Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): The reforms that this government has made to the Criminal Code since taking office were designed to modernize it and to remove parts that conflict with our fundamental values, including equity among different groups. We have other bills before us that will collectively make the system better for everyone, including women who are victims of crime.

The Hon. the Speaker pro tempore: The vote will take place at 4:30 p.m. Call in the senators.

Motion agreed to and bill read third time and passed on the following division:

Senator Gold: Thank you for the question, senator. I will make inquiries and get back to you soon.

[English]

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, on Thursday, June 2, Senator Plett rose on a point of order concerning various aspects of Question Period. I wish to thank him for having raised his concerns and seeking clarification. I have myself noted various concerns on this point.

The first issue raised pertained to the practice of asking questions to committee chairs. Rule 4-8(1)(c) states that questions can be asked of “a committee chair, on a matter relating to the activities of the committee”. While there is considerable flexibility in questions, those asked of chairs must in some way relate to the committee’s “activities”. We can seek guidance in a ruling of November 13, 1980, which noted that committee activities include “the specific things that are done by the committee, such as the holding of meetings, the election of a chairman, the calling of witnesses, the hiring of staff, advertising, and any other matter relating to the manner in which the committee conducts its proceedings.” This was reiterated in a ruling of March 20, 2007, where the Speaker added that “[g]eneral issues about planning and upcoming work are [also] included in the broad category of committee activities.”

On this matter, I would also remind honourable senators that questions cannot be asked of chairs of subcommittees. As explained in a ruling of September 29, 2010, this is “because the subcommittee reports to this house through the chair of the committee.” Any question pertaining to a subcommittee should therefore be directed to the chair of the committee in question.

The second issue raised pertained to the length of questions and answers. On this point, I would like to remind the Senate that rule 4-8(2) states that there shall be “no debate during Question Period, and only brief comments or explanatory remarks shall be allowed.” As explained on May 10, 2006:

The rationale for prohibiting debate during Question Period and for creating Delayed Answers is due, in part, to the limited time given to Question Period. The thirty minutes allotted for questions and answers is to promote the immediate exchange of information about the policies of the [g]overnment or the work of a committee.

In the interest of fairness, senators should thus keep their questions and answers brief. This will allow responses to be brief and will allow as many colleagues as possible to participate.

Senators have also taken to sometimes asking two, three, or even four questions at once. This practice circumvents the whole purpose of having a list of senators to participate in Question Period and leads to long and complex answers. I encourage colleagues to ask brief, focused and clear questions, and for answers to be similarly concise.

Before concluding, I would also repeat previous cautions about supplementary questions. These should relate to the main question. They are meant as an opportunity to request clarification, not to ask a completely different, unrelated question. If a senator wishes to ask a different question, their name should go back on the list for a new question.

Question Period in the Senate has traditionally been characterized by the respectful and useful exchange of information. I would encourage all senators to reflect on this and to continue to conduct themselves in a manner that serves all colleagues and the institution.

[English]

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of a former partner of mine, Mr. Gerald O’Brien, Q.C. He is accompanied by his wife, author and historian Patricia O’Brien.

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

Some Hon. Senators: Yea.

Some Hon. Senators: Nay.

The Hon. the Speaker informed the Senate that a message had been received from the House of Commons with Bill C-19, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 7, 2022 and other measures.

(Bill read first time.)

Hon. Dennis Glen Patterson: No, I have spoken. Thank you, Your Honour. I was hoping the question could be called but I guess that was a vain hope.

(On motion of Senator Duncan, debate adjourned.)

[Translation]

(Response to question raised by the Honourable Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu on December 7, 2021)

The most recently appointed Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime concluded her three-year term on October 1, 2021. The process to fill the position is ongoing. The government appreciates the importance of appointing a new ombudsman given that the implementation of victims’ rights and addressing ongoing and emerging victim issues remains a priority for our government.

While the position of the ombudsman is temporarily vacant, the Office of the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime remains operational and accessible to victims of crime across Canada requesting their services.

The government appreciates all suggestions to strengthen our ongoing commitment to a justice system that keeps communities safe, treats victims with compassion and respect, protects the vulnerable and holds offenders to account.

(Response to question raised by the Honourable Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu on March 29, 2022)

Budget 2017 provided a historic investment of $2.1 billion over nine years to launch Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy in 2019. Since then, the Government of Canada has provided an additional $1.8 billion in emergency and incremental funding.

The goal of Reaching Home is to prevent and reduce homelessness by helping people attain and maintain stable housing, and providing support services, which includes navigating access to clinical, health and treatment services (including mental health and addictions support).

The government is also committed to increasing the availability of high-quality mental health services for all individuals in Canada. In 2017, the government invested $5 billion over 10 years in targeted funding for provinces and territories to improve access to mental health and substance use services, and has continued investing in mental health services since then, including through Budgets 2021 and 2022.

(Response to question raised by the Honourable Rose‑May Poirier on April 5, 2022)

Veterans have served our country courageously, and they deserve a place to call home. The 2021 Speech from the Throne committed to ending chronic homelessness, including among veterans.

Budget 2021 announced $44.6 million over two years, beginning in 2022-23, for a pilot program aimed at reducing veteran homelessness through rent supplements and wraparound supports (for example, counselling, addiction treatment or help finding a job).

Budget 2022 proposed to move directly to the launch of a targeted program by investing $62.2 million over three years, beginning in 2024-25.

Taken together, $106.8 million over five years is available for the program. Further details will become available in the coming months.

This will build upon existing federal homelessness initiatives, notably Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy. The program provides support and funding to communities across Canada to address homelessness, including veteran homelessness.

(Response to question raised by the Honourable David M. Wells on April 28, 2022)

The Government of Canada’s first priority is always the safety and security of its citizens. Consular officials are providing assistance and are in contact with the families of the Canadian citizens.

As the legal processes develop, Global Affairs Canada will continue to raise the case at every appropriate opportunity. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs is also directly engaged on this file.

Due to privacy considerations, no further information can be disclosed.

Some Hon. Senators: Question.

Some Hon. Senators: Hear, hear.

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Leader, you may remember that back in January WestJet, Air Canada and Pearson Airport in Toronto asked your government to remove mandatory PCR testing and quarantine for travellers. It took the NDP-Liberal government more than three months to follow through on this request.

On Monday, the Canadian Airports Council, representing over 100 airports, called for the removal of vaccine requirements for air passengers and aviation employees. Their statement read:

In order to support this industry’s economic recovery and compete globally, Canada must align with the international community and join the list of over 50 countries that have already removed vaccine mandates and COVID protocols for travel.

Leader, summer travel has begun. Canadians can’t wait another three months for your government to make the right decision. When will these mandates be removed?

Hon. Amina Gerba: Honourable senators, in this National Indigenous History Month, I would like to introduce you to someone who needs no introduction, an exceptional person, whom I consider today as a sister in the great Senate family. Yes, I would even say a twin sister, because we were appointed on the same day, July 29, 2021, as independent senators from Quebec to the Senate of Canada. I chose to present her to you today because yesterday was another great day for this great and inspiring lady, who received an honorary doctorate from the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Ottawa. I’m talking about my very dear Michèle Audette.

Hon. Senators: Hear, hear.

Senator Miville-Dechêne: I’d like to clarify. I did say that the majority of the committee members wanted to begin the study right away. Let me remind you that I am deputy chair of the committee, so I do prior consultations from time to time to take the pulse. That had nothing to do with what happened in committee. That was not the result of the in camera vote.

[English]

Senator Gerba: Born to a Quebec father and an Innu mother, Senator Audette has played a key role in the transformation of relations between Indigenous peoples and Quebec and Canadian society since the 1990s. At only 27 years old, she was elected president of Quebec Native Women Inc. In 2004, she was appointed Associate Deputy Minister of Quebec’s Secretariat for the Status of Women. She served as president of the Native Women’s Association of Canada from 2012 to 2015. In 2015, she helped create an innovative graduate program in Indigenous public administration for the National School of Public Administration.

The Honourable Michèle Audette was appointed as one of five commissioners to lead the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Since 2019, she has held the position of assistant to the Vice Rector of Academic and Student Affairs and senior adviser for reconciliation and Indigenous education at Université Laval.

Senator Audette has an inspiring career that has allowed her to receive countless recognitions, including the Women of Distinction Award in the Inspiration category from the Montreal Women’s Y Foundation. In addition, to highlight her admirable dedication to the cause of Indigenous women, the Université de Montréal also awarded her an honorary doctorate. Our country should consider itself lucky to have a leader like her in the upper house of Parliament.

Dear friend and “twin sister,” the Honourable Clément Gignac and I were marked by your speech delivered in front of hundreds of young graduates, all equally enthralled.

Congratulations on this umpteenth recognition. Continue to share love as you do around you. It is very contagious, and it is the main ingredient needed for reconciliation. Thank you.

Hon. Bernadette Clement: I, too, rise to congratulate Senator Audette.

“I am here. I am alive. We are here. We are alive.” Honourable senators, these words have echoed in my mind and in my soul ever since they were first uttered by my dear colleague and friend, Senator Michèle Audette.

[English]

A leader and advocate, she has spent less than a year in this colonial institution, but already her impact is irrefutable. When she enters a room, Senator Audette brings with her warmth and kindness, as well as a drive to make historic wrongs right, to Inuitize, to Indigenize, to pursue equality, equity and social justice. This is a continuation of a lifetime of work transforming relationships between Indigenous peoples and Canadian and Québécois societies.

Senator Gerba has already done justice to what has been an astounding career, and now she is a recipient of an honorary doctorate from the University of Ottawa.

[Translation]

At yesterday’s celebration, I was sitting next to Senator Audette’s dad, whom she describes as “the most wonderful dad in Quebec.” He mentioned that, even at age four, she had a way of commanding a room. He fondly recalled seeing her wearing a dress made by her maternal grandmother, displaying pride in her culture.

As Jacques Frémont, the President and Vice-Chancellor of the university, put it so well, “You are an exemplary role model of perseverance . . . .”

[English]

And she has been an inspiring role model for me as well.

Timing is a funny thing, folks. In her speech yesterday, Senator Audette spoke of the dream she had, at age 28, of becoming a senator. Now she is here at exactly the right time, during the International Decade of Indigenous Languages, a time when we must focus on truth, reconciliation and healing and a period when Canadian society is coming to terms with our history.

My friend, as you light the way for your children, your grandchildren and your community, please know that your light shines in this place, too.

[Translation]

Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition from the University of Ottawa.

[Editor’s Note: Senator Clement spoke in an Indigenous language.]

[English]

Congratulations, honourable senator.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Honourable senators, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the Anishinabek Nation Governance Agreement.