Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for the question. The government is not prepared to make such a commitment, senator. The government believes that the excise tax on alcohol products is an appropriate one. It’s a modest one, as I said on another occasion recently in this chamber. The increase represents less than a fifth of one cent for a can of beer. In that regard, it is the position of the government that it does not materially add to the inflation pressures that are otherwise on our economy.

Indeed, this summer, the government eliminated the excise duty on low-alcohol beer, which brings the tax treatment of low‑alcohol beer in line with the treatment of wines and spirits with the same alcohol content and brings our practices in line with those in other G7 countries.

Senator Coyle: Senator Gold, this important opportunity for Canada to take a leadership role in establishing the North Atlantic carbon observatory and moving ocean observations into real climate action along with our international counterparts is urgent and will require significant and creative cooperation among government departments, including Environment and Climate Change Canada as well as the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

Senator Gold, could you tell us how the government would go about ensuring interdepartmental cooperation so that we don’t miss out on leading this critical ocean climate observation effort?

Senator Gold: The answer to that question is no. The reports of attempts to interfere with our democratic institutions, whether from China or from other countries, are well-known. Indeed, the annual report of NSICOP made the point that the question of Chinese interference is a long-standing concern and preoccupation that is well-known. That is a separate and distinct issue from whether the Prime Minister was briefed on the specific allegations about specific candidates in a specific election.

[Translation]

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

(On motion of Senator Ataullahjan, bill placed on the Orders of the Day for second reading two days hence.)

Hon. Salma Ataullahjan introduced Bill S-257, An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act (protecting against discrimination based on political belief).

(Bill read first time.)

Hon. René Cormier: Honourable senators, some human beings possess such an intense passion for their people and their culture that it becomes their lifelong pursuit.

My Acadian compatriot, Benoît Duguay, who passed away recently at the age of 81, was one such human being. Acadia was saddened to learn of the death of one of its own, a deeply committed journalist, activist and strong advocate for the French language.

Benoît Duguay was a selfless activist who studied journalism and then began his career in journalism at Radio-Canada Acadie’s Moncton station in 1970. Over the course of his impressive career, he was the first parliamentary correspondent in Fredericton, hosted a number of public affairs programs on radio and television, and anchored “Le Ce soir,” a news program now known as “Téléjournal Acadie.”

He was the founding president of the Acadian section of the Union internationale des journalistes et de la presse de langue française and the organization’s international VP for the Americas.

President Chirac made him a knight of France’s Legion of Honour during the 1999 Francophonie Summit in Moncton.

A tireless citizen, Mr. Duguay was involved in several organizations after a 30-year career in journalism. He contributed to the Salon du livre de Dieppe, the Association des universités du troisième âge du Nouveau-Brunswick and the magnificent event called Lire et faire lire Acadie. He was the former chair of the New Brunswick Arts Board and spent several years as president of the Association des boursières et boursiers France-Acadie, ABBFA, which offers post-secondary scholarships to young students from France who want to study in Acadia at the Université de Moncton or the Université Sainte-Anne. Benoît Duguay had an unwavering love for the French language, the francophonie and France, as mentioned by his friend and colleague, Louise Imbeault, former director of Radio-Canada Acadie, who said, and I quote:

I think it goes without saying that Benoît was enthusiastic about Acadia, about the francophonie. He was a man who put so much of his energy into defending the French language.

Indeed, Benoît Duguay leaves behind a legacy of enthusiasm, energy, passion, authentic activism and immeasurable love for the magnificent French language, a language that must be protected, defended and promoted more than ever in our country. He had so many qualities that will continue to inspire us for a long time.

All my gratitude, dear Benoît. Rest in peace.

Thank you, meegwetch.

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Government leader, on November 7 reports surfaced of Chinese interference in our 2019 election, alleging that the Prime Minister had been briefed by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, or CSIS, in January 2020 that 11 federal candidates had been targets of the Chinese Communist Party’s, or CCP’s, interference campaign.

Following these reports, the Prime Minister allowed the world to believe that he raised the issue of Chinese interference with President Xi Jinping at the G20 summit. Now, weeks after the original report surfaced, the Prime Minister claims that he had not been briefed on any federal candidates receiving any money from China.

Senator Gold, the Prime Minister’s incoherence is completely unbefitting of the magnitude of the issue and, indeed, his office. Can you give us some clarity on what the Prime Minister knew and when he knew about it?

Senator Gold: Thank you. The government’s approach to addressing environmental and climate change issues is necessarily a cross-government approach. Indeed, it is one that also engages provincial and territorial governments as well. It’s important, as climate change continues to have an impact on our oceans, that we advance adaptation measures and nature-based solutions to support long-term climate resilience for Canada and our communities.

The government is committed to continuing to work across government to address the impacts of climate change. This is evidenced, for example, by the recently announced National Adaptation Strategy.

[Translation]

Hon. Scott Tannas: Therefore, honourable senators, in amendment, I move:

That the motion be not now adopted, but that it be amended by replacing all the words after the word “That,” by the following:

“in the opinion of the Senate, Her Excellency the Governor General should take the necessary steps to revoke the honorific style and title of “Honourable” from:

(a)any former senator having been convicted of a criminal offence proceeded with by way of indictment; and

(b)former senator Don Meredith, in light of the reports of the Senate Ethics Officer dated March 9, 2017, and June 28, 2019, concerning the breaches by the former senator of the Ethics and Conflict of Interest Code for Senators, as well as the statement made in the Senate on June 25, 2020, by the chair of the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration expressing regrets to the victims of Mr. Meredith’s misconduct.”.

Senator Gold: I thank the honourable senator for the question. As the former Leader of the Government in the Senate, you’re well versed in the steps and processes within the government. This isn’t a question of access to information. As soon as I’m asked a question to which I don’t have the answer, I make the request and my team takes care of it. I’m sorry that it took so long. I’ll follow up and try to get an answer as soon as possible.

[English]

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question. The premises, assumptions and leading questions in your question are simply not ones that the government accepts as true or valid.

The burden that Canadians are feeling, especially those with mortgages now that rates have risen, is a serious one, and I know all senators both sympathize and indeed have empathy for those who are struggling in that regard. But as I’ve said on far too many occasions to repeat here, the issue of the rising costs of housing, the inflation that has taken root in this country and around the world, measures that the Bank of Canada is taking to combat it and the measures that this government has taken to help Canadians through this are such that this government continues to be proud of the measures taken to help Canadians through this difficulty, and simply asks the Senate to understand the complexity of the issues giving rise to rising housing prices and rising inflation. It is simply not a serious assertion to make that all of these ills can be visited upon any government. Thank you.

Senator Plett: Well, I think we should ask the 1.5 million seniors that are in this predicament whether they agree with your comment that this isn’t indeed a valid comment or suggestion.

Senator Gold, a mortgage now costs Canadians 64% of their income. Interest rates are still rising. This is going to make it more and more difficult for Canadians to meet their monthly expenses.

The Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre warned the Prime Minister two years ago that rising interest rates would be the inevitable consequences of inflationary deficits, but your government refused to listen to Mr. Poilievre. Now he is proven correct. Whether you like it or not, Senator Gold, he has been proven correct.

Can you tell me whether your government is prepared to listen now or do Canadians need to brace themselves for even more cost-of-living increases?

Hon. Marilou McPhedran: My question is to Senator Gold, and it relates to Canada’s newly released Indo-Pacific Strategy. It also picks up on comments that were made yesterday at the University of Ottawa by China’s ambassador, where he referred specifically to a point in the strategy that says that China is an increasingly disruptive global power.

Ambassador Cong was quoted as saying:

Unfortunately it seems that Canada has followed the United States practice of creating division and of fomenting confrontation in the region.

He went on to say:

When it comes to China, it distorted facts (and) hyped up the so-called China threat and infringed upon China’s internal affairs. We firmly oppose it.

Senator Gold, it is said that diplomacy works best not only talking to our friends. With these developments, please update us on how Canada will keep lines of communication open with this global power, especially in these tense times.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question. No Canadian is surprised at the response of the Chinese ambassador and of the Chinese government. They do not like to be called out for their human rights abuses, for their expansionist pretensions in the region and for all the other ways in which it’s flouting international norms that it has profited by for many years.

The Indo-Pacific policy announced by the Minister of Foreign Affairs is designed both to strengthen our relationships in the region and, quite frankly, to provide a buffer and counterpoint to the aspects of Chinese assertiveness in the region. But as the minister said, we will confront China where necessary. We will cooperate where also necessary, whether it’s on the issue of climate change.

Let’s be frank: The Canadian and Chinese economies have grown to be very interdependent. Many sectors, including the agricultural sector, are heavily dependent, and we have to manage this difficult relationship with finesse, but also with firmness, and that is exactly what this policy aims to do.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I have the honour to inform the Senate that the Clerk of the Senate has received a certificate from the Registrar General of Canada showing that Leonard Andrew Cardozo has been summoned to the Senate.

[Translation]

Hon. Andrew Cardozo, of Ottawa, Ontario, introduced between Hon. Marc Gold, P.C., and Hon. Patti LaBoucane-Benson.

The Hon. the Speaker informed the Senate that the honourable senator named above had made and subscribed the Declaration of Qualification required by the Constitution Act, 1867, in the presence of the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel, the Commissioner appointed to receive and witness the said declaration.

[English]

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Honourable senators, on behalf of my colleagues in the Government Representative Office, I would like to welcome Senator Andrew Cardozo to the Senate of Canada.

While new to this chamber, Senator Cardozo is familiar to many of us through his writing, whether for his monthly contributions to The Hill Times, as a regular columnist for the Toronto Star or as a contributor on timely and important issues in other major newspapers.

[Translation]

As founder of the Pearson Centre for Progressive Policy, he has focused on multiculturalism, anti-racism, diversity and equity, broadcasting and cultural policy as well as skills development — particularly, and most recently, the future of work. His knowledge and experience in all of these areas will be a valuable asset to the Red Chamber.

[English]

In a recent interview, Senator Cardozo stated that, as a former CRTC commissioner, he is proudest of being part of the panel that approved the licence for the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, which is still going strong more than two decades later.

Besides all of his professional achievements, Senator Cardozo has been an active volunteer with the YMCA-YWCA, the Vancouver Institute of Media Arts and with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ottawa. He was honoured as Big Brother of the Year.

Honourable colleagues, please join me in welcoming Senator Andrew Cardozo.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Honourable senators, today I rise to pay tribute to former senator Jean Lapointe, who passed away on November 18. I sympathize with all who remember him as a friend.

As a senator, he made many contributions, but people will remember him first and foremost as an actor, singer and comic, an entertainer who spent decades making audiences laugh. His influence on the arts in my province, Quebec, cannot be overstated.

In 1955, he and Jérôme Lemay founded Les Jérolas — the name was a combination of Jérôme and Lapointe — a duo whose blend of music and comedy delighted spectators. Their popularity earned them a coveted appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” in 1963 and a sold-out show at the Olympia in Paris. They often appeared on stage at Montreal’s most popular cabarets, such as Charivari and La Barak, as well as at venues like Chez Gérard, La Porte Saint-Jean, Le Coronet and Eldorado.

In his career as an actor, former Senator Lapointe won a Genie award and a Jutra award in 2004 for his role in Érik Canuel’s film Le dernier tunnel. He was honoured at the Just for Laughs gala in 2005 to mark his fiftieth anniversary in the entertainment industry. He was also inducted into the Order of Canada and appointed as an Officer of the Ordre national du Québec. According to his daughter Anne Elizabeth, he was particularly proud of La Maison Jean Lapointe, an addictions treatment centre he founded in 1982 after fighting his own battle with alcoholism.

Quebec lost one of its beloved children, whose career began in Montreal’s smoky nightclubs in the 1950s and 1960s. He appeared in the most watched program of that decade, he performed on Paris’ most famous stage, and he later served with honour in the Senate of Canada. During his last speech in the Red Chamber, he summarized his career as follows, and I quote: “I did not come here to fight; I came here to try to bring a little peace.”

In 2011, as an artist, he told La Presse the following, and I quote:

I don’t think an artist retires. I’ve still got that fire in my belly. As long as I can move, I will keep going. This is my whole life.

That’s exactly what he did.

Jean Lapointe is survived by his wife Mercédès, his seven children and his two grandsons. I wish to express my sincere condolences to his family and friends.