The Hon. the Speaker: Senator Deacon’s time has expired.

Senator Deacon, are you asking for five more minutes to answer more questions?

Senator C. Deacon: If it is the will of the chamber.

Senator Downe: Thank you. Let me join the pile on Senator Deacon because of his earlier comments. I know he’s well aware of Prince Edward Island, because he lived there for many years, but he may not be totally up to date. We have the lowest wages in Canada, and the highest inflation in Canada. Those two coming together are an incentive for people not to seek employment — when their incomes are so low because of the wages being the lowest in Canada. We have to be very conscious of what’s going on in the overall economic picture.

Senator Deacon, like you, I support the subamendment. I think it expands the range of options we can hear and gives time for more reflection. I was not aware of the Parliamentary Budget Officer’s report until Senator Ringuette raised it — and I thank her for raising it, because it’s important. The Parliamentary Budget Officer, as we know, does very good work. Senator Deacon, what other witnesses would you suggest, in addition to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, if you were selecting them for this review?

Senator C. Deacon: I would recommend speaking to chambers of commerce, construction associations, tourism associations and restaurant associations to understand what’s happening on the front lines of businesses across the Island — to make sure we’re understanding what the effects are, right now, of labour shortages on the Island. And we can get to the core of whether this is, in any way, related to it — perhaps it is not, and maybe the issues don’t touch on this. I believe there is something to be considered here. Certainly, our witnesses in the Agriculture Committee, when we heard their testimony back in May, said that labour shortage was a big part of their motivation for wanting to see this change. I encourage the committee to consider those sorts of witnesses.

Senator Bellemare: I agree, Senator Patterson, but we have to consider the Parliamentary Budget Officer’s report. According to his calculations, Prince Edward Island will receive less benefits overall after the zones are merged. Given the multiplier effect in the region, it’s not very useful to promote growth.

I think that, given the current context, we can wait. That is my answer.

[English]

The Hon. the Speaker pro tempore: I see two senators rising. Do we have agreement on a bell?

Senator Gold: This is pretty rich. Senator Plett, I undertook to make inquiries and I need not say anything more, but allow me. If we’re talking about respect for this chamber, may I remind honourable senators who were perhaps not here during the Forty‑first Parliament when the government you represent introduced time allocation over a hundred times in the House of Commons at various stages. I guess in the alternative world that some people live in that’s respect for the Senate.

With regard to Bill C-11, this chamber gave authority to the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications to engage in a study of this bill in June. Every step of the way, this Government Representative Office has shown respect for the Senate, for the committee process and for the agreements that were brought to us by all four leaders for a third-reading debate. I guess in the alternative world that some of you may live in that is disrespect for the process.

I am not personally offended, but, on behalf of the Senate, I ask that we rein in this rhetoric and deal with true facts.

Hon. Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu: My question is also for the Government Representative in the Senate. Senator Gold, The Canadian Press reported this morning that the Canadian Forces Ombudsman, Gregory Lick, had some harsh criticism about how CAF reservists and Rangers are being treated.

In 2015, the ombudsman tabled a report that included nine recommendations for how ill and injured reservists and Rangers could be treated better. The ombudsman is now pointing out that none of those recommendations have been implemented since the report was released seven years ago. That is unacceptable.

Senator Gold, since the situation is serious and the Chief of the Defence Staff, General Eyre, has ordered that recruitment and retention be a priority for the Canadian Forces, why has your government ignored this report since 2015?

Senator Boisvenu: Furthermore, Senator Gold, you know that Arctic security has become a matter of capital importance since Russia invaded Ukraine. Could you table in this chamber the action plan that the Minister of Defence plans to adopt in order to address the main gaps identified by the Canadian Forces Ombudsman? The gaps include, and I quote:

 . . . a lack of follow up after reservists are deployed on military tasks, excessive red tape in asking for assistance . . . .

He mentions in particular that the army does not communicate with reservists and Rangers to let them know what help is available.

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): You get another opportunity, Senator Gold.

Government leader, recently we learned of the bill that taxpayers will be footing for Canada’s delegation to Her Majesty the Queen’s funeral. I had to rub my eyes a few times to make sure I was seeing things properly, because the cost of hotel rooms alone is reflected at just shy of $400,000. This includes charges from the Corinthia Hotel in London. The bill for the hotel reflects a charge of £4,800 per night for the River Suite, which works out to more than $6,000 per night for five nights. I wonder who was staying in that room.

Leader, I’m old enough to remember the pushback directed at former Conservative minister Bev Oda over a $16 glass of orange juice in 2012. In fact, the current Prime Minister himself was calling for Minister Oda to resign at that time. Senator Gold, is there a reason that the bill was so high other than the fact that this Prime Minister thinks he’s above any sort of accountability to taxpayers?

Hon. Lucie Moncion: Colleagues, Mariette Carrier-Fraser passed away on September 15. She was born on October 19, 1943, in Jogues, a small village near the town of Hearst in northern Ontario.

The third of nine children, she came from humble beginnings. Mariette started Grade 1 at the age of four, which was extraordinary and unusual for the time. At the age of 17, she began her teaching career in Hearst and spent the next 36 years in the teaching profession. She rose through the ranks to become assistant deputy minister of French-language education at the Department of Education, a position she held from 1983 to 1997.

She was very active in her community. She became the founding principal of St. Noël Chabanel school at the age of 26 and later of Notre-Dame school in Hamilton at the age of 32. She was then recruited by the Department of Education to manage French-language education advisory services in Ontario, before being appointed regional superintendent and then assistant deputy minister of education. As Bette Stephenson, the Minister of Education at the time, put it:

[English]

“It’s safer to have you on the inside than on the outside.”

[Translation]

Mrs. Carrier-Fraser was the driving force behind establishing French-language sections in every school board, securing equitable funding for Catholic secondary education, establishing Collège Boréal and Collège des Grands Lacs and creating Ontario’s 12 French-language school boards.

Throughout the years, Mariette championed francophones’ right to education in French. She fought for francophones to have their own institutions, an expanded curriculum and access to quality programs.

Her achievements were remarkable, but, as she said, a lot remained to be done.

After retiring, Mariette got involved with many organizations. She chaired the French Language Health Services Advisory Council and served on the boards of Laurentian University, the Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board, La Cité, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University, the Montfort Hospital, the Centre d’appui et de prévention and the Réseau des services de santé en français de l’Est de l’Ontario. She was the first president of the Assemblée de la francophonie de l’Ontario.

She received numerous prestigious awards, including the Order of Canada, the Ordre de la Pléiade and an Ontario Francophonie Award.

This incredible woman made a lasting impact on all who knew her. She was a strong, competent woman with a brilliant mind and a unique way of approaching people. She was a unifying force, a go-getter, an agent of change, a model of commitment and determination who advanced the cause of francophone minority communities and French-language education in Ontario. Mariette Carrier-Fraser was incredibly compassionate and had great respect for others. She took her rightful place in Ontario’s francophone community with pride, honesty and wisdom.

I offer my deepest condolences to her daughters, Lori and Brenda, to her brothers and sisters and her entire extended family.

Rest in peace, my friend, and know that your star will continue to shine for all those who knew and loved you.

Thank you.

Hon. Michèle Audette: Kwei, honourable colleagues.

[Editor’s Note: Senator Audette spoke in Innu.]

I rise today in the upper chamber with my heart full of pride. This is why: On October 3, Quebecers went to the polls to elect a government. That election was rather special. Several First Nations candidates were running for different parties in the Quebec election. I would like to congratulate and name those candidates: Maïtée Labrecque-Saganash, Kateri Champagne Jourdain, Jacline Rouleau, Jacques T. Watso, Gérard Briand, Michaël Ottereyes, Benjamin Gingras and Tunu Napartuk.

In this election, Kateri Champagne Jourdain became the first Innu woman to be elected as an MNA. That is amazing. The same sense of pride was felt when Alexis Wawanoloath, an Abenaki man, became the first Indigenous person to be elected to the National Assembly many moons ago.

On Thursday, October 20, there was another first in Quebec’s history when Kateri Champagne Jourdain was appointed Minister of Employment and minister responsible for the North Shore region, my beloved North Shore. To say I am proud is an understatement.

I will echo the words of my community’s chief, Mike Pelash Mckenzie, who said the following after her appointment:

Kateri Champagne Jourdain’s appointment to cabinet is a wonderful sign of confidence and recognition from the premier. Ms. Champagne Jourdain is unquestionably skilled, and we are confident she will succeed in her role.

He believes that this is more proof for the members of our nation, especially women and youth, that we can all succeed and have an important role in society. We wish Ms. Champagne Jourdain all the best in her new position.

Of course, this appointment is not just historic for me. It recognizes the woman and the Innu woman, especially her skills, her knowledge, her leadership and her language, Innu-aimun. As we say back home, that is big. Nasss ne shenen.

I agree with Premier Legault that this appointment does not mean everything should fall on the shoulders of our new Innu minister. I hope that the burden will be shared by Quebec society as a whole and, of course, by this government’s cabinet.

Once again, Kateri, I congratulate you and commend your family for supporting you in this new endeavour. Good luck. Iame.

Hon. Julie Miville-Dechêne: Last Saturday, in Montreal, thousands of women and men marched in solidarity with the women of Iran, who have spent 40 years under the yoke of an Islamist theocracy that violates their basic rights by forcing them to wear the hijab. I marched with them and we chanted, “Women, life, liberty.” We sang Baraye, the anthem that has become the rallying cry of these courageous Iranian women of all ages who are risking their lives by going out with their heads uncovered, hair blowing in the wind. Here is a short excerpt from Baraye:

For dancing in the streets

For our fear when kissing loved ones

For my sister, your sister, our sisters

For yearning for an ordinary life

Several thousand of us marched in Montreal, and over 50,000 people, both women and men, took to the streets in Toronto.

It is no secret that Quebec’s feminist movement is divided on the issue of the veil. Some see the hijab as a symbol of oppression and believe it should be banned in all public institutions. For others, including myself, it is impossible to compare a religious dictatorship like Iran, where women are forced to wear the veil, with western democracies. In Quebec, for example, women are often free to wear the hijab or not, although there is no denying that there are cases in which family pressures force them to cover up. Here, too, the veil is polysemous, in that it has different meanings.

Unfortunately, this division between Quebec feminists is preventing us from expressing our solidarity. One camp criticizes the other for being too silent in the face of the Iranian women’s uprising, while the other worries that Quebec women who wear the veil will be even more stigmatized.

Instead of being divided like this, I want Quebecers to rally around what unquestionably unites us, namely our support for Iranian women who want to be free. We may very well be witnessing the start of the world’s first feminist revolution. It is an inspiring time. In the demonstrations in Iran, women without veils are leading the charge alongside their veiled sisters, and many men are risking their lives to share in their struggle. Let’s put our differences aside and support them in their quest for fundamental freedom.

[English]

Hon. Dennis Glen Patterson: Honourable senators, I am pleased to welcome the Honourable John Main to the Senate of Canada today. Mr. Main is a two-term MLA — he was acclaimed in the 2021 election — serving the rapidly growing community of Arviat, formerly Eskimo Point, on the Hudson Bay coast, with a population of 3,000, and Whale Cove, a smaller community of 500, north of Arviat, also on the Hudson Bay coast. He is fluently bilingual in English and Inuktitut.

Minister Main is the Minister of Health and Minister responsible for Suicide Prevention in the Government of Nunavut. The minister is in town visiting with federal ministers, and I appreciate the opportunity to spend time discussing Nunavut issues with him and supporting his efforts here in Ottawa.

He met today with the Minister of Indigenous Services, the Honourable Patty Hajdu, to discuss and encourage Nunavut’s participation in Indigenous Services Canada’s Non-Insured Health Benefits program and Inuit Child First Initiative, which is based on Jordan’s Principle. They also discussed the very real issue of tuberculosis in Nunavut and ways to move that file forward through the tripartite table.

He also met with the Minister of Northern Affairs, the Honourable Dan Vandal, to emphasize the serious infrastructure deficiencies in Nunavut and report progress on the Nunavut recovery centre — Nunavut’s first treatment centre for substance abuse — which arose from a federal financial commitment made to the Senate of Canada’s Indigenous Peoples Committee when cannabis legislation was passed in 2018. It will be Inuit-led and staffed, and trauma informed. This vital service for Nunavut, which is being planned by the federal government, the Government of Nunavut and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated is scheduled to begin construction in 2023, but is facing cost challenges due to inflation.

Yesterday, Minister Main met with Minister Carolyn Bennett, discussing mental health and addiction services in the territory and explained how the Nunavut recovery centre not only complements the services already provided to Nunavummiut but enhances them.

After attending here, he will meet with Minister Jean-Yves Duclos. With the upcoming health ministers’ federal, provincial and territorial meeting, it is vital that our federal colleagues understand the crucial role they play in supporting Nunavut as it continues to grow as a territory. Nationally, the Canada Health Transfer is on the agenda for discussion at both the premiers’ and health ministers’ tables.

Honourable colleagues, I applaud Minister Main’s advocacy for Nunavummiut. Qujannamiik.

Hon. Nancy J. Hartling: Honourable senators, it is with a heavy heart that I rise to pay tribute to Isabel Hicks from my home community in Riverview, New Brunswick. Her sudden death a few weeks ago shocked our community and left us feeling unprepared to say goodbye. I will share some of my reflections about Isabel with you so you will understand why she will be missed so much.

Isabel was born in Alma, New Brunswick. She was a true and genuine person with a big personality: Her smile and laugh could engulf a room. She loved her family and friends deeply. Her husband, Dale, of 65 years was an ideal husband for her because he supported her career, travels and life plans without hesitation. Many of us would like a “Dale” in our lives.

They had three children — Cathy, Pat, and Marty. Sadly, Marty died in an accident several years ago. She had several grandchildren and many relatives and friends she adored.

Heather McKinley, her niece, delivered a meaningful tribute to Isabel at her celebration of life. It was funny, personal and thoughtful. I will summarize a bit of what she said about “Aunt Is”:

Indeed, Aunt Is was an early proponent of “Girl Power.” She was a savvy businesswoman and her accomplishments in real estate were outstanding.

Heather’s dad, Sydney, and Isabel were really good friends.

When Isabel would blow into Granny Myrte’s like a sandstorm in the desert, not even taking off her shoes, Heather often wondered if her Uncle Dale ever got a word in edgewise, but he was her rock and allowed her to soar.

One of Isabel’s greatest passions was politics. Two of her closest political friends were the late senator Brenda Robertson and Ann Seamans, former mayor of Riverview. She got behind these women, and they were elected more than once. We all need someone like Isabel to support us.

I would often see Isabel and Brenda at our church in Riverview, and I wondered what kind of conversations they shared over coffee or a glass of wine. Isabel, of course, loved the colour blue and wore it to make a statement about her political affiliation. At her celebration of life, even our minister wore blue.

She volunteered for many causes, including food banks and St. Paul’s United Church. She was a doer.

A few days before she died, she called me at home and said she had a proposal for me. I wasn’t sure what she was going to ask me but she said:

I have a huge, framed photo of our Senate Chamber that was a birthday gift from the late senator Brenda Robertson in 1998, and I thought you would like to take it to Ottawa and put it in your office.

Of course, I said yes. I was deeply touched. After our phone call, Isabel fell and broke her hip and needed surgery. Unfortunately, she didn’t recover. I picked the picture up from her daughter while Isabel was in surgery and later learned she died. I was shocked and saddened. However, her special gift to me will be hanging in my office — it’s here now ready for hanging — as a constant reminder of her unwavering spirit.

Thanks, Isabel, for your generosity to many, and for your love of your family, friends and community. You will be missed and always remembered. My sincere condolences to your dear family and friends.

[Translation]

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question.

The independence of police operations is a key component in our democratic society and one that this government deeply respects. I am assured that at no times did the government attempt to interfere in police operations. The RCMP Commissioner has said in her own words:

. . . I did not receive direction and I was not influenced by government officials regarding the public release of information . . . .

The government remains committed to supporting the work of the Mass Casualty Commission so that Nova Scotians and Canadians can achieve the closure, to the extent that’s ever possible, on this tragedy, which they deserve.

I will end with another quote from the Prime Minister:

Every step of the way we recognized and supported the fact that the RCMP and the police of jurisdiction are the ones who decide what is released and when. They make decisions about how to balance the need of the public to get answers and the need to protect the integrity of investigations.

Senator Plett: “A request I got from the minister’s office.” I wonder whether Jody Wilson-Raybould would be able to shed some light on what these requests mean.

Leader, your government’s conduct is beneath the standards of a democratic country. It is now clear that Minister Blair politically interfered in an active investigation. This is not the first time the Trudeau government has shown blatant contempt for our democratic procedures.

The right thing, government leader, would be for Minister Blair to be held to account, but there seems to be little honour left in Justin Trudeau’s cabinet, so I won’t hold my breath. Leader, do you agree that Minister Bill Blair should resign and will you call for his resignation?

Hon. Tony Loffreda: My question is also for the Government Representative in the Senate.

Last week, before our Banking Committee, Mark Carney, former governor of the Bank of Canada, addressed Canada’s pathway to meeting our greenhouse gas emissions-reduction targets. He stressed that building a clean electricity grid must be part of the equation, but this can only be done if we have a cooperative economic policy, including between the federal and provincial governments.

The extent of the task before us is huge. To get any major project off the ground, proponents need to get the approval or support from the Government of Canada, provinces and territories, municipalities and First Nations, along with all the necessary environmental assessments and permits — which is not an easy task nowadays. Even green projects are met with resistance.

I’m getting to my question. Budget 2022 announced $250 million over four years to support pre-development activities of clean electricity projects of national significance, such as interprovincial electricity transmission projects.

What specific projects are currently being considered by the Government of Canada to “greenify” our electricity grid? Are you working with provinces, Indigenous peoples, industry and other stakeholders to get these major projects off the ground so we can meet our government’s target to produce 100% of our electricity from zero-emitting sources by 2035?

Hon. René Cormier: Dear colleagues, all peoples have their icons, men and women who serve as sources of inspiration and spread hope to those around them.

Recently, thanks to the Association acadienne des artistes professionnels du Nouveau-Brunswick, Acadians paid glowing tribute to the great artist Édith Butler during the Soirée des Éloizes, a televised gala that was broadcast on Radio-Canada.

Édith Butler’s career spanned 60 years. She released 28 albums, selling 2 million copies. She put on countless shows on countless stages in places like Japan, Belgium and France. She performed at Paris’ legendary Olympia music hall and at concert venues in other francophone countries. She met with success ever since she first started performing, in Acadia.

Édith Butler was awarded the Order of Canada and the Ordre de la Pléiade and was named a Chevalier of France’s Ordre National du Mérite. She was made an honorary princess of the Abenaki Nation and was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2007 for her famous song, “Paquetville.”

In 2009, Canada Post issued a stamp in her honour as part of the Canadian recording artists series.

Together with her agent and long-time collaborator, Lise Aubut, Édith Butler wrote songs in rich, elegant French, songs that have become anthems of love and hope for an entire people. Her voice bears witness to the battles fought by the generations of Acadians who came before her, and her breath contains all the aspirations of the current generation.

Édith Butler is also a champion of freedom. She fought and blazed a trail as an artist and a woman. She planted seeds of hope around her and, today, many young artists are following in her footsteps, inspired by her talent, strength and unwavering determination. Colleagues, Édith Butler is the voice of a francophone people who have been helping to build our country for over 400 years.

I had the great privilege of being her piano accompanist for a few years and, thanks to her, I saw, heard and understood the essential role that artists play in our society. When we are engaging in important debates about the future of our artists and cultural community, let’s not forget the invaluable contribution this sector makes to our society.

On the evening of October 1, in the small village of Petit‑Rocher on the shores of the beautiful Chaleur Bay, where this gala took place, Édith said, and I quote:

When I sing, it’s my father, my mother and my ancestors who are singing. When I sing, it’s an entire people who are singing.

She is right, honourable senators. Édith Butler has been and always will be the spark that ignites the pride of the Acadian people. She has earned her place in the history books, where she will live on forever.

Since it is Women’s History Month, and this year’s theme is “She Did, So Now I Can,” we thank her a million times over for blazing a trail for others to follow, and we also express our love for her a million times over. Thank you, dear Édith.

Hon. Senators: Hear, hear!

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Government leader, an audio tape released last week from the Nova Scotia Mass Casualty Commission has revealed some very troubling information indeed. In this tape, RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki can be heard berating her team for not including details on the types of guns used in the Nova Scotia massacre and makes reference to “a request I got from the minister’s office.”

Leader, this tape confirms that the then-Public Safety Minister Blair pressured the commissioner into releasing sensitive details into the investigation of the largest mass shooting in Canadian history in order to advance the Liberal government’s pending firearms legislation.

Leader, it was just a few months ago that the Prime Minister himself stated, “I want to remind everyone that politicians don’t direct police in a democratic society . . . .”

Was the Prime Minister excluding himself and his cabinet when he made that statement, or is this just for other politicians?