Senator Boehm: Senator Bovey, the announcement on Monday by Minister Joly with respect to the launch of the internal modernization exercise was encouraging. I don’t know if it was stimulated by our push from this place or not. Like the “fit for purpose” study of Canada’s foreign service and the modernization of Global Affairs, which the committee is currently working on, I think it’s too early to say how much cultural diplomacy will factor into the deliberation. We’ve just started the study and we are moving along.

For Global Affairs Canada’s own review specifically, I want to point out that from what I have seen, much of its focus will be on internal processes such as hiring and staffing. That said — and I, of course, can’t speak for that department — as you know, senator, I have very similar views to your own. In fact, we have been dealing with the cultural and arts community in Canada for some time on this question. I would want to assure you that as chair of the committee I will look at all ways and means in the future of our work to support these common objectives and especially the bolstering of cultural diplomacy.

Hon. Yonah Martin (Deputy Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, my question is for the government leader. I’m going to return to the issue that I didn’t get to fully articulate yesterday regarding the government’s broken promise to provide $3.2 billion to the provinces and territories for the hiring of 7,500 new family doctors, nurses and nurse practitioners.

According to the B.C. College of Family Physicians, almost one million people in my province alone do not have a family doctor and are unable to get one — one million. Earlier this month, the Canadian Medical Association said the lack of access to family doctors is a growing crisis, and it urged all levels of government to address the issues that are “decimating primary care across the country.”

Leader, I will try again to ask, why did the NDP-Liberal budget fail to include this specific promise to fund 7,500 new doctors and nurses starting this fiscal year?

Hon. Senators: Hear, hear!

The Hon. the Speaker: Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?

Senator Martin: As I’m sure you know, some Canadians who don’t have access to a family doctor will ultimately seek care at a hospital emergency room. This past weekend, three hospitals that serve smaller communities in different parts of B.C. closed their emergency rooms due to staff shortages. These types of closures are becoming a common occurrence.

On Monday, the mayor of Clearwater told CTV that their local hospital emergency room has been closed so many times in recent months that he can’t even keep track of the number of times this has happened.

Leader, does the NDP-Liberal government have any timeline for when it intends to fulfill its promise of 7,500 new doctors, nurses and nurse practitioners in Canada? And how did you determine that 7,500 was an adequate number?

Some Hon. Senators: Hear, hear.

[English]

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Beau James Atkins, of Evolve Family Law, and his son Parker Paul Atkins. They are the guests of the Honourable Senator Cotter.

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

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, my question, again, is for the government leader in the Senate.

Leader, a Supreme Court of Canada ruling last week, which struck down life without parole for mass murderers, means that the man who killed six people in a Quebec mosque in 2017 may be eligible to apply for parole. His lawyer called the court decision a glimmer of hope, yet the families of his victims live each and every day with the pain and loss of their loved ones.

On Friday, the Minister of Justice released a statement that read, “. . . we will respect the court’s decision and carefully review its implications and path forward.”

Leader, what does that mean? Why has the NDP-Liberal government completely ruled out a legislative response? What is your path forward? To just move on and let the victims fall by the wayside once again?

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the 2022 Spring Reports of the Auditor General of Canada to the Parliament of Canada, pursuant to the Auditor General Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. A-17,sbs. 7(5).

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Odelia Quewezance. She is the guest of the Honourable Senator Pate.

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

Hon. Raymonde Gagné (Legislative Deputy to the Government Representative in the Senate): Honourable senators, I give notice that, at the next sitting of the Senate, I will move:

That, when the Senate next adjourns after the adoption of this motion, it do stand adjourned until Tuesday, June 7, 2022, at 2 p.m.

Senator Black: I apologize for not knowing that rule.

The Hon. the Speaker: That’s fine, Senator Black. No need to apologize.

[Translation]

The Hon. the Speaker: Senator Black, since we have started, we’ll go along with a supplementary question.

The Hon. the Speaker: Before calling upon Senator Richards, I should point out to honourable colleagues that pursuant to rule 4-8(1), questions can be asked of chairs of committees but not of chairs of subcommittees. There have been a number of rulings in the past with respect to that. Since the question has been asked, I’ll leave it to Senator Richards whether or not he wants to answer it for now, but I would ask colleagues to bear that in mind in the future.

Senator Gold: Thank you for the question and for following up.

The government is aware of your question, but I haven’t gotten a response, unfortunately. I will try again to get an answer and will get back to you soon.

[English]

Senator Smith: I would appreciate that information.

The government also maintains its commitment to transition its fleet of light-duty vehicles to 100% zero-emission vehicles by 2030. As of March 31, 2022, the government’s light-duty fleet contained approximately 18,000 vehicles but less than 3% accounted for zero-emission vehicles, or ZEVs for short.

Senator Gold, given market constraints for electric vehicles, including the fact that, in many cases, there are no suitable vehicles that meet the operational requirements of the government, is this commitment feasible?

(Response to question raised by the Honourable Ratna Omidvar on February 8, 2022)

Insofar as Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is concerned:

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship and other implicated government departments and agencies have collectively implemented a whole-of-government response, meeting regularly to ensure we are working collaboratively and proactively responding to issues. Since August 21, 2021, our collaboration has resulted in the arrival of over 8,000 Afghans to Canada, and more arrive every week.

The majority of Afghans wanting to resettle in Canada, and meeting the criteria of the Special Immigration Measures, are still located in Afghanistan. As a result of the Taliban’s control of Afghanistan, its status as a terrorist organization and the safety concerns for both clients and employees, IRCC does not have a physical presence in Afghanistan. For Afghans seeking to come to Canada, leaving Afghanistan can be extremely dangerous and difficult. The preponderance of issues impeding their immigration to Canada relate to securing safe transit out of Afghanistan.

IRCC is working with partners and neighbouring countries on how best to facilitate the safe movement of Afghan nationals out of Afghanistan so that the processing of their applications can continue. You may rest assured that the Government of Canada is working tirelessly and devoting the necessary resources to resettle these vulnerable persons safely to Canada as quickly as possible.

(Response to question raised by the Honourable Mobina S. B. Jaffer on February 21, 2022)

Insofar as Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is concerned:

Canada is working to bring as many vulnerable Afghans as possible to safety in Canada, as quickly as is practicable. IRCC has already brought 8,580 new Afghans to Canada as of March 1, 2022, as part of the government’s multi-year commitment to resettle at least 40,000 Afghan nationals. As of February 21, 2022, IRCC has approved over 10,000 applications for Afghan nationals who assisted the Government of Canada (e.g., locally engaged staff, interpreters), along with their family members. Of these, 4,880 Afghans have since begun their new lives in Canada. Another 3,700 have been resettled to Canada through our humanitarian program, which focuses on women, LGBTQ2 people, human rights defenders, journalists and members of religious and ethnic minorities.

IRCC has streamlined the application process for Afghan applicants, and continues to prioritize and process these cases as quickly as possible for those inside and outside of Afghanistan. Depending on an individual’s circumstances, however, every step of the process can bring unique challenges. Full admissibility assessments, including security screening, must be completed before a decision can be reached on any application. Some cases are complex, and thus the screening aspect of the process can take additional time to ensure rigorous assessment.

(Response to question raised by the Honourable Marilou McPhedran on February 24, 2022)

All international assistance provided by Global Affairs Canada in response to the illegal invasion of Ukraine, including $245 million in humanitarian assistance, is guided by Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy and requires gender-based analysis.

Canada is providing assistance through United Nations organizations, the Red Cross Movement and to non‑governmental organizations to address the needs of women and girls related to gender-based violence. This includes lifesaving services such as crisis rooms; counselling; distribution of cash and dignity kits; and access to sexual and reproductive health services.

Other support includes programming provided through UN Women and Justice Rapid Response for assessments of the needs of women and girls in Ukraine and neighbouring countries, as well as the deployment of specialized investigators with sexual violence and criminal investigation expertise. Canada is contributing to the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund to support women’s organizations to provide protection and psychological support, while ensuring that women are supported to work towards conflict resolution.

Canada is also pursuing accountability through the International Criminal Court, whose statute expressly proscribes various forms of sexual violence as underlying acts of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

(Response to question raised by the Honourable Ratna Omidvar on March 1, 2022)

Insofar as Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is concerned:

The Government of Canada is committed to helping Ukrainians and has announced a number of new measures to help people affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. When consulting with the Ukrainian community, we heard that a number of Ukrainians may want to come to Canada temporarily and then return home when it is safe to do so. Therefore, a new temporary residence pathway was needed to urgently bring Ukrainians seeking temporary refuge into Canada. Having the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) available, in addition to permanent residence pathways (including family sponsorship), will allow Canada to welcome more Ukrainians fleeing violence.

The CUAET is open to an unlimited number of Ukrainians. These measures allow clients to stay for up to three years, with the option to work or study while here. This is the fastest, safest and most efficient way for Ukrainians and their immediate family members to come to Canada and eliminates many of the normal visa requirements. IRCC has already received more than 50,000 applications under this program. Further, in recognition that many Canadians and permanent residents have family in Ukraine, IRCC is quickly implementing a special family reunification sponsorship pathway.

(Response to question raised by the Honourable Mary Coyle on March 22, 2022)

Department of Justice officials continue to monitor both Canadian and international developments on conversion therapy, as well as any relevant jurisprudence, and will continue to work through existing federal, provincial and territorial fora to facilitate collaboration and monitor their experiences with conversion therapy cases. Additionally, Statistics Canada tracks police-reported incidents of crime, as well as charges laid and convictions entered under Criminal Code offences.

As a general rule, Canadian courts have jurisdiction over crimes committed within Canada. However, Canadian courts also have jurisdiction to prosecute where there is a real and substantial link between Canada and the offence. Such a link may be established in cases where conversion therapy is provided online to Canadians by persons residing in another country.

To enhance our understanding of the impact of conversion therapy on those subjected to it, the Department of Justice has contracted with the Community-Based Research Centre Society to undertake qualitative, in-depth interviews with survivors of conversion therapy from across the country. Also, in January 2022, the Department of Justice made $1 million available through the Victims Fund to support the development of public legal education and information (PLEI) resources and materials regarding the new conversion therapy-related offences.

(Response to question raised by the Honourable Marilou McPhedran on March 22, 2022)

Canada is coordinating efforts with allies and partners to support Ukraine and to pressure Russia to end its war on Ukraine. Canada calls on Russia to immediately cease all hostile and provocative actions against Ukraine, withdraw all military and proxy forces from the country and turn to good-faith diplomacy. Canada also supports ongoing negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.

Canada played a key role in the eleventh emergency special session of the United Nations General Assembly and the adoption of resolutions on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, humanitarian consequences and suspending Russia from the Human Rights Council.

Canada continues to work at the United Nations on options to support Ukraine and promote international peace and security.

(Response to question raised by the Honourable Donald Neil Plett on May 18, 2022)

Veterans Affairs Canada

Veterans Affairs Canada is subject to the provisions of the Privacy Act and the Access to Information Act related to the disclosure of personal information and, as such, cannot respond to questions about individual clients.

Veterans Affairs Canada acknowledges the significant contributions that veterans and Canadian Armed Forces members have made, and continue to make, in protecting Canadians and their peace and security at home and around the world. These men and women deserve the greatest recognition and respect for their service. Veterans Affairs Canada maintains an open-door policy for communication and collaboration on their issues and priorities.

This case deals with issues that are being addressed by Veterans Affairs Canada.

Appendix—Senators List

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for this question, honourable colleague.

The tragedy in Nova Scotia devastated families, friends and the community and left many unanswered questions. With the public hearings now under way, our thoughts are with the community of Portapique.

All Canadians should know that this will be an in-depth and impartial inquiry that will be conducted with compassion. I don’t know why the minister has not intervened publicly, but I will follow up and attempt to get an answer.