• Appointment Practices of the Federal Government
• Armament Specialists in the Canadian Forces
• Government Decentralization
• Ministerial Appointments
• Governor in Council Appointments
• Guaranteed Income Supplement
• Impact of Climate Change and Prince Edward Island
• Pesticide Use and your Health

March 29, 2007

In 2004, the Ontario College of Family Physicians released Pesticides Literature Review, strongly recommending that exposure to pesticides be reduced wherever possible. The review shows consistent links to serious illnesses such as cancer, reproductive problems, and neurological diseases, among others. The review also shows that children are particularly vulnerable to pesticides.

a. What precautions are the Government of Canada taking to protect vulnerable groups, including children and pregnant women, against the harmful effects of cosmetic pesticides?

b. What measures are the Government of Canada employing to ensure non-essential pesticides do not adversely impact environmental conditions including water, air, and soil?

c. What programs are the Government of Canada promoting to encourage sustainable pest management strategies?

d. What incentives are the Government of Canada utilizing to encourage companies within the pesticide industry to produce new reduced risk pesticides?

e. What methods are the Government of Canada taking to ensure pesticide users properly follow label instructions?

f. What measures are the Government of Canada employing to monitor reports of pesticide problems by registrants, doctors, provincial agencies, university researchers, and pesticide users?

March 28, 2007

With respect to Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA):

1. Numerous municipalities have adopted by-laws restricting pesticide use, including Toronto and Halifax. The Government of Quebec implemented legislation setting strict standards to control the sale and the use of pesticides including limiting the non-essential use of pesticides to the bare essentials in matters of lawn maintenance. Childcare centers, elementary and secondary schools also have to be as free as possible from pesticides.

a. What legislative steps are the Government of Canada taking to curb or prohibit the use of cosmetic or non- essential pesticides?

b. What additional resources are the Government of Canada providing to the PMRA to conduct re-evaluations of the impact of older pesticides on human health and the environment?

c. What percentage of all pesticides re-evaluated by the PMRA to date were either removed from the market or had greater restrictions placed on their use?

d. What efforts are the Government of Canada taking to ensure the evaluation methods of the PMRA are up to date?

e. What steps are the Government of Canada taking to ensure the PMRA promptly processes new pesticide submissions?

f. Over the last six years, how many temporarily registered pesticide products were granted approval for extensions by the PMRA? Did these extensions occur more than once? If so, how many times?

g. From 2004 to 2006, what percentage of new pesticide registrations received temporary status by the PMRA?

h. From 2004 to 2006, how many times have emergency registrations been granted by the PMRA?

February 7, 2007

With regard to the impact of climate change on Prince Edward Island:

1. In June 2001, Environment Canada, Natural Resources Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada jointly released a report entitled Coastal Impacts of Climate Change and Sea-Level Rise on Prince Edward Island as part of the Climate Change Action Fund project.

(a) Would the Minister of Environment advise if there have been any updates to the study since the release of the report in June 2001?

(b) Would the Minister please provide any additional information since June 2001 on the impacts of climate change and rising sea-levels on Prince Edward Island?

April 5, 2006

1) With respect to the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS):

A. Could the Government of Canada provide a copy of any briefing information that has been prepared since January 2004 for the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development regarding eligible seniors who are not currently receiving the GIS benefit?

B. Could the Government of Canada provide a copy of any briefing information prepared since January 2004 for the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development specifically for eligible seniors in Prince Edward Island who are not currently receiving the GIS benefit?

2) With respect to Governor in Council appointments:

A. Could the Government of Canada provide a list of all of the Governor in Council (GIC) appointments of Prince Edward Island residents appointed between December 1, 2003 and March 31, 2006?

B. Could the Government of Canada provide the name of the appointee, the board, agency, commission or other appointment they received and the length of the term?

3) With respect to ministerial appointments:

A. Could the Government of Canada provide a list of all Ministerial appointments of Prince Edward Island residents appointed between December 1, 2003 and March 31, 2006?

B. Could the Government of Canada provide the name of the appointee, the appointment they received and the length of the term?

4) With respect to government decentralization:

A. Could the Government of Canada provide a copy of any reports/briefing notes that have been prepared since December 2003 for the Prime Minister or any other minister regarding proposals to relocate government departments (or parts thereof), agencies and Crown corporations from the National Capital area to the regions of Canada?

B. Could the Government of Canada provide reports/briefing notes prepared by any government department since December 2003 assessing which government departments (or parts thereof), agencies or Crown corporations could be relocated from the National Capital area to the regions of Canada?

5) With respect to the Jean Canfield Building:

Could the Minister of Public Works provide copies of all correspondence (including emails and notes to the Minister) pertaining to the decision to name the new federal building in Charlottetown the Jean Canfield Building?

6) With respect to Armament Specialists in the Canadian Forces:

A. Could the Minister of National Defence identify whether the Canadian Forces currently employ armament specialists?

B. Could the Minister provide the number of armament specialists in the Canadian Forces?

C. If there are currently no armament specialists employed by the Department of National Defence, could the Minister provide information on whether the Department intends to build this capacity in the Canadian Forces and recruit/employ armament specialists, and if so, in what timeframe?

7) With respect to the appointment practices of the government:

As Leader of the Opposition, Stephen Harper said, “A new government is needed to make sure that important public appointments are filled on the basis of merit and not simply as favours to friends and political supporters.” Could Prime Minister Stephen Harper explain why, immediately after the federal election, he appointed his campaign co-chair John Reynolds as a Privy Councillor?