Question Period Notes
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In accordance with the Access to Information Act, the government proactively publishes the package of question period notes that were prepared by a government institution for the minister and that were in use on the last sitting day in June and December.
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Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline, which carries Canadian oil from Superior, Wisconsin, through the water of the Great Lakes at the Straits of Mackinac to Sarnia, Ontario, is a concern in Michigan. On November 13, 2020, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced that the state is revoking Enbridge’s 1953 authorization (its ‘easement’) to operate Line 5 through the Straits of Mackinac. The state is citing alleged violations of the easement agreement by Enbridge in operating the dual Line 5 pipelines over the years, which Michigan sees as an unreasonable oil spill risk, and is giving the company 180 days to cease operations. The Attorney General is also filing a parallel legal challenge, and Michigan’s earlier lawsuit to shut the line also remains pending.
In the fast-paced and constantly evolving marketplace to secure necessary products and supplies to support the Government of Canada’s response to the pandemic, there have been reports of wrongdoing and fraudulent activity associated with the procurement of PPE from around the world. Questions may arise as to the measures that Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) has in place to protect the integrity of the federal procurement system during this period.
On behalf of Global Affairs Canada (GAC), Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) issued a National Master Standing Offer (NMSO) to Nuctech Inc., a Chinese state-owned company, for x-ray screening equipment for use in non-operational areas in Canadian missions abroad.
What Progress has been made on pay equity?
Malicious actors are seeking to exploit vulnerabilities that have emerged in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prior to COVID-19, the Public Health Agency of Canada’s (PHAC) National Emergency Strategic Stockpile (NESS) warehouse network was comprised of [redacted] warehouses totalling approximately 167,000 square feet. This included [redacted] warehouses (119,000 square feet) and [redacted] regional warehouses (48,000 square feet). The amount and volume of personal protective equipment (PPE) ordered in response to the pandemic was well beyond PHAC’s capacity to receive and store. Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) has supported PHAC by entering into service contracts and leases to provide with additional warehousing capacity.
Recent questions have been raised about domestic contracting for ventilators.
The global nature of supply chains puts procurements at potential risk of having been produced using forced labour and human trafficking.
The Commissioner of Official Languages is scheduled to table his Official Languages Annual Report on Tuesday, September 29, 2020.