The Hon. the Speaker pro tempore: Are honourable senators ready for the question?

Senator Boisvenu: I’m unfortunately going to have to ask my question again. Senator Gold, I asked a simple question: Can you name one measure the government has taken since 2015 to protect women in Canada from being murdered? Just name one thing.

Hon. Marty Klyne, Chair of the Standing Committee on Audit and Oversight, presented the following report:

Thursday, June 9, 2022

The Standing Committee on Audit and Oversight has the honour to present its

FIFTH REPORT

Your committee, which is authorized on its own initiative, pursuant to rule 12-7(17), to supervise and report on the Senate’s internal and external audits and related matters, respectfully requests funds for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2023, and requests, for the purpose of such study, that it be empowered:

(a)to engage the services of such counsel, technical, clerical and other personnel as may be necessary.

Pursuant to Chapter 3:06, section 2(1)(c) of the Senate Administrative Rules, the budget submitted to the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration and the report thereon of that committee are appended to this report.

Respectfully submitted,

MARTY KLYNE

Chair

(For text of budget, see today’s Journals of the Senate, Appendix E, p. 702.)

Hon. Ratna Omidvar: Honourable senators, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the eighth report of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology, which deals with the subject matter of those elements contained in Divisions 23, 24, 26, 27, 29 and 32 of Part 5 of Bill C-19, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 7, 2022 and other measures.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Honourable senators, with leave of the Senate and notwithstanding rule 5-5(j), I move:

That, after Question Period on Tuesday, June 14, 2022, the Senate resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole in order to receive Mr. Philippe Dufresne respecting his appointment as Privacy Commissioner;

That the Committee of the Whole report to the Senate no later than 65 minutes after it begins;

That the witness’ introductory remarks last a maximum of five minutes;

That, if a senator does not use the entire period of 10 minutes for debate provided under rule 12-32(3)(d), including the responses of the witness, that senator may yield the balance of time to another senator; and

That the application of rule 3-3(1) be suspended until the committee has reported.

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

(Motion agreed to.)

On the Order:

Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Jaffer, seconded by the Honourable Senator Cormier, for the second reading of Bill S-235, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for the question. Bill C-8, which was held up in the House for an inordinate amount of time, is a bill designed to assist Canadians. I am very pleased that we finally did receive it. I am very pleased that it was properly studied in this chamber, and I look forward to the third-reading vote so that it can benefit Canadians, as intended.

Hon. David M. Wells: Honourable senators, my question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate.

Senator Gold, on April 5, 2022, more than two months ago, a Pivot Airlines crew of five Canadians were arbitrarily detained and imprisoned in the Dominican Republic after discovering and reporting that they found 210 kilograms of cocaine in the avionics compartment of the flight they flew into the Dominican Republic.

On April 28 I asked you, Senator Gold, a question about the detained crew. More specifically, I asked if the Minister of Foreign Affairs has intervened in this urgent matter. It’s now June 9, and the crew is still asking for help from the government.

Senator Gold, you’ll know that Prime Minister Trudeau is at the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles and will have the opportunity — or, perhaps, has had the opportunity — to meet with Dominican President Abinader on the sidelines of the summit or, perhaps, in one of the main meetings that they have.

It’s unacceptable that crew members who reported, as per the rules, to both the RCMP and the local authorities have been detained for more than two months, moving from safe house to safe house ahead of those who want to see them stopped or harmed.

Has the Prime Minister or did the Minister of Foreign Affairs make representation to the President of the Dominican Republic regarding these Canadian crew members?

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

With regard to food aid for people in other vulnerable countries, including African countries, the Government of Canada provides food aid in the form of untied grants based on international best practices and recommendations. Canada provides food aid through experienced multilateral and non-governmental organizations, including the World Food Programme.

The current priority is to support Ukraine so that it can get stored grain out of the country and deliver it to its usual markets, including Africa. The Government of Canada is committed to supporting Ukraine’s agricultural industry, which makes a significant contribution to global food security.

Our Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food recently expressed Canada’s desire to help at meetings with her Ukrainian counterpart, Minister Solsky, and with the ambassador of Ukraine to Canada, Yuliia Kovaliv. Canada is currently in close discussions with our Ukrainian partners to identify meaningful ways for Canada to support the country as effectively as possible in cooperation with our G7 partners. I have been told that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has met with its Ukrainian counterpart to learn about its needs.

In closing, the government is committed to taking timely action within these parameters.

[English]

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question, senator. The issues that you raise are complex and pervasive. They affect all Canadians to some degree, as we’ve discussed and as I answered in the chamber recently.

There is a suite of measures the government is taking that are targeted to various causes, whether it’s a question of inflation — the Bank of Canada, as we know, has embarked upon a series of rate hikes — and it is also with regard to measures outlined in the budget — and that we see in the budget implementation act — that will increase productivity, enhance competitiveness and the like.

The fact remains that we are living through a difficult time. The Government of Canada, along with its counterparts in the provinces and territories, is engaged in trying to help Canadians through these tough times.

[Translation]

Hon. Jim Quinn: Honourable senators, my question is to the Government Representative in the Senate.

Families and businesses — including small businesses across Canada, which in many ways are the backbone of our economy — are facing increasing costs across the board. Inflationary pressures, rising interest rates, supply chain disruption, the effects of the pandemic and other national and international factors, such as Russia’s invasion and ongoing destruction of Ukraine, are absolute factors in driving increasing costs here at home.

Recent surveys by Food Banks Canada and Mainstreet Research are indicating that families are struggling to buy enough food to feed themselves and their children, and an increasing number of Canadians are reporting that they are going hungry.

In my province of New Brunswick, gas prices rose overnight by 8.9 cents per litre, forcing many New Brunswickers to again make the difficult decision between buying gas for their vehicles so they can go to work or reducing food purchases yet again. Senator Gold, what immediate actions can the government take to address these serious issues today?

Hon. Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu: My question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate.

Senator Gold, I was surprised by your brief response on Tuesday when you said that your government has done a lot to combat violence against women by making a number of changes to the Criminal Code to make it fairer, more equitable and more relevant. I did my research and found nothing, not one program or a bill, that would help women and victims of crime more broadly. Worse still, in 2017, your government even voted unanimously to stop the position of Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime from being made equal to the position of Correctional Investigator.

Senator Gold, could you name the Criminal Code provisions that the government has amended in the past seven years to protect women and victims of crime?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question, senator. The question of housing affordability is a serious one. The government is engaged in trying to do its part, along with other governments, organizations and the private sector, to increase the supply and affordability of housing. That is why, in Budget 2022, there were a number of initiatives the government introduced to increase housing supply and to support Canadians. I have listed them in the chamber.

With regard to your question, it is unfortunate not only for members of the Armed Forces, but for others who have difficulty. I think it’s totally responsible and appropriate, if there is no other immediate response, to direct to those organizations who, through their good works and beneficence, are there to help Canadians through these difficult times.

Senator Plett: Well, I would like to thank you for your answer, but I cannot.

Last week another industry group, the Canadian Travel & Tourism Roundtable, also asked the NDP-Liberal government to provide urgent relief at the border saying:

Canadians can attend concerts, go to sporting events, and gather in significant numbers; travel should no longer be singled out with unscientific and unnecessary COVID policies which many countries around the world have rightfully removed.

The situation at Pearson Airport is quickly becoming an international joke. I read this morning that the delays and long lineups at Pearson could continue until the end of August. All this government can do is blame passengers for the delays. Leader, how many more times does your government have to be asked to change your travel policies and drop your mandates before you actually listen?

Senator Gold: The government is listening. It continues to listen, and it continues to make decisions that it believes are in the best interests of Canadians.

It is important for honourable senators in this chamber and for Canadians to understand, first of all, that the government knows how frustrating it is for Canadians to be subjected to long lines and delays at airports. These are not unique to Canada. We are seeing long lines at Dublin Airport in Ireland, cancelled flights in the United States and Schiphol airport in Amsterdam. It doesn’t mean it’s acceptable, but it means that it is a problem that is not unique to Canada.

The government is taking many steps in order to alleviate the problem. It has now hired over 850 new screeners in airports across Canada. It’s rapidly increasing staffing toward pre‑pandemic levels. Canadians should be assured that the government is doing what it can to ensure that the travel season bounces back smoothly.

(For text of Delayed Answers, see Appendix.)

[Translation]

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): This is indeed the pot calling the kettle black. Senator Miville-Dechêne raised a question with Senator Housakos that entirely breached an in camera meeting. She inferred what had happened during an in camera meeting. She talked about the majority of votes: 12 to 8. Where did the 12 to 8 vote come from, other than from an in camera meeting? Indeed, Senator Housakos did refer to issues that had been discussed, but he answered a question that itself entirely breached the in camera meeting.

Senator Martin: Good point.

Hon. Marty Klyne: Honourable senators, it’s an honour to speak in support of Bill S-242, which has been put forward by Senator Patterson. This is an important piece of legislation, and I trust that this bill will receive the support it needs to become law both in this chamber and in the other place.

I note with interest the fact that for the past 20 years senators and members of Parliament from all parties, groups and caucuses have stood in Parliament and made clear the need for improved broadband internet service in rural and remote areas, and also in areas that are heavily populated by Indigenous peoples. Every Canadian should have an equal opportunity to benefit from the internet and its services, whether it’s telemedicine or virtual health care, receiving social services, pursuing education or professional development or even replacing old legacy business systems with new applications.

Internet access allows for expanded participation in new market economies, driving economic transformation for Indigenous nations and other rural and remote communities. It’s an issue that supersedes region, province, partisan affiliation and even the different levels of government. The calls have been strikingly similar, even though the politicians making the calls have otherwise had little in common. Frankly, it’s a message that hasn’t really changed over the ensuing decades. The need for improved broadband services in rural and remote areas remains high, and, in fact, it’s a need that has only grown more and more acute with time.

I won’t repeat the text of Senator Patterson’s bill, but in simple terms this bill, if passed, would require entities that hold an internet spectrum licence, which is a licence to provide internet service within a prescribed geographic area, to offer internet services to at least 50% of the population in the underserved region that the licence covers, and do so within three years of the licence being issued. If the entity does not provide service to at least 50% of the population covered by the licence, then the licence would be reclaimed by the government and put back up for auction.

Under existing legislation, companies that hold internet spectrum licences are not legally required to use it, and many companies instead choose to simply hold on to their spectrum without using it to offer internet services to Canadians — many of whom are in need of the service or upgraded services. In the end, many of those companies will resell their spectrum, making millions in profits while having done nothing to provide improved broadband options in rural and remote communities. It’s good for the business that sold the spectrum at a profit, but is a bad result for taxpayers and Canadians generally who tend to pay more for broadband and have fewer service providers to choose from relative to people living in other developed countries.

Bill S-242 would help put a stop to the practice of private companies sitting on spectrum licences. The “use it or lose it” approach is long overdue, and it just makes sense. The federal government auctions off spectrum to private companies for one primary purpose — to provide broadband internet service options to Canadians in underserved markets. Unfortunately, when companies instead choose to sit on their spectrum, it does a real disservice to those people who live in areas with a limited population, or in areas where poverty and other challenges make connecting to the internet more difficult than in urban centres.

Private companies hoarding spectrum without using it make those challenges more difficult to overcome, and an ever-widening economic and prosperity gap between urban and rural and remote communities continues to exist. It’s time to change this behaviour, and that’s why I support this legislation.

Of course, spectrum, and the way it is allocated, is but one part of the challenge. I do not believe that Bill S-242 will solve all our problems when it comes to providing enhanced broadband service in rural areas. However, it will require internet service providers to offer better and more reliable service in more regions of the country, and that would be a significant improvement over the status quo. In fact, this status quo is not merely inconvenient for rural Canadians, but is costing the country in unrealized productivity and increased economic potential.

This past April, I rose during Question Period and asked Senator Gold about the enormous gap that exists between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples when it came to having access to 50/10 download and upload speed internet service.

While I greatly appreciate the work and funds that the Government of Canada has committed to closing this gap, and to closing the gap in rural and remote areas more broadly, the fact remains that we aren’t getting the job done. Broadband service in the North is notoriously spotty, and it’s the same in many rural portions of Western Canada, especially in Indigenous communities.

As a senator for Saskatchewan, I’m all too aware of the challenges facing Indigenous residents of my province who live outside of the major centres, Regina and Saskatoon. The stories I hear aren’t just anecdotes. In its 2020 Communications Monitoring Report, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, or CRTC, released statistics on the percentage of households on First Nations reserves that have access to broadband internet at the CRTC’s standard of 50/10 megabits per second download and upload speed. In Saskatchewan, the number of households on-reserve with access to that speed is just 1.7%. In Manitoba, the number is 2%. We must do better.

Again, a lack of action on improving broadband services is costly. A 2021 article in the Edmonton Journal noted that during the COVID-19 pandemic, some households in the Northwest Territories were paying upwards of $2,000 a month in data overage charges. This at a time when being apart and working virtually was mandatory for many people. That’s not fair, nor is it sustainable. Poor infrastructure, limited competition and lax spectrum laws have all contributed to an unacceptable situation, especially for Indigenous peoples.

A key component of reconciliation is working together to ensure that First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples can share in the same economic opportunities that other Canadians currently enjoy. There is a growing digital gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. If Indigenous peoples do not have fair and equitable access to broadband internet the gap will only grow, and that will have devastating economic consequences for one of the fastest growing demographics in our country.

We’re at risk of preventing an entire generation of Indigenous youth from reaching the level of economic opportunity they could otherwise strive to, and that’s something we need to fix. I believe that Bill S-242 is a first and important step in that direction.

The reality is that there is nothing more I can say on this topic that hasn’t already been said a hundred times over by politicians at all levels of government and from across the political spectrum. In fact, it’s one of the few things that partisans from all sides can agree on: Canadians need better access to broadband internet. Reforming the method by which the Government of Canada auctions off its spectrum licences and protects the integrity of the same would be a win for everyone, not to mention the need for a more robust usage of the Broadband Fund and good governance of the same.

Honourable senators, I’m tempted to conclude this speech by stating that now is the time to improve broadband internet service in this country. That wouldn’t be the truth. The truth is that the time to have done this was probably 20 or more years ago. Compared with other developed countries we’re way behind, and if Bill S-242 helps us get one small step closer towards closing the gap, then we need to support this legislation.

The internet isn’t just a tool that can be used by a small business to sell their goods across the world, nor is it just a valuable resource for schoolchildren doing their homework. It’s the way we connect with each other. We need to make access to broadband internet service as wide-reaching and as equitable as possible. That’s why I am in favour of this legislation.

Honourable senators, I’m very pleased to lend my support to Bill S-242, and I hope that my colleagues from all groups will do the same. Thank you.

Hon. Senators: Hear, hear.

(On motion of Senator Wells, debate adjourned.)

On the Order:

Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Boisvenu, seconded by the Honourable Senator Seidman, for the second reading of Bill S-238, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights (information about the victim).

(On motion of Senator Duncan, debate adjourned.)

On the Order:

Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Patterson, seconded by the Honourable Senator Cormier, for the second reading of Bill S-242, An Act to amend the Radiocommunication Act.

Hon. Clément Gignac moved third reading of Bill C-8, An Act to implement certain provisions of the economic and fiscal update tabled in Parliament on December 14, 2021 and other measures.

He said: Honourable senators, I rise today as the sponsor of Bill C-8, An Act to implement certain provisions of the economic and fiscal update tabled in Parliament on December 14, 2021 and other measures.

Last December, while Canada was being hammered by the arrival of the new Omicron variant, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance saw fit to propose a range of new measures to help Canadians deal with the ongoing challenges posed by the global COVID-19 pandemic and to ensure the recovery of our economy. Those measures included financial aid to support small businesses, farmers, teachers, northern residents, seasonal workers and, of course, the provinces and territories.

Honourable senators, for the sake of efficiency, and since I already had the opportunity to do so when I rose in this chamber at second reading, I will spare you the detailed description of each of these measures.

[English]

However, you should know that the Senate National Finance Committee held several meetings to study Bill C-8 in detail and received more than 30 witnesses. Moreover, allow me to recognize the work accomplished by my fellow members of this committee under the leadership of our chair, Senator Mockler. I want to especially thank Senator Marshall as the critic of this bill for her insightful comments during our deliberations.

[Translation]

Honourable senators, most of the measures set out in the bill were unanimously supported by the committee members, but two measures were adopted on division: the new 1% tax on underused residential property owned by non-resident non‑Canadians, which is set out in Part 2, and a measure regarding the procurement of rapid tests to meet the needs of the provinces and territories, which is set out in Part 6.

With regard to the funding of rapid tests, it is true that the procedure that was used by the government caused confusion, but I feel reassured by the Treasury Board Secretariat’s assurances regarding the meticulous management of the allocated funds. As a result, my remarks will focus solely on Part 2 of the bill.

Part 2 of Bill C-8 enacts the underused housing tax act, which imposes a new annual tax of 1% on non-resident non-Canadian real estate owners. The government’s objective is to try to curb real estate speculation, and I support that objective.

This measure is intended to ensure that non-resident foreign owners who use our housing stock to passively store their wealth pay their fair share of taxes in this country. However, while I can’t claim to be a legal expert, I too am concerned about the constitutionality of this tax on residential property, given that the field of property taxation is traditionally under the purview of municipal governments.

Honourable senators, I asked the Minister of Finance, the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, directly about this very issue when she appeared before the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance on May 31. Here is her answer, and I quote:

I agree with you that it is very important to be careful about jurisdiction, and I want to assure you that our government has no intention of using this as a basis to interfere in provincial jurisdictions. That is why the tax only targets certain types of markets and properties that are of greatest concern to Canada’s financial stability and to the affordability of housing, which is a very important economic issue for the entire country.

Honourable senators, at this point, I am taking the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance at her word, and I was reassured by her comments.

[English]

However, as a former municipal councillor and senator from Quebec — just like my honourable colleague Senator Forest who is the former president of the Union des municipalités du Québec — I intend to keep an eye on things to ensure that the federal government does not enter a field of taxation that has been reserved for municipalities.

Before concluding, I would like to address a concern raised earlier this week by my colleague Senator Duncan about the timing of tax returns being held up because the Canada Revenue Agency, or CRA, is awaiting the passage of this bill. Following my own inquiry, the Department of Finance told me that the CRA is ready to release the funds quickly following the Royal Assent of Bill C-8.

Having said that, Senator Duncan, I could not presume or speculate about the timing of the result or the vote to be held in this chamber.

[Translation]

In closing, let me once again thank all of my colleagues on the National Finance Committee for their thorough analysis and constructive criticism. I also thank Senator Gold’s team for their support throughout this process. When the time comes, I urge you to support Bill C-8. Thank you. Meegwetch.

[English]