Senator Gold: Thank you for the question. The government has a plan for remedying the labour shortage by bringing talented workers to Canada and introducing $10-a-day child care, which will make it possible for parents to return to work more quickly. The plan also includes support for training programs, internships and more jobs for youth, while keeping experienced workers in the job market and responding to the specific needs of emerging sectors. The government’s action plan to remedy the labour shortage will allow businesses to prosper and take advantage of opportunities arising from our recovery.

I made a mistake with the last part of my answer to your previous question. I’m sorry about that. I meant to say that the government will support workers who want to remain in the labour market and those who want to return to it. I mixed up my answers, and I apologize.

[English]

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question. As I have answered on many occasions, a number of measures have been removed. A number of measures have been introduced to alleviate the burdens of those seeking to enter or leave Canada, but the fact remains that the government continues to believe that some measures, including the ones that you mentioned, are necessary to protect the health and safety of Canadians. We’ll continue to monitor that situation, as they have been doing, and any changes will be announced when they are ready to be announced.

Hon. Brian Francis, Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples, presented the following report:

Thursday, June 9, 2022

The Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples has the honour to present its

THIRD REPORT

Your committee, which was authorized by the Senate on Thursday, March 3, 2022, to examine the federal government’s constitutional, treaty, political and legal responsibilities to First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples and any other subject concerning Indigenous Peoples, respectfully requests funds for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2023, and requests, for the purpose of such study, that it be empowered 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,

BRIAN FRANCIS

Chair

(For text of budget, see today’s Journals of the Senate, Appendix D, p. 696.)

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.

Senator Plett: Again, you just let all Canadians know why it is called “Question Period,” and not “Question-and-Answer Session.”

Leader, the government could have used a simple solution: It could have adopted, in December, a ways and means motion in the House of Commons on those two tax credits, which would have allowed the CRA to process the tax refunds of teachers and farmers, but they didn’t.

Senator Gold, why did your government decide to take teachers and farmers hostage? Why should these hard-working Canadians be victims of the NDP-Liberal government’s contempt for Parliament?

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.