Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Senator Gold, once again my question concerns the infamous $6,000 River Suite listed on the invoice from the Corinthia Hotel in London for Canada’s delegation to the Queen’s funeral.

As it turns out, leader, the hotel room billed on the invoice at £4,800 may in fact be costing Canadians more than the original presumed $6,000. As Chris Selley points out in his article, the value of the room with the conversion on the actual day of the funeral comes out to C$7,300.

Leader, it was too much to ask of Canadians at $6,000, and it is certainly too much to ask of them at $7,300. Your government still remains silent on whom the occupant of the luxury room was.

Leader, we now definitely know that it was not the Governor General, nor was it former prime minister Stephen Harper. Can you tell us who stayed in the room?

Senator Gold: Thank you for the question. I will follow up with the government to see if there is anything that can be done about this.

[English]

Senator Mockler: It is quite a bump in the road. To the Government Representative in the Senate, Senator Gold, for the people in Atlantic Canada to meet their 2030 clean energy targets, the federal government must follow through on its commitment to support the Atlantic Loop as a nation-building project: a $5-billion initiative.

To inform the house, this project has had the verbal support of the Prime Minister, the Minister of Natural Resources, the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities and the Minister of Economic Development. However, it is not clear, honourable senators, how much money the federal government is willing to invest in a nation-building project for Atlantic Canada.

Senator Gold, this project is essential for the people of New Brunswick and Atlantic Canada to meet our 2030 clean energy targets. Can you please tell us if the federal government is committed to getting the Atlantic Loop back on track without any bumps in the road? How much money are they willing to commit to this project?

Hon. Jane Cordy: My question is for Senator Gold.

Senator Gold, as we enter cold and flu season, on top of the increasing COVID numbers that we are seeing, families are experiencing an alarming rise in children’s illnesses across the country. The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario here in Ottawa has reported that between the months of May and September, the hospital saw the busiest months in the organization’s 50-year history. Officials with the hospital are pointing to a surge in flu and COVID-19 cases. They have seen about 10 times more patients with respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, now than before the pandemic. The virus, which disproportionately affects small children, features symptoms including fever, runny nose and coughing, and can lead to difficulty breathing.

As parents try to alleviate these symptoms for their children with medications from the local pharmacy, they are often finding empty shelves. Last week, Health Canada released a statement recognizing the shortage of infant and children’s acetaminophen and ibuprofen, but gave little to no details about how they plan to address this situation. Health Canada says the shortages are because of an increase in demand, but shelves have been empty for months, Senator Gold.

Why are the shelves empty? Also, Senator Gold, could you provide us with details on how Health Canada plans to increase the supply of these much-needed products and get them to families who most need them?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question and for raising this very preoccupying situation for families across the country.

The government shares the concerns of many parents and caregivers about their families and their inability to find pediatric analgesics such as those you have mentioned.

I’m advised that Minister Duclos and Health Canada have spoken to several manufacturers, including Johnson & Johnson, Haleon and Pharmascience to reiterate the urgent need to collaborate to find immediate solutions to this shortage so that parents and caregivers can have the medicines they need to take care of their children.

Companies that supply Canada have also been provided pathways to import foreign products, and the government is reaching out to additional suppliers to attempt to fill the gap.

Health Canada has issued a public advisory that offers parents and caregivers advice and important safety information. And as the health and safety of children remain the government’s top priorities, all options to solve this shortage are on the table.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Honourable senators, I have the honour to table the answers to the following oral questions:

Response to the oral question asked in the Senate on March 23, 2022, by the Honourable Senator Housakos, concerning the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Response to the oral question asked in the Senate on June 7, 2022, by the Honourable Senator Seidman, concerning the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act.

Response to the oral question asked in the Senate on June 15, 2022, by the Honourable Senator McPhedran, concerning the Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons.

Response to the oral question asked in the Senate on June 21, 2022, by the Honourable Senator Plett, concerning the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Response to the oral question asked in the Senate on June 23, 2022, by the Honourable Senator Cormier, concerning Canada’s Commitment to the Fight Against HIV/AIDS — Global Affairs Canada.

Response to the oral question asked in the Senate on June 23, 2022, by the Honourable Senator Cormier, concerning Canada’s Commitment to the Fight Against HIV/AIDS — Health Canada.

(Response to question raised by the Honourable Leo Housakos on March 23, 2022)

On March 18, 2022, Global Affairs Canada responded to the letter from B’nai Brith Canada related to the Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory of the UN Human Rights Council.

Canada shares some of the concerns expressed in the letter from B’nai Brith Canada regarding the Commission of Inquiry. Canada has raised its concerns about the Commission’s scope, unprecedented ongoing nature, and budget in numerous settings. This approach is in keeping with Canada’s longstanding opposition to the disproportionate focus placed on Israel in multilateral fora. It also reflects Canada’s concern that the Commission of Inquiry may contribute to a politicization of the situation and move us further away from a just and lasting resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

(Response to question raised by the Honourable Judith G. Seidman on June 7, 2022)

In March and April 2022, Health Canada sought input from Canadians to inform this review and is reviewing the feedback received. The final report will be tabled in Parliament in fall 2022. It will also be made public on Canada.ca.

(Response to question raised by the Honourable Marilou McPhedran on June 15, 2022)

Canada remains steadfast in its commitment to a world free of nuclear weapons. The Government participated in the Conference on the Humanitarian Impacts of Nuclear Weapons, which was a valuable forum to better understand the impacts of nuclear weapons use.

Canada has not signed the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) as its provisions are incompatible with Canada’s NATO commitments. As such, Canada did not observe the Meeting of States Parties. That said, Canada remains concerned over the slow pace of nuclear disarmament.

Our efforts are rooted in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). This Treaty is the foundation for the global pursuit of disarmament, non-proliferation and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

Canada will continue to work with partners and advocate essential steps such as the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and commencing long overdue negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty.

(Response to question raised by the Honourable Donald Neil Plett on June 21, 2022)

Testifying before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security, on July 25, 2022, the Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Brenda Lucki said:

“I did not interfere in the investigation around this tragedy. Nor did I experience political interference. Specifically, I was not directed to publicly release information about the weapons used by the perpetrator to help advance pending gun control legislation…

Keeping the government informed through timely and accurate information sharing is not interference. It’s standard procedure and these situational updates are provided without compromising the operational integrity of an investigation.”

Further, regarding the April 28, 2020, meeting with Nova Scotia RCMP officials, the Commissioner explained:

“Regarding my use of the word ‘promise’ during the meeting I had with my team following that press conference, at that time and in that context, I was trying to convey that I had confirmed to the Minister that the information about the weapons would be released during the press conference – a confirmation made based on information I had been provided.

Due to a miscommunication, this was not the case, and I felt I had misinformed the Minister and, by extension, the Prime Minister.”

(Response to question raised by the Honourable René Cormier on June 23, 2022)

Canada remains a strong and generous supporter of the Global Fund, our largest investment in global health. Canada has contributed over $3.9 billion to the Global Fund since its inception, and this funding has helped save 50 million lives. Recognizing the critical work of the Global Fund in increasing access to prevention, treatment and care for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria around the world, Canada is contributing an additional C$1.21 billion to the Global Fund’s seventh replenishment, as announced by Prime Minister Trudeau on September 21, 2022. This contribution will support the Global Fund’s work to save 20 million more lives and to achieve our collective goal of ending HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as epidemics by 2030.

(Response to question raised by the Honourable René Cormier on June 23, 2022)

Canada is committed to ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. The twenty-fourth AIDS Conference showcased Canada’s response on the world stage including innovations by community-based organizations.

In 2020, an estimated 62,790 people were living with HIV in Canada. In 2021, $88.5 million was invested by the Government of Canada to address Sexually Transmitted and Blood Borne Infections (STBBI), including $33.4 million by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to support community-based organizations. HIV stakeholders have called for increased funding to $100 million annually as per Standing Committee reports in 2004 and 2019. Senator Cormier met with the Minister of Health on March 25, 2021, to discuss his motion.

From 2016-17 to 2020-21, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research invested over $228 million on HIV/AIDS research and over $63 million on Hepatitis C research. From 2017 to 2022, Indigenous Services Canada allocated $37.5 million and $11 million ongoing for STBBI programs and services for First Nations and Inuit communities.

On August 1, 2022, the Government of Canada announced that PHAC would invest $17.9 million to expand HIV testing in Canada. Of that, $8 million will go toward a community-based self-testing initiative and $9.9 million to the National Microbiology Laboratory to expand HIV testing in northern, remote or isolated communities.