Hon. Scott Tannas: Today, we welcome two new senators to this chamber, Senator Burey and Senator Patterson.

As a strong leader in the field of health and well-being of children and as a pediatrician, professor and advocate for those living in poverty and marginalized communities, Senator Burey has been an inspiration. Her participation in our debates, both in this place and in committee, will no doubt provide us with unique insight.

Senator, one of your predecessors from the city of Windsor in this chamber was Paul Martin Sr., who is widely famous for being one of the principal architects of the Canadian health care system. As a health care practitioner, your views on improving our system will be very timely. No pressure.

I heard a particularly touching story about how you inspired a Dalhousie Medical School graduate. When she was 6 years old, her mother brought her to your office and she saw a doctor that looked like her: a female and a person of African heritage. She said that she knew then that she too wanted to become a doctor because “seeing you that day opened my eyes to opportunities for myself that I had not yet imagined.”

Now as a senator you will have the opportunities to continue to inspire young people to imagine something they might not have thought possible.

We also welcome Senator Patterson from Ontario. This is Senator Patterson from Nunavut. You’ll forever be bracketed.

Rear-Admiral Patterson is a highly decorated and highly accomplished Flag Officer in the Canadian Armed Forces, and the 222nd senator appointed with previous military experience, and now we welcome you to our ranks.

A registered nurse by training, she has served in numerous leadership positions, promoting mental health and supporting servicewomen and servicemen with mental injuries. She is the founding director of Soldiers Helping Soldiers, an organization which assists homeless veterans.

Senator Patterson, looking at your parliamentary record, you have appeared before parliamentary committees, and I assume that this place will become second nature to you very quickly. I hope you will more enjoy asking the questions instead of answering them.

Senators Burey and Patterson, on behalf of the Canadian Senators Group, I welcome you to the Senate, and my colleagues look forward to working with you.

Hon. Mary Jane McCallum: Honourable senators, I give notice that, at the next sitting of the Senate, I will move:

That the Standing Senate Committee on Indigenous Peoples be authorized to examine and report on the misrepresentation of Indigenous ancestry, inadequate self‑identification standards and the profound effects that such identity fraud has on further marginalizing Indigenous people, in particular Indigenous women; and

That the committee submit its final report no later than December 31, 2023.

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Senator Gold, over the past months, my Conservative colleagues and I have repeatedly asked you and your government questions on the serious ongoing issues at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, or IRCC.

Now, just when you think the situation couldn’t get any worse, think again, colleagues, because the Liberals have again reached a new low.

Every day that goes by is another day when human lives are destabilized due to the uncertainty brought forward by the never‑ending issues at IRCC.

Yesterday, Senator Gold, we learned via CBC that the immigration department has been assigning applications to immigration officers or placeholder codes that are inactive and no longer working within their systems — not just a couple dozen files, but 59,456 files sitting dormant to 779 former employees or inactive computers. That is unheard of, Senator Gold.

Canadians need more than words of reassurance by your government. They need leadership, and they need it now, more than ever. This has become an issue of trust, Senator Gold.

Does your government realize the seriousness of the job that they have to do?

Senator Plett: Well, as I said, that is being done on computers that aren’t active, with employees that haven’t worked for IRCC for years.

Basic government services aren’t being provided by your government. Files are falling through the cracks, and 60,000 individuals and their families are on standby in limbo because of this ordeal. Backlogs have increased rather than improved — so much so that people are having to seek judicial orders to ensure that immigration processes their applications.

Yesterday, Minister Sean Fraser said that what transpired is — listen to this — “an ordinary process” and “part of our triage strategy.” Wow.

So according to those comments, this is normal and acceptable. Is that your position, Senator Gold? Is this normal, and is it acceptable?

Hon. Jane Cordy: Honourable senators, I rise today on behalf of our colleague Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard.

I rise to pay tribute to the former executive director of the Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women, Stephanie MacInnis-Langley. Stephanie is known most for her fierce advocacy for women in the gender-based violence and non-profit sector. Her unwavering commitment to social justice, women’s rights and women in politics has contributed to systemic change in Nova Scotia.

I first met Stephanie back in the 1990s while I was facilitating a workshop on unpacking White privilege. At that time, she was ahead of the curve when it came to applying an intersectional lens. Stephanie’s advocacy work is complex and multi-faceted.

In addition to promoting justice for women experiencing violence, she has been creating change within politics. She could see the unique challenges faced by women running for public office and how the community could benefit from seeing more women in office. Her vision for change led to the development of the Campaign School for Women. That work also led to an emphasis on diversity within the campaign school. This campaign school has supported many women to run for politics on every level, and some of those women have been successfully elected.

The success of the Campaign School for Women inspired the office of African Nova Scotian Affairs to use their blueprint to run a Campaign School for African Nova Scotians. I attribute the success of the program to the work centred around a key tenet to name the barriers and to break the barriers.

Stephanie has done so much to protect and promote women. What many people do not recognize about advocating for women’s rights is that the positive impact resonates throughout the entire community. What is good for women is good for everyone.

Stephanie, I have always admired your willingness to swim upstream and lead the change you want to see in Nova Scotia. Enjoy your well-earned retirement, although I suspect this retirement is just the close of one chapter, and the opening to the next.

Colleagues, please join me in celebrating and thanking Stephanie MacInnis-Langley. Thank you.

Hon. Fabian Manning: Now, on to Chapter 70 of “Telling Our Story.”

There are many Christmas traditions that are unique to Newfoundland and Labrador, such as “mummering” and leaving Purity syrup for Santa instead of milk. Another tradition is known as “Tibb’s Eve.”

Although the term itself is quite old, according to Dr. Phil Hiscock of the Memorial University’s Department of Folklore, the idea of Tibb’s Eve as a particular day on the calendar — one day before Christmas Eve — is specific to Newfoundland and Labrador. He explained that some time around the Second World War, people along the south coast of Newfoundland began to associate December 23 with the phrase “Tibb’s Eve” and deemed it to be the first occasion that it would be acceptable to have a few Christmas drinks. In many of our outport communities, it became a day where the men would visit each other’s homes for a taste.

Because Christmas Eve was still part of the Advent, and that observance was almost as sober as the Lenten season, Dr. Hiscock indicated that most traditional Christians would never consider taking a nip before Christmas Day prior to World War II. Tibb’s Eve became a lighthearted means to extend the season, much like workers in the 19th century would lengthen their weekends by taking Saint Monday off from work.

Tibb’s Eve is sometimes known by several different names, depending on what community one comes from. In some places it is called “Tipp’s Eve” or “Tipsy’s Eve.” As Dr. Hiscock said, “For someone who thinks of it as a day to get tipsy, then Tipsy Eve is perfect.”

He said:

. . . it’s all based in the kind of humour that people have had for hundred of years. So, there’s no reason why people should not make humorous adjustments to it in the present.

Several hundred years ago in England, “tib” was slang for a woman who — shall we say — was loose on her morals. Historians believe that may be the reason there is not a “St. Tibb’s Day,” similar to a St. Patrick’s Day or St. Brigid’s Day. There were many English plays throughout the 1600s that would feature roles with the name “Tibb.”

A very popular drink on Tibb’s Eve in Newfoundland is known as “slush.” It is a mixture of vodka, Purity syrup, club soda or sparkling wine, with a splash of freshly squeezed lime juice served over a full glass of crushed ice. Once again, the ingredients vary in different communities of the province, but wherever it is poured, it is a great way to kick off the Christmas season.

That explains how Tibb’s Eve became associated with December 23 along the south coast of Newfoundland, but the phrase itself holds the key to its Christmastime connection. Dr. Hiscock also said that Tibb’s Eve became an old-fashioned way to say “never,” as in “the day that does not exist.” Because it did not exist, Tibb’s Eve was a non-time, similar to several other silly phrases in the English language, such as “the twelfth of never” or “when two Sundays fall together,” just to name a couple.

So, friends, during the holiday season, when someone asks me, “Would there ever be a time when you would leave Newfoundland to live somewhere else?” my reply will always be, “On Tibb’s Eve.”

Merry Christmas.

Hon. Fabian Manning: Honourable senators, as I was saying, I was once told by a very intelligent lady that you are a product of your environment. When I think of the Newfoundland dog and the Labrador retriever, I truly believe that statement pertains to both of them as well. Having their start in Newfoundland, they learned very early on to jump in, swim and not be afraid to face whatever challenges the day would bring. They are well known throughout the world for their loyalty, kindness and willingness to help others whenever the need arises. They are great ambassadors for our province.

Thank you.

Hon. Mary Coyle: Honourable senators, “. . . there still is a place for daring in the Canadian soul.” These are the words of Canada’s eighteenth prime minister, Brian Mulroney, from his speech accepting Pollution Probe’s 2019 Environmental Leadership Award.

This prominent graduate of Antigonish’s St. Francis Xavier University also cited the words carved into the Peace Tower, from the Book of Proverbs, “Where there is no vision, the people perish . . . .”

In 1992, at the “Earth Summit” in Rio de Janeiro, under the leadership of Prime Minister Mulroney, our country, Canada, demonstrated our daring and vision by being the first industrialized country to step up and sign the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity and by helping to bring the U.S. on board in support of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Colleagues, as Canada hosts close to 200 countries at COP 15 on biodiversity in Montreal, in what has been described as one of the most important events for life on Earth, it is time again — 30 years later — for Canada to exhibit that daring and vision in both declaring our own commitments and working with our international partners to encourage ambition in developing a plan to halt the decline of ecosystems, wildlife and the life-supporting services they provide, reinforcing significant nature-based solutions to climate change.

Colleagues, Canada is home to an estimated 80,000 species, and evidence indicates that 20% of those are at some level of risk. Globally, more than a million species are threatened with extinction. Furthermore, most of the world’s GDP depends on nature.

Colleagues, you will hear important calls for 30x30 — agreeing to conserve at least 30% of the earth’s land and water by 2030 for Indigenous conservation leadership and respect for Indigenous rights and knowledge, for recovery of species at risk and restoration of degraded ecosystems, for sustainable management of resource-based industries, for stronger consideration of biodiversity in decision-making, for greater accountability mechanisms and, of course, for allocation of sufficient financial resources.

Honourable colleagues, I encourage every one of us to pay close attention to the important events happening in Montreal, and to heed the earlier quoted speech by Mr. Mulroney where he concluded:

As difficult as the process may be . . . the work cannot be left to the next fellow. The stakes are too high, the risks to our planet and the human species too grave. We are all on the same side, determined to leave a better world and a more pristine environment to all succeeding generations.

Wela’lioq. Thank you.

[Translation]

Senator Gold: Thank you for the question. It is very regrettable that delays are plaguing the system, and that applicants who want to come to Canada to participate in and enrich our life together are being delayed. Any delay is not acceptable, and it is regrettable.

But as the minister said, and as I stated in my answer to you, Senator Plett, these applications are being managed in terms of the stages of their processing, and applicants will be notified when decisions are made.

[Translation]

Hon. René Cormier: Honourable senators, the presence of my niece, Diane Pinet, and her spouse, Sudhir Nagpal, in this place today, thanks to Senator Cotter — thank you, Senator Cotter — has great symbolic meaning for me, my family and my fellow Acadians.

Diane’s grandfather, Médard Léger, and my father, Livin Cormier, were staunch Acadians who seized every opportunity to remind us of the tragedy of the Deportation and its continuing impact on our lives.

The Great Upheaval took place in the 18th century and is an extremely tragic episode in our collective history that remains embedded in our hearts and souls. More than 10,000 Acadians were deported during the Great Upheaval between 1755 and 1763.

Today, on this Acadian Remembrance Day, we commemorate the countless victims of the Great Upheaval, especially those who perished on the Violet, Ruby and Duke William in December 1758. Torn from their land against their will and packed onto British vessels, more than 750 men, women and children drowned or succumbed to illness in the icy waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

These sombre events still live in our collective memory, but also give us the opportunity to move forward with determination into the future, because the Acadian people do not live in the past. They live in the modern world. The Acadian people live through their culture, their French language, their strong institutions and their engaged citizens.

Honourable colleagues, what about the political recognition of the Acadian people at the federal level? This people that landed on the shores of the Atlantic more than four centuries ago has no clear anchor in our constitutional and legislative texts outside a recognition of August 15 as the Acadian national holiday, July 28 as A Day of Commemoration of the Great Upheaval and this tragic day of December 13. Shockingly, the Acadian people have fewer levers of power than municipalities like my home town of Caraquet.

Honourable colleagues, given that the Acadian population of New Brunswick is currently experiencing major challenges with respect to the modernization of the provincial Official Languages Act because of political decisions, while here in Ottawa the modernization of the Official Languages Act has been long awaited, is it not time for this francophone Canadian people to finally be fully recognized in our democratic institutions and be equipped with legislative and policy instruments that would allow it to thrive?

The question remains and deserves our attention. That is what I pledge to do in this place with your support, senators, on this, the 13th day of December, 2022.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a joyful and restful holiday season. I encourage us to continue our work to improve the lot of our nation’s most disadvantaged, and I invite us to be increasingly unified in order to ensure a healthy and safe future for the next generations on a healthy and still habitable planet.

Thank you.

Senator Gold: Thank you for your question. I don’t want to minimize the harm done to victims. The stark contrast of those two choices is not necessarily the only answer to your important question. The issue of proportionality, constitutionality even, of consecutive sentences is an important issue in our society, but also in our legal system.

The government believes it is important for all sentences to be proportional and constitutional when judges hand them down. The government will keep working to make sure our justice system is fair and upholds the Constitution.

[English]

Hon. Ratna Omidvar: My question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate, Senator Gold.

Senator Gold, let me first start with the good news before I get to my question. Yesterday, The Globe and Mail reported that Minister Sajjan and the government will table amendments to the Criminal Code so that international aid organizations operating in Afghanistan will be exempt from criminal charges under the code. However, as much as I am relieved that the government is listening to all the voices that have been raised on this issue, it concerns me that such an amendment will likely take a few months, at least, before it is passed into Royal Assent. We know that in this chamber. We could be looking at April or May.

Senator Gold, it is winter in Afghanistan now. The people in Afghanistan are freezing now, they are hungry now, they are sick now, and they need our help now. They cannot wait for Canadian due process to receive urgent aid to save their lives. Will the Attorney General then undertake an interim measure to guarantee the non-prosecution of Canadian international aid organizations providing humanitarian aid in good faith until the amendment is given Royal Assent?

Hon. Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu: Senator Gold, a pimp previously convicted of sexually exploiting an 18-year-old woman from 2007 to 2014 was re-arrested in Montreal last weekend for the same crimes committed against two victims from October to December.

His record shows that he was guilty of considerable violence towards his victims, causing them significant bodily harm. The purpose of Bill C-452, which received Royal Assent on June 18, 2015, was to combat human trafficking and set out significant consecutive sentences for offenders convicted of both human trafficking and sexual exploitation. This measure in Bill C-452 was repealed by your government, and this regularly leads to cases like the one I just mentioned, where pimps put their victims through hell and often get off with minor sentences.

Senator Gold, why is this measure, which should have been taken by order-in-council after Bill C-75 was adopted, still not in force in Canada?

Senator Omidvar: Thank you, Senator Gold. I feel that the next time I hear the words, “The government is seized with this issue,” I will likely have a seizure.

I understand that it is within the authority of the Attorney General to introduce an interim protective measure. Could you kindly convey this proposal to him on an urgent basis and ask him to consider it? Thank you.

Hon. Raymonde Gagné (Legislative Deputy to the Government Representative in the Senate): Honourable senators, it saddens me rise today to pay tribute to the Honourable Jim Carr, the member for Winnipeg South Centre, who passed away at his home yesterday. According to a statement released by his office, he was surrounded by family and friends.

Jim Carr began his career as a musician. He was an oboist and a trustee with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. He then worked in journalism as editorialist and columnist for the Winnipeg Free Press and CBC Radio.

[English]

He was part of a proud lineage of Jewish community leaders in Winnipeg, going back to his grandparents who immigrated from Ukraine in the early 1900s. He was a founding member of Winnipeg’s Arab-Jewish Dialogue.

He entered public life in 1988 when he was elected to represent Fort Rouge in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. Jim Carr was first elected federally in 2015, and again in 2019 and 2021. He held the posts of Minister of Natural Resources, Minister of International Trade Diversification and the government’s Special Representative for the Prairies.

He was last in Ottawa — in the other place — when his private member’s bill, Bill C-235, or the “Building a Green Prairie Economy Act,” passed third reading on December 7. He was given a standing ovation by all colleagues, even those who spoke against the bill.

In an interview Mr. Carr gave on that same day in relation to his bill, he stated:

I’m a Prairie guy. I love the Prairies. As I explained to some of my Bloc friends, it’s the same sense of identity and belonging to a geography and demography.

In his final speech before the third reading vote for Bill C-235, he said he was:

 . . . grateful for the chance to continue to contribute to my country. I said it in my speech yesterday, ’I love every square metre of this country in English, en francais, in Indigenous languages — I wish I spoke more of them . . . .

Jim Carr served his country well with his passion and love — every square metre of it.

[Translation]

I knew Jim Carr for many years, and I will remember his warmth, his intelligence, his insightfulness and his deep desire to make a difference in his community, his city, his province and his country. He always greeted me with a smile, which put a smile on my face too.

[English]

I send condolences to his wife Colleen, his family, his friends and his colleagues at this sad time.

[Translation]

Rest in peace, dear Jim.

[English]

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Honourable senators, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the Minister of National Defence’s Report to Parliament on Culture Change Reforms in response to former Supreme Court Justice Arbour’s recommendations.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question. The government knows that the stigma and discrimination that continue to fuel homophobia, biphobia and transphobia must be eliminated. The government knows that online hate is real hate and that online violence is real violence. The government has committed to introducing a bill to fight harmful online content. I have been informed that the government has appointed a group of experts to assist it in its work.

The government intends to introduce this bill in a timely manner, as indicated in Minister Rodriguez’s mandate letter. In recent months, Minister Rodriguez and caucus members have held 13 round tables across the country, where they listened to the experiences and concerns of members of the 2SLGBTQI+ community. The minister also held a virtual round table on gender-based violence and discrimination. What the government heard was that the status quo is no longer acceptable and that platforms and social media must be held responsible for the content that they host. The government is continuing its work and remains steadfast in its commitment to introduce an online safety bill that will protect communities, equity groups, children and Canadians.

Hon. Diane Bellemare: My question is for the Government Representative and concerns employment insurance. I asked you this question a while ago, but we know that the government announced that there would be a reform proposal in the summer of 2022. It is now December 12 and there is still no reform proposal.

Do you have an idea of when we will see a substantive reform proposal for employment insurance? What process will the government use to collect its ideas and once again consult Canadians about specific proposals?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question. I am advised that in the past few years there were several technical exchanges between the CFIA and Ukrainian officials. To alleviate concerns expressed through industry engagement, the CFIA sought additional assurances regarding the food safety and animal health controls in Ukraine — and Ukrainian officials assured that their standards and controls are still at the same level as they were at the time of the audit, and that they can inspect and certify exports as per the certificate conditions. The CFIA finalized the export certificate only with effective assurances from Ukraine; the certificate contains rigorous food safety and animal health conditions.

The CFIA maintains a robust import inspection system to verify that imported products meet Canada’s federal regulations. New imports of any meat products from a newly approved establishment undergo full inspection for the first 10 shipments. Imports from Ukraine would also follow this process, and only compliant shipments will be released to the importer.

I am assured that the CFIA intends to hold poultry products imported from Ukraine to the same strict scrutiny as poultry products produced in Canada, or originating from other countries. I am advised that, to date, the CFIA has not received any information or evidence contrary to the assurances that have been provided by Ukraine, and Ukraine has continued to export poultry products to other countries, such as the members of the European Union.

Colleagues, all food sold in Canada, whether it’s domestic or imported, must comply with Canada’s federal regulations. Where non-compliance is identified, the CFIA takes immediate action — regardless of country of origin. Actions can range from mandating minor label corrections to product detentions, import entry refusals, suspension of foreign establishments, product recalls or cancellation of import licences.