Appeals Division; (e) how many of the claims appealed to the Refugee Appeals Division were (i) confirmed, (ii) overturned, (iii) substituted for the original Refugee Protection Division decision, (iv) returned to the Refugee Protection Division for a new hearing; (f) what is the breakdown of (e)(i), (e)(ii), (e)(iii) and (e)(iv) by (i) country of origin, (ii) original purpose of entry, including whether the claimant was a visitor or student, (iii) type of claimed persecution, (iv) type of legal representation; (g) of those whose claims have been rejected by the Refugee Protection Division, how many are (i) still in Canada, (ii) no longer in Canada; and (h) of those whose claims have been rejected by the Refugee Appeals Division, how many are (i) still in Canada, (ii) no longer in Canada?

With regard to the requirement for prime contractors of defence procurements to undertake business activity in Canada equal to 100% of the value of the contracts that they are awarded by the government under the Industrial and Regional Benefits Policy and the Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy: (a) what are the details of each contract signed since January 1, 2016, that was subject to the policy, including the (i) date, (ii) vendor, (iii) contract value, (iv) description of the goods or services provided, (v) value of the business activity undertaken in Canada to date related to the requirement for prime contractors, (vi) detailed breakdown, including the locations, of the business activity in (v); (b) of the contracts in (a), which ones have been audited to ensure compliance with requirements to undertake business activity in Canada, and, for each audit, what are the details, including the date and findings; and (c) have any penalties been issued since January 1, 2016, to prime contractors for not living up to the requirements under the Industrial and Regional Benefits Policy or the Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy, and, if so, what are the details of each, including the (i) vendor, (ii) penalty that was issued, (iii) date, (iv) reason for the penalty?

With regard to Canadian government funding of the HAYA Joint Programme and its association with the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, a Gaza-based organization with reported links to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, designated by Canada as a terrorist entity: (a) what is the total amount of Canadian funding provided to the HAYA Joint Programme since its inception, broken down by fiscal year; (b) what portion of Canadian funding was allocated or subcontracted to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, directly or indirectly, through implementing partners or United Nations agencies; (c) what are the names of all implementing partners and subcontracted non-governmental organizations that received Canadian funds as part of the HAYA Programme, and what amounts did each receive, broken down by year; (d) what oversight or due diligence measures were undertaken by Global Affairs Canada to ensure that no funds provided through the HAYA Programme were allocated to organizations with links to terrorist groups or engaged in political propaganda; (e) was the government of Canada aware of the January 15, 2025, Facebook post by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights in which Canada was tagged and accused of complicity in "starvation as a weapon of war" by Israel, and, if so, what steps were taken in response; (f) has the government of Canada, Global Affairs Canada, or any Canadian official formally raised concerns with the United Nations agencies involved in HAYA, including UN Women and United Nations Population Fund, regarding the participation of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights in the program; (g) has the government of Canada taken any action to investigate whether its funding has contributed to materials or training programs developed or delivered by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, including programs in United Nations Relief and Works Agency schools, and, if so, what were the findings; and (h) will the government of Canada provide a complete accounting of the HAYA Programme’s disbursements, including financial breakdowns, project reports, and evaluations, and if not, why not?

With regard to the near surface disposal facility at Chalk River: (a) what options are there besides centralization at Chalk River for storing radioactive waste until the deep geologic repository is ready to accept spent nuclear fuel; (b) what criteria did the government use in selecting Chalk River for this facility; (c) what studies were conducted to reach this decision; (d) what comparative studies were conducted, particularly with regard to site safety, environmental impacts, transportation costs, storage costs, etc.; and (e) what are the additional costs of this double transportation?

With regard to the Prime Minister's international travel from March 14, 2025, to the present: (a) what is the total expenditure on hotel accommodations for the Prime Minister and his entourage, broken down by trip and fiscal year; (b) what is the total cost of in-flight catering for the Prime Minister's flights, broken down by trip and fiscal year; and (c) what are the names and addresses of the hotels where the Prime Minister has stayed, broken down by trip?

With regard to wildfire management and prevention, and pest management, in Canadian national parks by Parks Canada, specifically concerning recent wildfire events in Jasper National Park and potential risks to Gros Morne National Park: (a) what assessments have been conducted by Parks Canada regarding the (i) causes, (ii) impacts, (iii) lessons learned, from wildfires in Jasper National Park, since January 1, 2022; (b) how are the lessons learned from wildfire incidents in Jasper National Park being incorporated into wildfire (i) prevention, (ii) detection, (iii) response, strategies in other Canadian national parks, including Gros Morne National Park; (c) has Parks Canada completed or commissioned any (i) risk assessments, (ii) vulnerability studies, related to wildfire hazards or risks in Gros Morne National Park; (d) what specific (i) measures, (ii) resources, (iii) programs, have been implemented or planned by Parks Canada to mitigate wildfire risks in Gros Morne National Park; (e) what collaborations or partnerships exist between (i) Parks Canada, (ii) provincial governments, (iii) Indigenous communities, (iv) local stakeholders, to support wildfire management and mitigation in Gros Morne National Park; (f) does Parks Canada publicly report on (i) wildfire risk monitoring, (ii) incidents in Gros Morne National Park, and, if so, where can this information be accessed; (g) what funding has been or was allocated for wildfire prevention and management activities in Gros Morne National Park for the (i) 2022-23, (ii) 2023-24, (iii) 2024-25, fiscal year, and what is planned to be allocated for the 2025-26 fiscal year; (h) how does Parks Canada incorporate climate change projections into its wildfire management planning for national parks, particularly in areas like Gros Morne National Park that face heightened wildfire risks; (i) how many Parks Canada staff at Gros Morne National Park are trained in wildfire prevention and response; (j) how many Parks Canada staff in Gros Morne National Park have received wildfire prevention training since January 1, 2022; (k) what wildfire-specific training programs have been provided to Parks Canada staff at Gros Morne National Park since January 1, 2022; (l) what emergency notification systems or public alert mechanisms are in place to warn (i) residents, (ii) visitors, (iii) local stakeholders, in the event of a wildfire at Gros Morne National Park; (m) what technologies are currently used by Parks Canada to detect or monitor wildfires in Gros Morne National Park; (n) are there any planned implementations of new technologies to detect or monitor wildfires in Gros Morne National Park; (o) is artificial intelligence currently being used in any capacity in relation to wildfire detection or monitoring in Gros Morne National Park, and, if so, how; (p) are any technologies such as satellite monitoring, drones, thermal imaging or artificial intelligence monitoring currently being used for wildfire detection or monitoring in Gros Morne National Park, and, if so, how; (q) are there any planned implementations of new technologies, such as satellite monitoring, drones, thermal imaging or artificial intelligence monitoring for wildfire detection or monitoring in Gros Morne National Park, and, if so, what are the plans; (r) has Parks Canada conducted any prescribed burns or fuel reduction activities in Gros Morne National Park since January 1, 2022, and, if so, what are the (i) locations, (ii) dates, (iii) objectives, (iv) outcomes, of these activities; (s) what community engagement or public education initiatives has Parks Canada conducted in Gros Morne National Park or the region to raise awareness about wildfire prevention and preparedness; (t) what policies or protocols are currently in place regarding (i) temporary park closures, (ii) trail restrictions, (iii) evacuation procedures, due to wildfire risk at Gros Morne National Park; (u) has Parks Canada conducted any internal audits or evaluations of its wildfire preparedness or response capacity at Gros Morne National Park since January 1, 2022, and, if so, what were the details of each, including the (i) date, (ii) findings, (iii) recommendations; (v) what forest management practices are currently in place at Gros Morne National Park to maintain ecosystem health and reduce wildfire risk, including those related to selective thinning, habitat restoration or reforestation; (w) what assessments has Parks Canada conducted to evaluate the accumulation of natural fuels, such as dry brush, undergrowth and dead vegetation in Gros Morne National Park, and what actions have been taken to manage these natural fuels; (x) has Parks Canada implemented any specific strategies to manage deadwood or fallen debris in Gros Morne National Park that may pose an elevated wildfire risk, and, if so, what are the details of those strategies; (y) how does Parks Canada balance ecological goals, including maintaining habitat for wildlife, with wildfire risk reduction when managing dead trees and woody debris in Gros Morne National Park; (z) broken down by fiscal year since 2022-23, what was the overall budget allocation for Gros Morne National Park and what is the breakdown of categorical spending for the (i) 2022-23, (ii) 2023-24, (iii) 2024-25, fiscal year, within the operating budget for Gros Morne National Park; (aa) what were the revenues of Parks Canada in the (i) 2022-23, (ii) 2023-24, (iii) 2024-25, fiscal year; (bb) what were the revenues of Gros Morne National Park in the (i) 2022-23, (ii) 2023-24, (iii) 2024-25, fiscal year; and (cc) has Parks Canada sprayed for spruce budworms in Gros Morne National Park since January 1, 2022 and, if so, what are the (i) dates, (ii) areas within the park that were sprayed (name of the area and square kilometer radius)?

With regard to the offer made by Public Services and Procurement Canada to the town council of Channel-Port aux Basques to purchase the property located at 30 Bay Street, Channel-Port aux Basques, Newfoundland and Labrador, for the price of $1 and the government's decision to later revoke the offer and list the property for sale at fair market value: (a) what are the details of the offer, including (i) the initial agreement that was discussed with the Town of Channel-Port aux Basques, (ii) how many properties were offered, (iii) the price of each property offered; (b) what is the reason for the withdrawal of the offer; (c) what are the details of the withdrawal, including the (i) date of the decision to withdraw, (ii) departments and personnel involved in the decision, (iii) departments and personnel involved in the communication of the withdrawal to the town council of Channel-Port aux Basques; (d) what are the details of any renovations made or planned for the property since January 1, 2022, including what was planned and the associated budgets and timelines; (e) what is the government's reason for no longer allowing the town to purchase the property for $1; (f) who determines what price the property will be listed for and how is the price determined; and (g) have contracts or financial agreements been signed by the government, including with realtors, related to the sale of the property, and, if so, what are the details of each, including the (i) date, (ii) vendor, (iii) value or financial terms, (iv) description of the goods or services provided, (v) manner in which the contract was awarded (sole-sourced or competitive bid)?

With regard to the small boat basin proposed by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans for the northwest side of St. Anthony's harbour: (a) what is the current proposed budget for the St. Anthony's harbour small boat basin project; (b) has the cost increased from the originally proposed $5.8 million, and, if so, what factors have contributed to this cost increase; (c) what is the current status of the engineering assessment being conducted by AFN Engineering for the Small Craft Harbours NL Region branch of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans for the proposed small boat basin in St. Anthony's harbour on the northwest side of the harbour; (d) what is the current status of the feasibility study being conducted by the Small Craft Harbours NL Region branch of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans for the proposed small boat basin in St. Anthony's harbour on the northwest side of the harbour; (e) how many times since January 1, 2023, have site conditions been deemed suitable for conducting assessments and what factors influence the determination of suitability for the assessments; and (f) what are the results of the conditional assessment of the marginal wharf on the northwest side of the harbour?

With regard to the Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Resource Revenue Fund and to payments made to the fund as referenced in the Main Estimates and related government financial documents: (a) what was the total amount of federal funding deposited into the Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Resource Revenue Fund for the (i) 2022-23 fiscal year, (ii) 2023-24 fiscal year, (iii) 2024-25 fiscal year; (b) broken down by fiscal year since 2022-23, what amounts of funding were disbursed by the Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Resource Revenue Fund, broken down by (i) project, (ii) recipient, (iii) purpose, (iv) activity, (v) department or agency responsible for the disbursement; (c) broken down by fiscal year since 2022-23, what portion of payments from the Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Resource Revenue Fund (i) have been, or are planned to be, allocated to offshore petroleum or mining projects, (ii) were allocated to other categories of spending; (d) for the 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25 fiscal years, has any funding from the Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Resource Revenue Fund been allocated to the Bay du Nord project, and, if so, what was the (i) total amount, (ii) purpose of the funding, (iii) date of the allocation; (e) if no funding has been allocated to the Bay du Nord project, is the federal government considering any future allocation from the Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Resource Revenue Fund to the Bay du Nord project, and, if so, what is the (i) planned amount, (ii) timeline for such an allocation; (f) what mechanisms, if any, are in place to monitor and publicly report on the disbursements and uses of funds from the Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Resource Revenue Fund, including any (i) audit processes, (ii) annual reporting requirements, (iii) oversight by federal departments; (g) what documents, including financial reports or audits, are available regarding the administration and use of the Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Resource Revenue Fund, and where can they be publicly accessed; (h) what criteria and processes does the government use to determine the allocation of funds from the Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Resource Revenue Fund to (i) various projects, (ii) initiatives; (i) how does the government measure the (i) economic, (ii) environmental, (iii) social, impact of projects funded by the Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Resource Revenue Fund, and are there publicly available impact assessments for funded projects; (j) have there been any audits, reviews or evaluations conducted on the Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Resource Revenue Fund's management and spending from January 2022 to present, and, if so, what are the details of the findings and any resulting actions or policy changes; (k) what role, if any, do (i) Indigenous peoples, (ii) local communities, play in the decision-making or oversight of projects funded by the Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Resource Revenue Fund; (I) are there any plans to expand or modify the mandate of the Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Resource Revenue Fund, and, if so, what are the details on the proposed changes; (m) what is the projected total revenue expected to be deposited into the Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Resource Revenue Fund, broken down by year, over the (i) next five fiscal years, (ii) next 10 fiscal years, and what assumptions underlie these projections; (n) has the Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Resource Revenue Fund supported any initiatives related to environmental remediation, climate change mitigation or sustainable development, and, if so, what are the details and amounts allocated for each; (o) for the Bay du Nord project, (i) what environmental assessments have been funded or supported through the Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Resource Revenue Fund, (ii) what were the outcomes of the assessments in (o)(i), (iii) are there any conditions outstanding; (p) how does the government ensure transparency and public accountability regarding expenditures from the Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Resource Revenue Fund, including the use of (i) websites, (ii) public reports, (iii) community engagement; and (q) are there any outstanding (i) legal, (ii) contractual, obligations linked to the Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Resource Revenue Fund that could impact future allocations or spending?

With regard to Canada Revenue Agency call centres: (a) how many wrong answers given by call centre employees have been detected by any internal quality control systems, broken down by year since January 1, 2020; (b) how many call centre employees have been given additional training after giving wrong answers, broken down by year since January 1, 2020; and (c) how many hours of training on technical tax questions do call centre employees undergo (i) initially, before they commence answering the phones, (ii) on an annual basis, after commencing their work answering the phones?

With regard to the proposed national marine conservation area in the South Coast Fjords study area of the southwest coast of Newfoundland by Environment and Climate Change Canada and Parks Canada: (a) what is the current size, in square kilometers, of the study area under consideration, and how does that compare to the original size of 9,114 km as first publicly announced; (b) what is the current status of the feasibility assessment (including community, Indigenous consultation, etc.), including how many coastal communities have been engaged to date; (c) what is the timeline for (i) boundary decisions, (ii) the establishment of an agreement, (iii) public comment; (d) what protections, regulations, or "full protection zones" (such as no-fishing zones, bottom-trawling exclusions, etc.) are currently (i) proposed, (ii) under consideration, within the study area; (e) for each item in (d), what economic impacts have been assessed for (i) local fishing, (ii) commercial fishing, (iii) aquaculture, (iv) tourism, (v) coastal community employment by the agency, (vi) mining, (vii) potential deep-water ports for mining and shipping; (f) what is the total estimated cost of the government completing the establishment process (feasibility, designation, management planning, etc.) for the proposed South Coast Fjords National Marine Conservation Area; (g) what annual budget is projected for managing the area, if designated, (including enforcement, monitoring, Indigenous partnerships, community engagement, visitor infrastructure, etc.); (h) how will the government and Parks Canada ensure that the interests of local Indigenous peoples (including the Miawpukek First Nation and Quipu First Nation) and coastal communities in the Long Range Mountains riding are fully integrated into the (i) governance, (ii) monitoring, (iii) economic benefit-sharing, of the proposed National Marine Conservation Area; (i) upon approval, which department, Crown corporation or agency will be responsible for regulating fishing within the National Marine Conservation Area; (j) what are the projected impacts of these regulations for local industries (commercial fishing, shipping, etc.); and (k) what will the role of (i) Parks Canada, (ii) Environment and Climate Change Canada, (iii) Fisheries and Oceans Canada, be within the National Marine Conservation Area and in the regulation of the National Marine Conservation Area?

With regard to access to safe drinking water in rural Newfoundland and Labrador, federal infrastructure investments in the riding of Long Range Mountains, and Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations: (a) how many communities in Newfoundland and Labrador are currently under boil water advisories; (b) what are the names and federal ridings of communities in Newfoundland and Labrador under a boil water advisory and how long has the advisory been in place; (c) what specific federal funding programs are currently available to assist rural Newfoundland and Labrador communities in upgrading aging water systems; (d) how much federal funding has been allocated to water infrastructure projects in Newfoundland and Labrador since 2020, broken down by (i) year, (ii) project; (e) has the government assessed the public health or economic impacts of persistent boil water advisories in rural Newfoundland and Labrador communities, and, if so, what were the findings; (f) what is the government doing to ensure Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities in rural and coastal Newfoundland and Labrador have equitable access to safe drinking water; (g) broken down by community and project, how much federal funding, and from which specific funding sources, has been allocated to (i) water, (ii) wastewater, infrastructure projects in the riding of Long Range Mountains since 2020; (h) what support is available for smaller towns, villages, or communities in Long Range Mountains that lack a tax base or technical expertise to apply for federal infrastructure funding; (i) is the government currently considering any policy changes to streamline infrastructure application processes for rural communities with limited administrative capacity; (j) how many and which municipalities in Newfoundland and Labrador are currently non-compliant with Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations, and what are the reasons for non-compliance; (k) how many and which of the non-compliant municipalities have received Transitional Authorizations, and what supports are in place to help them meet federal compliance; (I) what is the projected cost to bring all non-compliant municipalities in Newfoundland and Labrador into compliance, and what proportion of that cost will be covered by federal programs; and (m) has the government conducted any infrastructure readiness assessments in Newfoundland and Labrador municipalities to determine funding and technical support needs for wastewater upgrades, and, if so, what were the results of the assessments?

With regard to federal spending to support electric vehicle manufacturing in Canada since January 1, 2016: (a) what is the total amount of federal funding provided to electric vehicle-related projects; (b) what are the details of all contributions, loans, subsidies, or tax incentives provided, including the (i) recipient company or organization, (ii) amount, (iii) date of issue, (iv) source program or fund, (v) purpose of the funding; (c) what specific projects or facilities received the funding, including their location and intended production capacity; and (d) what conditions, performance requirements, or repayment provisions were attached to each agreement?

With regard to federal spending to support the automotive manufacturing industry in Canada since January 1, 2016: (a) what is the total amount of funding provided to vehicle manufacturers, parts suppliers, or related industrial facilities; (b) what are the details of all contributions, loans, subsidies, or tax incentives provided, including the (i) recipient company or organization, (ii) amount, (iii) date of issue, (iv) source program or fund, (v) purpose of the funding; (c) what specific projects or facilities received the funding, including their location and production focus; and (d) what conditions, performance requirements, or repayment provisions were attached to each agreement?

With regard to the federal public service: what is the number of employees or full-time equivalents, broken down by the postal code where each employee resides?

With regard to the government's plans for the Sandspit Inn and the surrounding land owned by Transport Canada: (a) what is Transport Canada's detailed plan for the future of the Sandspit Inn, including the timeframe for the implementation of the plan; and (b) what are the details of all consultations conducted to date, or planned for the future, by Transport Canada related to the future of the Sandspit Inn?

With regard to the impact of the government's emissions cap on liquefied natural gas projects in Canada: (a) will LNG Canada Phase 2 be subject to the government's emissions cap; and (b) what assessments has the government conducted on the impact of the emissions cap on the viability of (i) LNG Canada Phase 2, (ii) other liquefied natural gas projects in Canada, and what was the result of each such assessment?

With regard to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans' decision to close commercial fishing for mackerel in Atlantic Canada: (a) what was the amount of mackerel in the region before the moratorium; (b) what is the amount of mackerel in the region now; (c) when was the last time the amount of mackerel in the region was considered at strong enough levels in order to not have a moratorium; (d) what threshold would make the mackerel stock eligible to have the moratorium lifted with regard to the (i) size of the mackerel, (ii) size of the biomass; (e) when was the most recent biomass assessment of the mackerel data and what departments and personnel were involved in collecting the data; (f) what specific scientific models or methodologies were used in the biomass and stock assessments; (g) who was involved in the decision-making process for the moratorium, including (i) government departments, (ii) government officials, (iii) third-party advisory bodies, (iv) provincial government officials, (v) provincial government departments, (vi) industry professionals; (h) what indicators or benchmarks are used to evaluate recovery progress during the moratorium; (i) are local and regional perspectives being considered in the monitoring of stock health; (j) how does Canada's mackerel stock assessment align with, or differ from, those conducted by other jurisdictions facing similar issues; (k) is Canada working with any of the other jurisdictions for joint action on mackerel stocks, and, if so, what are the details; (l) what economic impact assessments were conducted prior to the moratorium's implementation; and (m) what is the government's assessment of how the moratorium is affecting trade of Canada's mackerel stock?

With regard to the World Health Organization Pandemic Agreement: has the government signed the binding World Health Organization Pandemic Agreement, who actually signed it or will sign it and on what date?

With regard to the government’s implementation of a digital identification that will be mandatory to access government services and pay taxes: what is the plan and progress of the government on the implementation of a digital identification and what are the implementation dates for each phase?