Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Senator Gold, on October 17, I asked you a question about the ongoing backlog of applications of highly skilled immigrants being forced to return to their home countries as their work permits expired. At the time, you said:

 . . . I’m assured that the government will be doing even more to tackle the backlog in the short term while making our system more sustainable in the long term.

Senator Gold, this morning we are learning that the situation at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada isn’t getting any better. This is from an article in The Globe and Mail:

. . . hundreds of people are seeking a judicial order that compels Immigration to finish processing their applications.

As of Oct. 31 . . . . Around 1.2 million were in backlog . . . .

Senator Gold, basic government services are not being provided by your government, and now this will cost taxpayers money to deal with the barrage of legal cases due to this backlog. What will it take for your government to take this backlog seriously, Senator Gold?

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Senator Gold, in April your government tabled a budget in which it announced that it would establish a permanent council of economic advisers, and promised more details in the coming months.

Eight months later, leader, and there’s still no such a council in place, nor have we received the details we were promised in April. There isn’t even a mention of the council in the Fall Economic Statement tabled this month. Senator Gold, is this council still something your government intends to put in place? If so, what is taking so long? Or will your government be announcing another task force to look into this council as yet another way to pass the buck to someone else?