Questions and responses 41st Parliament, 1st session June 2, 2011, to September 13, 2013

With regard to government communications: (a) what is the rationale for using the phrase “Harper Government” in press releases issued by government departments and agencies; (b) is there a government-wide policy on the use of the phrase “Harper Government” in press releases issued by government departments and agencies; (c) if the answer to (b) is affirmative, (i) in what directive, order, memorandum or other document is the policy set out or promulgated, (ii) who issued that policy, (iii) what is the date and file number of any related document; (d) if the answer to (b) is negative, does any individual department, agency, Crown corporation, or other government entity have a policy on the use of the phrase “Harper Government” in press releases; and (e) for any department, agency, Crown corporation, or other government entity for which the answer to (d) is affirmative, (i) in what directive, order, memorandum or other document is the policy set out or promulgated, (ii) who issued that policy, (iii) what is the date and file number of any related document?

With regard to government communications: (a) what is the (i) headline or subject line, (ii) date, (iii) file or code-number, (iv) subject-matter of each press release which contains the phrase “Harper government” issued by each government department, agency, office, Crown corporation, or other government body since February 6, 2006; (b) for each such press release, was it distributed (i) on the web site of the issuing department, agency, office, Crown corporation, or other government body, (ii) on Marketwire, (iii) on Canada Newswire (CNW), (iv) on any other commercial wire or distribution service, specifying which such service; and (c) for each press release distributed by a commercial wire or distribution service mentioned in (b)(ii) through (b)(iv), what was the cost of using that service?

With regard to the Department of Veterans Affairs, what are the contents of all news releases, media advisories or any form of communication, national, regional or "proactive local outreach” in scope, issued by the Department between November 6 and November 15, 2012?

With regard to the Department of National Defence, what is the cost of all press releases issued by the department between January 1, 2012, and May 1, 2012 inclusively?

With regard to government communications since December 11, 2012: (a) for each press release containing the phrase “Harper government” issued by any government department, agency, office, Crown corporation, or other government body, what is the (i) headline or subject line, (ii) date, (iii) file or code-number, (iv) subject-matter; (b) for each such press release, was it distributed (i) on the web site of the issuing department, agency, office, Crown corporation, or other government body, (ii) on Marketwire, (iii) on Canada Newswire, (iv) on any other commercial wire or distribution service, specifying which service; and (c) for each press release distributed by a commercial wire or distribution service mentioned in (b)(ii) through (b)(iv), what was the cost of using the service?

With regard to government communications: (a) what is the (i) headline or subject line, (ii) date, (iii) file or code number, (iv) subject matter of each press release that contains the phrase “Harper government” issued by Transport Canada since May 1, 2012; (b) for each such press release, was it distributed (i) on Transport Canada’s website, (ii) on Marketwire, (iii) on Canada Newswire, (iv) on any other commercial wire or distribution service, specifying which such service; and (c) for each press release distributed by a commercial wire or distribution service mentioned in (b)(ii) through (b)(iv), what was the cost of using that service?

With regard to government communications since March 20, 2013: (a) for each press release containing the phrase “Harper government” issued by any government department, agency, office, Crown corporation, or other government body, what is the (i) headline or subject line, (ii) date, (iii) file or code-number, (iv) subject-matter; (b) for each such press release, was it distributed (i) on the web site of the issuing department, agency, office, Crown corporation, or other government body, (ii) on Marketwire, (iii) on Canada Newswire, (iv) on any other commercial wire or distribution service, specifying which service; and (c) for each press release distributed by a commercial wire or distribution service mentioned in (b)(ii) through (b)(iv), what was the cost of using the service?

With regard to the Canadian Coast Guard, what are the details of the $1.4 billion in spending which has been committed in the past six years, as mentioned in the August 24, 2012, press release by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, under the headline “New Canadian Coast Guard Ship Vladykov in St. John’s”, and, in particular, what is the nature, anticipated timeline and location of each project, investment or purchase which makes up this amount?

With regard to government communications since May 3, 2013: (a) for each press release containing the phrase “Harper government” issued by any government department, agency, office, Crown corporation, or other government body, what is the (i) headline or subject line, (ii) date, (iii) file or code-number, (iv) subject matter; (b) for each such press release, was it distributed (i) on the web site of the issuing department, agency, office, Crown corporation, or other government body, (ii) on Marketwire, (iii) on Canada Newswire, (iv) on any other commercial wire or distribution service, specifying which service; and (c) for each press release distributed by a commercial wire or distribution service mentioned in (b)(ii) through (b)(iv), what was the cost of using the service?

With regard to the Privy Council Office, on what date did it receive a request for approval of a news release for the joint announcement between the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and the Minister of National Defence that took place on July 9, 2010, regarding the awarding of a contract to General Dynamics Land Systems – Canada of London, Ontario, for the Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV) III Upgrade Project and when was the approval given?

With regard to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ (DFO) Evaluation of the Fisheries Resources Science Program (Project number 6B139): (a) what are the reasons for the decrease in the number of publications and public communications being produced by the Fisheries Resources Science (FRS) Program; (b) is this decrease projected to continue into the future; (c) what is the total number of publications produced by FRS in each of the years from 2000 to present; (d) what are the challenges associated with moving towards a complex ecosystems-based approach and how does FRS plan to address these challenges; (e) what effects will present and future budget cuts to DFO have on the move to this approach; (f) how does DFO intend to deal with the skills shortage among FRS staff in the quantitative/modeling areas; (g) how does DFO plan to address the increasing science requests to FRS; and (h) will any current FRS staff that are slated to retire in the next four years be replaced by new staff?

With regard to the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT): (a) who drafted the press release issued on September 22, 2012, under the title “Baird Receives Honourary 7th Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo”; (b) who approved or authorized the release of that press release by or on behalf of DFAIT; (c) what was the cost of distributing it via Marketwire; (d) was the press release transmitted or distributed by any other commercial means or services and, if so, (i) which means or services, (ii) at what costs; (e) who paid or will pay the costs of using Marketwire or any other means or service; (f) was the press release published to either the national or any regional DFAIT web sites and, if so, (i) which web sites, (ii) at what time was it published, (iii) was it later removed from the web sites, (iv) if it was removed, why was it removed and when was it removed; and (g) what was the total cost of translation?

With regard to government communications: (a) what is the (i) headline or subject line, (ii) date, (iii) file or code number, (iv) subject matter of each press release that contains the phrase “Harper government” issued by Infrastructure Canada since February 6, 2006; (b) for each such press release, was it distributed (i) on Infrastructure Canada’s website, (ii) on Marketwire, (iii) on Canada Newswire, (iv) on any other commercial wire or distribution service, specifying which such service; and (c) for each press release distributed by a commercial wire or distribution service mentioned in (b)(ii) through (b)(iv), what was the cost of using that service?

With regard to government communications: (a) for each news release containing the phrase “Harper government” issued by the Economic Development Agency of Canada for Quebec Regions since February 6, 2006, what is the (i) headline or subject line, (ii) date, (iii) file or code number, (iv) subject matter; (b) for each news release mentioned in (a), was it distributed (i) on the website of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for Quebec Regions, (ii) on Marketwire, (iii) on Canada Newswire, (iv) on any other commercial wire or distribution service, specifying which service; and (c) for each news release distributed by a commercial wire or distribution service mentioned in (b)(ii) through (b)(iv), what was the cost of that service?

With regard to government communications, what were the costs of transmitting each of the following press releases using Marketwire (or Marketwired) or Canada NewsWire: (i) “Harper Government continues to engage industry on the Canadian surface combatant project”, issued by Public Works and Government Services Canada on March 8, 2013, (ii) “Harper Government Invests in Canadian entrepreneurial business in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec”, issued by Public Works and Government Services Canada on March 15, 2013, (iii) “Harper Government kick-starts entrepreneurial and innovative business in Beaconsfield, Quebec”, issued by Public Works and Government Services Canada on March 18, 2013, (iv) “Harper Government's ship strategy bolstering Canada's economy”, issued by Public Works and Government Services Canada on March 7, 2013, (v) “National Fighter Procurement Secretariat awards contract for next independent cost review”, issued by Public Works and Government Services Canada on March 11, 2013, (vi) “Work progresses on Harper Government's evaluation of options to replace Canada's CF-18s”, issued by Public Works and Government Services Canada on March 3, 2013, (vii) “Harper Government and Wounded Warriors Canada Continue to Work Together in Support of the Vancouver Homeless Veterans Project”, issued by Veterans Affairs Canada on March 11, 2013, (viii) “Harper Government Commends Queen's University for Offering Priority Hiring to Veterans”, issued by Veterans Affairs Canada on February 27, 2013, (ix) “Harper Government Marks the End of the Italian Campaign”, issued by Veterans Affairs Canada on February 22, 2013, (x) “Harper Government Announces Funding to Support Brain Research”, issued by Health Canada on May 3, 2012?

With regard to the government’s answers to Order Paper questions in the current session of Parliament: (a) why did Transport Canada not provide the detailed response requested in Q-898 and Q-1131; (b) why did Infrastructure Canada not provide the detailed response requested in Q-654, Q-898 and Q-1131; and (c) why did the Economic Development Agency of Canada for Quebec Regions not provide the detailed response requested in Q-654, Q-898 and Q-1131?