Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate) tabled the reply to Question No. 141, dated March 30, 2022, appearing on the Order Paper and Notice Paper in the name of the Honourable Senator Housakos, regarding interprovincial trucking.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate) tabled the reply to Question No. 145, dated March 30, 2022, appearing on the Order Paper and Notice Paper in the name of the Honourable Senator Housakos, regarding the Canada’s Tobacco Strategy — Canada Revenue Agency.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate) tabled the reply to Question No. 145, dated March 30, 2022, appearing on the Order Paper and Notice Paper in the name of the Honourable Senator Housakos, regarding the Canada’s Tobacco Strategy — Health Canada.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate) tabled the reply to Question No. 156, dated April 26, 2022, appearing on the Order Paper and Notice Paper in the name of the Honourable Senator Plett, regarding the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate) tabled the reply to Question No. 171, dated June 23, 2022, appearing on the Order Paper and Notice Paper in the name of the Honourable Senator Carignan, P.C., regarding the proportion of federal employees teleworking.

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Minister, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, or UNDRIP, incorporates a constitutional duty to consult Indigenous people when you consider measures that might adversely impact the potential for established Aboriginal or treaty rights.

The Aboriginal Peoples Television Network said they weren’t invited to a House committee when studying this bill, despite their request to do so. I can only assume from that, minister, that they were not consulted.

Minister, are you upset about your government’s failure to consult? Did you consult the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network before you introduced this bill? And if not, why not?

Senator Plett: That’s not my question, minister.

Senator Plett: Mr. Minister —

The Hon. the Speaker pro tempore: Senator Plett, please. Senator Plett, order.

Minister, please answer.

Hon. Marc Miller, P.C., M.P., Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations: Thank you, senator. I note that this community — three, in fact — is one that Canada is in the process of amalgamating. To your first point about greater autonomy, there is a step there that we are in the process of — confidentially, obviously — undertaking with the community, and to do that in a respectful way. But there are elements we have initiated in the short term: obviously surge supports for mental health, help for community members who need enhanced medical assistance over and above mental health supports, as well as a number of elements that Minister Hajdu herself personally confirmed to the community when she was there in person for one of the funerals.

Indeed, the community has asked for more support in policing and has asked for its own police force. Those are, again, things that need to be implemented over the more medium term, as well as resources to support self-determination.

These are situations of violence. They are far too frequent in Indigenous communities. They have their roots in a number of the elements that you identified. There are socio-economic disparities that have their roots in colonization, and the effects these have had over a series of years will require more investments in education and housing.

This is not a problem that started and began with one individual, as awful an individual as this person appeared to be. It needs a comprehensive response. Thank you for asking the question.

Hon. Brian Francis: Minister Miller, Dr. Cindy Blackstock of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada has called upon the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, the CHRT, to not approve the $20-billion child welfare compensation deal negotiated by the Assembly of First Nations and your government. Dr. Blackstock argues that the current version fails to ensure every complainant will receive a minimum of $40,000, which was the amount ordered by the tribunal back in 2019.

Could you please explain why the deal gives a lesser amount or completely excludes some individuals, including children placed in family arrangements? How was it determined that such deferential treatment is justified?

The Hon. the Speaker pro tempore: Thank you very much.

[Translation]

Honourable senators, the time for question period has expired. I am certain that you will join me in thanking Minister Miller for joining us today. Thank you, minister.

[English]

Hon. René Cormier: Esteemed colleagues, I rise today at report stage of Bill S-208, An Act respecting the Declaration on the Essential Role of Artists and Creative Expression in Canada. I’d like to begin by thanking and congratulating the Social Affairs, Science and Technology Committee for studying this bill effectively and diligently. I’d also like to acknowledge the passion and courage of Senator Bovey, as well as the colossal work she did to make a case for the importance of the role of artists in Canadian society.

I’ll be brief in my intervention that essentially seeks to reinforce an observation that the committee made in its report, as the chair noted, which reads as follows:

Your committee heard of the need for the Government of Canada to develop a national cultural policy framework in consultation with the provinces and territories, and with all arts groups.

[English]

It is my understanding that this observation would stem from the testimony of Mr. Simon Brault, Director and CEO of the Canada Council for the Arts, when he appeared before the committee on June 15. The Canada Council for the Arts is a federal Crown corporation whose mandate is to foster and promote the study and enjoyment of the arts and the production of artworks. It is the primary granting agency for artists and arts organizations across Canada and operates at arm’s length from the government of the day.

The Canada Council for the Arts’ unique status gives this organization a very pragmatic view on the position of arts and culture in Canada. The council is, in fact, identified in the bill as one of the entities that the Minister of Canadian Heritage must consult before developing his action plan to implement the declaration provided in the bill’s schedule.

In his testimony before the committee, Mr. Brault visibly applauded the relevance and generosity of the bill’s intentions; however, he expressed concern about the feasibility of the action plan that is to implement the principles of the declaration under the responsibility of the Minister of Canadian Heritage.

[Translation]

Mr. Brault reminded the committee that the Minister of Canadian Heritage doesn’t have sole jurisdiction over culture. Within federal jurisdiction alone, culture involves many departments, plus federal institutions that operate at arm’s length from the government, that are tasked with supporting various sectors, such as film, television, the arts, architecture and literature. In addition to including all these stakeholders at the federal level, a realistic cultural development plan must also take into consideration the powers of the provinces and territories and reflect the diverse perspectives and realities of communities within Canada, including Indigenous peoples, official language minority communities and diversity communities.

All those factors led Mr. Brault to conclude that, if Canada wants to develop:

 . . . a plan, making sure that artists are central to the development of the cultural sector in Canada, that means a lot of coordination, a lot of consultation and a lot of negotiations within the federal government but also from the federal government with all of the different provinces, territories and municipalities.

[English]

This unlikely observation highlights the complexity of our cultural ecosystem, and I can only reinforce it. On a cultural level, Canada is a complex country. Our country’s artistic ecosystem relies on a multitude of players operating in different jurisdictions. That really must be considered if we want an effective national cultural policy that considers the different cultural realities of our country. We also must not underestimate the challenges that come with it.

[Translation]

I commend the committee for the amendments it made to strengthen the place and importance of artists from official language minority communities in the preamble and the consultations. It would have been very enlightening to get the Minister of Canadian Heritage’s perspective on this bill. However, even though he was invited to appear, as the chair said, unfortunately, the Social Affairs, Science and Technology Committee did not have an opportunity to hear his testimony, which is too bad.

A well-known African proverb states:

The best way to rebuild the economy in a meaningful way is through culture.

I absolutely agree with that statement, which emphasizes the importance of ensuring that Canada has a realistic cultural policy framework and an effective action plan that takes into account all of the cultural stakeholders and that will enable Canadian artists from all backgrounds to participate fully in our country’s development.

Once again, I thank the Social Affairs, Science and Technology Committee, and Senator Bovey in particular, for their work and commitment to Canada’s artists and cultural community. Thank you, meegwetch.

(On motion of Senator Martin, debate adjourned.)

[English]

On the Order:

Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Patterson, seconded by the Honourable Senator Tannas, for the second reading of Bill S-228, An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (property qualifications of Senators).

Hon. Ratna Omidvar: Honourable senators, I rise to acknowledge the contribution of Iranian Canadians to our great country.

Most of us left Iran in the wake of the Islamic Revolution, and “left” is actually a benign word for how we got out. Some crawled, others fought, yet others smuggled themselves out. Others paid to get out at some considerable personal risk to their own lives, as my family in the gallery can attest.

I remember looking back at the border between Turkey and Iran. I looked back one last time — it was early dawn — to Iran. I remember saying to myself, “Iran will be a democracy in five years — this was 1981 — and I will be back.”

Colleagues, how wrong I was. I no longer believe that I will ever go back to Iran and that Iran will, at least not in my lifetime, be a democracy.

Instead, we have chosen to set down roots in our new country. There are close to 200,000 Iranian-Canadians in Canada. After the initial 10 years of hardship — fitting in, finding work, finding your identity — I think it’s safe to say that Iranian-Canadians have arrived. They are present in all aspects of our society. They are entrepreneurs. They are leaders in business. They are leaders in industry and finance. They are academics and thought leaders. They are politicians and philanthropists. They are architects and developers. They are politicians. They are writers, artists and actors, and, yes, they play baseball and hockey, although, frankly, they are still mad for soccer.

Like other Canadians, they also voice their opinions, as they have been doing in the last two days in Canada to protest the oppression of women in Iran. Their trajectory is not unlike that of other immigrant communities. They take to heart the universal message that is sent to us when we arrive: Work hard, follow the rules and you and your children will succeed.

As I look at my family up in the gallery, I know that none of us imagined a life for ourselves outside of Iran. But now that we are here, I know we are also incredibly grateful to this country for allowing us to weave our narrative into yours and Canada’s. Thank you.

Hon. Senators: Hear, hear.

(On motion of Senator Martin, debate adjourned.)

(At 5:45 p.m., the Senate was continued until Tuesday, September 27, 2022, at 2 p.m.)

The Hon. the Speaker pro tempore: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Dr. Colin Sentongo, Jane Sentongo and Katie McKay. They are the guests of the Honourable Senator Bovey.

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

Hon. Patricia Bovey: Honourable senators, it is my real pleasure today to pay tribute to internationally acclaimed architect Gustavo da Roza, a friend, professor and, for many years, Portugal’s Honourary Consul. Gus died at 89 last April in Surrey, B.C. Born in Hong Kong, he studied in the U.S. and moved to Winnipeg in 1960.

I met Gus in 1970 during the Winnipeg Art Gallery’s construction, he the architect of this iconic triangular building on Winnipeg’s Memorial Boulevard and I the curator who was to review site progress daily. Da Roza, a young University of Manitoba architecture professor, challenged by the competition, sketched his initial design on the back of an envelope. The site was triangular; he was determined to use every inch. Many of you have visited this clean-lined Manitoba limestone building with embedded characteristic fossils.

Opened by Princess Margaret on September 25, 1971, though still unfinished due to a construction strike, we had installed parts of the collection. A special trumpet fanfare composed by Sonia Eckhardt-Gramatté, the director’s wife, played from the top of the Hudson’s Bay parkade across the street. At one point, an RCMP officer raced through the exhibition, asking if anyone had seen Lord Snowdon; he was missing. I had seen him: He and Gus had gone to the front point of the building. Lord Snowdon, a designer himself, was intrigued by how Gus had used the three points of the building; they are fire escapes.

Serving Manitoban audiences and artists well, its spaces are wonderful for presenting art. Its design has stood up well. When I returned as director in 1999, the environmental systems, the vault and the Muriel Richardson Auditorium had to be upgraded. Having daily witnessed its original construction, I knew its principles, but we needed Gus to assist.

He and I had kept in touch over the years, both in B.C. and Manitoba. I admired his vision and his understanding of what a gallery was. He did help with those renovations in the early 2000s, and has again since with the alterations to the shop and the addition of Qaumajuq, the Inuit art centre, which opened last year.

Gus designed many international buildings, including those in Dubai and a number of houses in Winnipeg, which, like the Winnipeg Art Gallery, are iconic and clean in design and function.

His love of life, his unique creativity, attention to detail, sense of humour, wit and real friendship are inspiring and have been a gift to me these last 50-plus years. Thank you, Gus.

My condolences go to his wife, Gloria, and his children and grandchildren.

[Translation]

Hon. Bernadette Clement: I’d like to thank Senator Moncion for that tribute to Gisèle Lalonde, who was a wonderful woman.

Honourable senators, I rise today in honour of Franco-Ontarian Day, which is on September 25.

On this day, the green and white flag with the fleur-de-lys and the trillium is proudly raised, and students across the province will sing “Mon beau drapeau.” Allow me to share a few lines:

This land so white is where it all begins.

The families grew, there was lots of kin.

They raised their children until fully grown,

and against the conquerors they held their own.

This song tells the story of newcomers, colonizers hoping to leave their mark and build a community in a majority‑anglophone country. This battle, the battle of Franco‑Ontarians, is ongoing. New advocates are needed because, as we can see everywhere, those now championing the cause do not resemble those who came before them.

Go to a meeting of the Réseau de soutien à l’immigration francophone de l’est de l’Ontario or the Association des communautés francophones de l’Ontario, de Stormont, Dundas et Glengarry and you will see faces that look like mine. You will hear accents from all over the world. You will see the present and the future of the French language in this province.

My hope is that the francophonie in Ontario and Canada will flourish, because it is welcoming. Second-language speakers, who are so numerous in this place, will feel confident enough to express themselves in French. Anglophones will want to engage with francophone culture. There will be exchanges between Indigenous and francophone communities.

Make no mistake: not mentioning colonialism in our celebration of the survival of the francophonie is an omission I cannot accept. French is a colonial language. We cannot do better in the future unless we acknowledge our past. This country was already rich in culture and language before we, the colonizers, the settlers, arrived.

Today, francophones come from all over the world, they have identities and customs that are unique and valued for weaving together common cultures and traditions. My hope is that, if we embrace differences in others, the refrain of “Mon beau drapeau” might come to be interpreted a bit differently, that it will not just apply to those who arrived hundreds of years ago and their descendants. My hope is that it reflects the colour of the skin we are in today and that the pride this song refers to is shared by everyone, regardless of their skin colour, accent or origin.

As we have sung many times here in Ontario:

True to their past,

speaking a language of old.

Proud to have come and stayed,

and still be here after all these years.

Thank you.

(Pursuant to the order adopted by the Senate on December 7, 2021, to receive a Minister of the Crown, the Honourable Marc Miller, P.C., M.P., Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, appeared before honourable senators during Question Period.)