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

Senator Martin: First of all, thank you for your speech, and for giving us an understanding of the journey in arriving at this place with this bill. It has been a long time. I really appreciated your personal testimony, as well as helping us understand what is in the bill.

I will focus on what is not in the bill, and what we could perhaps consider in a study of amendments from this chamber.

You mentioned “Innuizing” a space. I thought I would start with a question related to the Inuit representation: Natan Obed, President of the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, a national Inuit organization, expressed his disappointment with this legislation at a press conference just last Friday. He said the bill could result in recommendations that may be completely out of sync with Inuit positions — with only one seat on a board of 9 to 13 people to be nominated by the organization. Mr. Obed believes that, had they been consulted when this legislation was first being considered, this would not have been the result.

I’m curious, senator, what would your response be to Mr. Obed and these concerns?

[Translation]

Senator Audette: I will be candid with you. I understand that position and reaction. I understand it. In a perfect world, when the bill was introduced in the other place, the democracy or power and discretion would have been left in the hands of our Indigenous leaders, who could determine whether one day we’re able to create something that meets the needs of the Inuit people, rather than creating large entities where we have to fight for a place among ourselves. Unfortunately, that divides us and puts us in situations where people are left wondering why them and not us?

In my heart, Mr. Obed has the right to share that message. We need to determine how we can then, when we are at the study and reflection stages, find something that he’s comfortable with or not, as a leader and an Inuit representative.

(1540)

Also, it’s important to remember that this organization must not take the place of existing relationships with the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations. Nation-to-nation governments must remain and be maintained, and this council must not interfere with that. If I were in a position to make recommendations, and I’ll leave that up to you to decide, I would say that we must ensure that the door remains open for nations to withdraw or return, and that we must respect their choice if they decide not to return.

[English]

Hon. Senators: Hear, hear.

Hon. Ratna Omidvar: Would the Honourable Senator Audette take a question?

[Translation]

Senator Audette: Yes, of course.

[English]

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): The amendments that were introduced were not done in a “sneaky” fashion; they were done in a committee in the other place. More importantly, the government will always respect hunters, sports shooters and Indigenous peoples and their traditions. The government is not targeting hunting rifles or shotguns.

I know there has been confusion on this point, so let me be clear. Many of the hunting rifles mentioned recently in the media are not being prohibited, and that includes the one that was a part of a well-known photo by a very well-known personality from my hometown of Montreal. This is largely a matter of misunderstanding where, for example, a common hunting rifle also has a high-powered version. It is only the high-powered version that would be prohibited under the amendments introduced into the bill.

Having said all of that, as the Prime Minister has made clear, he and the government are open to feedback to make sure that firearms mainly used for hunting are not included in the prohibition. The bill, which I hope we will receive and have the opportunity to study properly and fully as we have always done, is about the guns that were used in the massacre at l’École Polytechnique, in a mosque in Quebec City and in South Simcoe. This is a bill to protect safe communities for Canadians.

Senator Plett: Senator Gold, I asked about this issue 40 days ago. Canadians expect that the minister would have made decisions by now on how to remedy this outrageous situation.

For the minister to say that this period has stress tested the system and that it has exposed some areas of vulnerability is simply not good enough. Leadership is not about blaming others and giving excuses; it is about having a plan forward and ensuring that Canadians get the services and the assistance they deserve — services that they, frankly, pay for.

Senator Gold, I will repeat my question: What is the Minister of Transportation doing? What is your government doing to address this backlog? What is the plan to address the growing number of complaints at the Canadian Transportation Agency?

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Senator Gold, on October 27, I asked your colleague Minister Alghabra a question on the backlog of complaints due to flight delays and cancellations at the Canadian Transportation Agency.

At the time your colleague said:

I have met with the chair of the CTA just recently, first, wanting to get briefed by her on the situation, the volume of complaints and the resources that are needed. Our government is now working with the CTA on making sure they have the resources they need.

And yet we are reading in Blacklock’s this morning that the number of complaints has now reached 30,000, and the minister is now saying that cabinet is “figuring out how we can improve the system.”

Senator Gold, your government is constantly working at a snail’s pace when it comes to providing services to Canadians. Can you please share with us what your government is doing in “figuring out how” to improve the system?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question, senator. The government knows full well that the EI, or Employment Insurance, system which is needed for the 21st century is one that needs to be developed and that the current system needs to be modernized to that end.

The government remains committed to strengthening the rights for workers who were employed, for example, in digital platforms and to establishing new provisions to the Income Tax Act to ensure that their work counts towards EI and CPP — the Canada Pension Plan. Indeed, with Budget 2022, the government is investing $110 million to extend the existing seasonal pilot until October of 2023.

I also note that the government consulted widely with unions, workers, employers and other partners to build an EI system that meets the needs of Canadians going forward. As you referenced in your question, consultations have come to a close, and the government is in the process of analyzing the information that it received.

It is a serious business to modernize an EI system that serves millions of Canadians every year. The government looks forward to presenting its long-term plan for comprehensive EI modernization. It’s taking the time to get it right.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question. I don’t know the actual date, but I will remind this chamber that the minister welcomed Madam Justice Arbour’s final report in its entirety, welcomed all of her recommendations and committed to implementing 17 of them immediately.

I’ll make some inquiries. If I have an answer before we rise, I’d be happy to share it with this chamber.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the report of the Auditor General of Canada to the Parliament of Canada on Specific COVID-19 Benefits, pursuant to the Act to provide further support in response to COVID-19, S.C. 2021, c. 26, s. 19.1.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Professor Kelly Saunders, interns from the Manitoba Legislative Assembly Internship Program and interns from the Parliamentary Internship Program. They are the guests of the Honourable Senator Osler.

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

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): I guess we will have to wait another 40 days, I will ask the question again and hopefully not get the same answer.

In a new report entitled Patrol and Persuade, Safeguard Defenders, a human rights organization based in Spain, found dozens of additional overseas Chinese police service centres around the world, including at least two right here in Canada.

Senator Gold, your government has told us that it is taking the matter seriously and investigating. Why then do we have to find out what is happening in our own country from an organization operating overseas? Had the government identified these additional stations prior to this report? If so, why was this information not shared with the public? Most importantly, why are these illegal police stations still operating on Canadian soil?

Senator Martin: In addition to higher costs caused by inflation and higher interest rates, the government will hurt small businesses by increasing energy costs and payroll taxes. It seems the government is either deaf to the demands of the business community or has no interest in helping small businesses.

Leader, why won’t the government cancel its planned hikes of carbon and payroll taxes that will hurt small businesses?

Hon. Marilou McPhedran: My question is to the Government Representative.

More than six months ago, the Honourable Louise Arbour, in her Independent External Comprehensive Review of the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces, made 48 recommendations on how to change the way military sexual misconduct allegations are reported and handled. Days after the Arbour report was released in May, Minister of National Defence Anita Anand promised to report to Parliament by year’s end on the government’s implementation plan.

Senator Gold, it is now December 6, a day to focus on the continuum of violence against women and girls. With less than 10 sitting days remaining on the parliamentary calendar, can you please advise this chamber on when we will receive Minister Anand’s promised report on implementation of the Arbour recommendations and, in particular, which recommendations are being declined by the government?

Senator Gold: The government takes its responsibilities to Indigenous peoples, and with regard to UNDRIP very seriously — so seriously that this government introduced legislation for which the majority in the Senate, though not members of your group, voted. This government does more than pay lip service; it has done more to work with Indigenous partners and communities to advance this country on a path towards reconciliation. The work is enormous and it will take generations. It is this government that has begun the work in a serious way.

Hon. Yonah Martin (Deputy Leader of the Opposition): I have a few questions if Senator Audette will accept them.

Senator Audette: Of course.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, before we proceed, I would ask senators to rise and observe one minute of silence in memory of the victims of the tragedy that occurred 33 years ago on December 6, 1989, at l’École Polytechnique de Montréal.

(Honourable senators then stood in silent tribute.)

Hon. Pat Duncan: My question today is for the Government Representative in the Senate.

Senator Gold, information provided to senators to support the Statutes Repeal Act motion states in part that, “Pursuant to Budget 2021, consultations were held to inform potential changes to the employment insurance EI program.” It further states that “Consultations have concluded and the plan to modernize the EI program is still under development.”

Senator Gold, will you please advise the chamber what “still under development” means?

Senator Martin: When this bill was studied at committee in the House of Commons, an amendment was put forward to reserve a seat on the council for a national organization that has experience with and is focused upon economic reconciliation, as was suggested by several witnesses during the study. Some witnesses called for this amendment specifically, while others spoke of its importance. For example, Karen Restoule, CEO of Shared Value Solutions and a member of Dokis First Nation, stated that:

Economic reconciliation is the vehicle forward in terms of setting our peoples or communities back on a path to prosperity . . .

Given the importance of economic reconciliation, do you know why this was not included in the bill and why it was rejected by Liberal and NDP MPs in the House of Commons committee?

This is a very important phrase that we have heard at committee: the “. . . path forward for economic reconciliation.”

Senator Audette: To be honest with you, Senator Martin, I didn’t ask that specific question but I did ask a member of the committee why and who decided and what the process was.

Right now, what I understand — and what is reassuring me — is that the board is something but the activity, the chantier — I do not know how to say that in English — the justice reconciliation, the human rights reconciliation and the economic reconciliation are all important.

I was told that it will be very animated or involved if the council is officially adopted and put in place.