Hon. Mohamed-Iqbal Ravalia: Thank you, minister, for being here today.

Canada is facing an unprecedented shortage of doctors, nurses and many other health professionals. In our home province of Newfoundland and Labrador, our government has recently announced new measures to recruit internationally educated registered nurses, who can fill health care vacancies. Our government has also introduced legislation that will make medical licensing more streamlined.

Recognizing the provincial-federal jurisdictional divide, can you speak to what measures the Government of Canada is taking to help address these critical labour shortages, including in health care but also other sectors?

Hon. Yonah Martin (Deputy Leader of the Opposition): Thank you, minister. The mandate letter of your colleague Minister Freeland says that you are to assist her with the creation of a career extension tax credit of up to $1,650 for seniors. As you know, that was a promise your government made in the 2021 federal election campaign. Many were expecting to see it in last year’s budget; instead, it only contained a promise to engage with experts on the role this tax credit could play in boosting the labour force participation of seniors who want to continue working later in life.

Minister, since Budget 2022, have you engaged with experts on the creation of this tax credit, and, if so, who did you meet with? Did formal consultations with stakeholders take place? If not, why not? If so, were you involved? What is the current status of this promise to our seniors?

The Hon. the Speaker: Sorry, minister, but your time has expired.

Senator Bernard: We look forward to that report in the spring. Thank you.

Hon. Rebecca Patterson: Thank you, minister. I would like to ask a follow-up question concerning the Pay Equity Act.

We know that certain people are impacted by pay equity more than others, and they tend to be those working at lower rates of pay. Those particular rates of pay tend to be dominated by equity-seeking groups, and they also live very precariously because of it.

Hearing that it will take quite a period of time to get through at least the 4,600 requests — plus more — that will come in from employers, and recognizing that a plan must be built before the pay is going to be challenged or made equal, is there going to be any priority given in the assessment process to employers who have groups that are more traditionally in the lower end of the range and are more greatly composed of other equity-seeking groups?

Senator Duncan: Thank you.

[Translation]

Hon. Julie Miville-Dechêne: I will be brief. I admire your rather purist vision of journalism. You are right in saying that it is dangerous to take money from large, extremely powerful platforms, but I think we are already beyond that point since journalism in this country is receiving funding from the government. The government is no doubt the most heavily criticized entity in Canada, and now it is giving the media money.

As far as principles go, how is it any different to accept money from platforms that earn some money through journalism?

Senator Miville-Dechêne: Certainly.

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Hon. the Speaker pro tempore: Senator Cotter, I have three more senators who want to ask questions. Are you willing to answer questions?

Senator Cotter: I’d be pleased to, yes.

The Hon. the Speaker pro tempore: Do we have an agreement for five minutes?

The Hon. the Speaker pro tempore: Honourable senators, do we have an agreement for five minutes?

Hon. Leo Housakos: Would Senator Miville-Dechêne take a question?

The Hon. the Speaker pro tempore: Is leave granted, honourable senators?

Hon. Kim Pate: Would you take another question, Senator Cotter?

Senator Cotter: I certainly would, Senator Pate.

The Hon. the Speaker pro tempore: Senator Cotter, I have three senators on the second round. Do you wish to ask for five more minutes to answer these questions?

Senator Cotter: I’d be happy to ask for five more minutes and I’ll try to provide briefer answers.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of the Honourable Ato Tagesse Chaffo Dullo, Speaker of the House of People’s Representatives of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

On behalf of all honourable senators, I welcome you to the Senate of Canada.

Hon. Yonah Martin: Minister, this question also comes from a senior living on a fixed income with his partner in downtown St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. It recently cost about $1,000 to fill his oil tank. As of July 1, the Trudeau government’s carbon tax will drive up home heating oil by over $0.17 a litre, and at $2.03 per litre, a standard tank of 900 litres will cost about $1,800 — $800 more. Your government’s programs for home renovation and energy switches make it hard to improve old houses, which the programs want to make impossibly perfect. This senior cannot apply for those programs as his home cannot be brought into line with your government’s energy standards.

Minister, there is a saying: “Let not perfection be the enemy of good.” What are you going to do to advocate for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians caught in this situation who will soon have to pay a lot more to heat their homes?

As I said before, 8 out of 10 households will get more money back than they do currently. If there are any increases as a result of a price on pollution, that money — and, in many cases, more money — will be refunded back to them. That is how it will work.

Let’s not forget that the reality of the situation right now is that there is already a tax applied, and it goes to the general revenue of the province.

Hon. Paula Simons: Minister, the airline industry, as those of us who fly often know, is experiencing a tremendous labour shortage. There is a shortage of pilots, ground crews, passenger service agents and air traffic controllers.

One of the things I have heard from people in the industry is that it is very hard to find people, especially pilots and air traffic controllers, because the training is long, complicated and completely unfunded. There are no universities, scholarships or the ability to access student loans.

What, if anything, is your department doing to try to find ways to bring more Canadians the skills they need to take those jobs?