Hon. Fabian Manning moved:

That the fourth report of the Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, entitled Peace on the Water (Advancing the Full Implementation of Mi’kmaq, Wolastoqiyik and Peskotomuhkati Rights-Based Fisheries), deposited with the Clerk of the Senate on Tuesday, July 12, 2022, be adopted and that, pursuant to rule 12-24(1), the Senate request a complete and detailed response from the government, with the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Coast Guard being identified as the minister responsible for responding to the report.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate) tabled the reply to Question No. 167, dated June 2, 2022, appearing on the Order Paper and Notice Paper in the name of the Honourable Senator Plett, regarding medical assistance in dying.

[Translation]

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Honourable senators, pursuant to rule 5-10(2) I ask that government notice of Inquiry No. 1 be withdrawn.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate) tabled the reply to Question No. 31, dated November 23, 2021, appearing on the Order Paper and Notice Paper in the name of the Honourable Senator Plett, regarding COVID-19 research — Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate) tabled the reply to Question No. 31, dated November 23, 2021, appearing on the Order Paper and Notice Paper in the name of the Honourable Senator Plett, regarding COVID-19 research — National Defence.

Senator Gold: I will make inquiries with the minister and the department, and I will report back with answers when I receive them.

Senator Gold: Again, without agreeing with your characterization of what UNDRIP does and does not require, I will undertake to make those inquiries and report back to the house.

The Hon. the Speaker: Senator Woo, you will run out of time in 10 seconds. Will you be asking for more time to answer the question?

The Hon. the Speaker: Is leave granted, honourable senators?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

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

(On motion of Senator Duncan, bill, as amended, placed on the Orders of the Day for third reading at the next sitting of the Senate.)

On the Order:

Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Pate, seconded by the Honourable Senator Dean, for the second reading of Bill S-233, An Act to develop a national framework for a guaranteed livable basic income.

Hon. Scott Tannas: Honourable senators, my question is for Senator Gold.

In August, the Clerk of the Privy Council released the Twenty‑Ninth Annual Report to the Prime Minister on the Public Service of Canada. The report includes updated demographics of the federal public service, including gender and race statistics, as well as a breakdown of the number of public servants in each province. Notably, 42.2% of public servants live in the National Capital Region. This percentage is relatively unchanged over the last number of years.

My question for you, Senator Gold, is this: With the rise of more remote working — and we have heard that the government is working on a strategy for more remote working — does the government intend to have more public service jobs outside the National Capital Region?

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Jennifer May, Ambassador-Designate to the People’s Republic of China. She is the guest of the Honourable Senator Boehm.

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

Senator Gold: I’m not in a position to answer that, but I’ll make inquiries.

Hon. Senators: Hear, hear.

Senator Tannas: Is the government satisfied with having 42.2% of its workforce located here in Ottawa?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for the question. I’ll have to make inquiries as to what the implications are of the government’s approach to the public service and whether there are plans along those lines. I’ll certainly make inquiries and report back.

Senator Gold: Thank you for the question. My understanding, senator, is that the government is considering these general themes, and that these are informing the development of the national adaptation strategy. The government looks forward to announcing its strategy in due course.

[Translation]

Senator Coyle: Senator Gold, this month the Federation of Canadian Municipalities also released its own recommendations for that national adaptation strategy. They have called for a scaling-up investment in resilient public infrastructure and a focus on nature-based solutions to climate change. They suggested investing in mechanisms such as the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund, the National Infrastructure Fund and the Green Municipal Fund.

Senator Gold, could you tell us if the government is considering these recommendations and, if so, how will the government be incorporating these into the national adaptation strategy?