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.