The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, when shall this bill be read the third time?

(On motion of Senator Cordy, bill placed on the Orders of the Day for third reading at the next sitting of the Senate.)

[Translation]

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Evgeny Afineevsky, Natalya Nagorna and Hanna Zaitseva. They are the guests of the Honourable Senators Dasko and Kutcher.

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

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Camilla Keller Olsen, an Arctic Intern at the Embassy of the Kingdom of Denmark in Canada. She is the guest of the Honourable Senator Anderson.

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

Senator Plett: Maybe you want to join me.

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

(Pursuant to the order adopted by the Senate on December 7, 2021, to receive a Minister of the Crown, the Honourable Patty Hajdu, P.C., M.P., Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario, appeared before honourable senators during Question Period.)

The Hon. the Speaker: Time has expired. Minister, I probably should have advised you in the beginning, when you see the clerk standing, you have 10 seconds to finish your answer, okay?

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, the time for Question Period has expired. I’m sure you will join me in thanking Minister Hajdu for being with us today.

We look forward to seeing you again in the future. Thank you, minister.

Hon. Pierre J. Dalphond: Welcome to the Senate of Canada, Minister Hajdu.

Addictions and suicide are serious concerns, especially amongst Indigenous communities. In your mandate letter from the Prime Minister, you were asked to:

. . . co-develop and invest in a distinctions based Mental Health and Wellness Strategy . . . including culturally appropriate . . . services for addictions and trauma, suicide and life promotion . . . .

Where are we now on this pressing and urgent goal?

The Hon. the Speaker: I’m sorry to interrupt you, Senator Kutcher, but the time has expired. Are you asking for five more minutes?

The Hon. the Speaker: I’m sorry, minister, but your time has expired.

Some Hon. Senators: Hear, hear.

(On motion of Senator Martin, debate adjourned.)

On the Order:

Resuming debate on the inquiry of the Honourable Senator Harder, P.C., calling the attention of the Senate to the role and mandate of the RCMP, the skills and capabilities required for it to fulfill its role and mandate, and how it should be organized and resourced in the 21st century.

The Hon. the Speaker: Senator Tannas, my apologies, but your time has expired.

Minister, would you like to respond?

Hon. Marilou McPhedran: Welcome, minister.

Will the proposed new amendment to the Indian Act follow the Indian Act Sex Discrimination Working Group’s findings that the best way to end the Indian Act’s extinction regime is to institute a one Indigenous parent rule for both male and female parents, thus getting rid of the generational cut-offs?

Hon. Denise Batters: Would Senator Klyne take a question?

Hon. Yonah Martin (Deputy Leader of the Opposition): Minister, this question is from my colleague Senator Mary Jane McCallum.

As the forgotten generation, Sixties Scoop survivors are still waiting for both acts of recognition and reconciliation from the federal government. Survivors were denied the right to share their stories as part of an independent assessment program. As there is no Sixties Scoop foundation, they have not received support for issues surrounding trauma, family reunification or language loss. The 60s Scoop Legacy of Canada has called repeatedly on the federal government to commission a national inquiry, but with no result.

Will the Liberal government commit to a Sixties Scoop national inquiry and provide reparations for those survivors today?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

(Motion agreed to.)

On Government Business, Inquiries, Order No. 2:

Resuming debate on the inquiry of the Honourable Senator Gagné, calling the attention of the Senate to the budget entitled Budget 2022: A Plan to Grow Our Economy and Make Life More Affordable, tabled in the House of Commons on April 7, 2022, by the Minister of Finance, the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, P.C., M.P., and in the Senate on April 26, 2022.

Senator Dean: I will do my best.

The Hon. the Speaker pro tempore: Senator Plett, do you have a question?