Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Senator Gold, my next question is indeed troubling and very personal. There are now four reported cases of veterans being offered assisted suicide by the federal government, and more cases are expected to come forward.

The Veterans Affairs’ website has the following message front and centre:

If you are a current or former member of the CAF or RCMP, or a family member, we have targeted services and benefits to improve your well-being.

I have pause, as I struggle to stomach this, Senator Gold. The department responsible for providing support and services to members of the Canadian Forces — to soldiers who have put their own lives at risk for us and for others — is offering to our veterans assisted suicide to end their lives, Senator Gold.

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): My question to Senator Gold this afternoon is in regard to the unbelievable debt that our government is accumulating on behalf of all taxpayers.

Last month, the Parliamentary Budget Officer, or PBO, released a report containing a risk scenario analysis “to help parliamentarians gauge potential economic and fiscal implications of central banks over-tightening monetary policy.” Under the PBO’s risk scenario analysis, they estimated that public debt charges could reach $53.4 billion in 2024-25. That, Senator Gold, would be an increase of 118% over the debt charges of 2021-22. To put that number in perspective, debt charges basically equal, in two years, what we will spend on our entire defence and on services to Indigenous and northern communities.

Senator Gold, what is your government’s long-term plan to pay the interest costs for this pile of Justin Trudeau-Jagmeet Singh debt? Will you cut services to vulnerable Canadians? Will you raise taxes? Or will you continue with the spiral of unending deficits?