Hon. Amina Gerba: Honourable senators, I rise today to pay tribute to Jennifer Jones, the first woman to hold the high office of president of Rotary International.

Founded in 1905, Rotary International is now one of the largest charitable organizations in the world. It has more than 1.4 million members, spread over 35,000 Rotary clubs across five continents.

Its members are mainly entrepreneurs and professionals who have distinguished themselves in their sectors of activity. As a member myself and a Paul Harris Fellow, that is to say a recognized donor of Rotary International, I had the privilege of serving as president of the Rotary Club of Old Montreal. “Serving first:” this is the vocation of Rotary International, to serve those most in need, by ensuring the financing of humanitarian works at the local and international level.

Dear colleagues, the appointment of Canadian Jennifer Jones as head of Rotary International is a great honour for our country. A Rotarian since 1997, Jennifer Jones has served the organization well, including as district governor, committee chair, training leader, vice-president, and now president. This journey is noteworthy in an organization that originally did not even accept women as members.

In becoming president of Rotary International, Ms. Jones shattered a major glass ceiling that for the past 115 years has blocked women, or a woman, from accessing the highest office in the organization, the presidency of Rotary International.

Colleagues, join me in warmly congratulating our fellow citizen Jennifer Jones. We wish her a happy and fruitful term as president of Rotary International for the year 2022-23.

Hon. Marilou McPhedran: Honourable senators, I would like to take a moment of my time to thank my colleagues Senator Yonah Martin and the other members of the Conservative caucus for very generously giving me this time today. As everybody knows, unaffiliated independent senators almost never get this chance, so I’m very grateful.

I’m also delighted to be able to speak today when guests from West Carleton Secondary School are with us, and I want to also salute our colleagues who have already spoken about the importance of youth engagement and youth participation in strengthening our democracy.

I met Hamza, who was the host from West Carleton at a reception that focused on lowering the federal voting age to 16. We got to talking, and I said that, “Yes, indeed, the Senate loves to have guests, and we particularly like to welcome young guests,” so this is the result of that conversation. Thank you, Hamza, for following up, and thank you to your student colleagues who are with us today.

On Monday this week, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute reported on the heightened tensions among the world’s nine nuclear-armed states. It is very much exacerbated by the illegal invasion by Russia of Ukraine and, of course, as we are all aware, by Putin’s threats to use nuclear weapons if he is not allowed to complete his genocide of the Ukrainian people.

Countries increasing their stockpiles of nuclear warheads included the U.K., which in 2021 announced its decision to increase the ceiling on its total warhead stockpile. This is a reversal of a decades-long trend since World War II. The increases that have been announced by a number of countries that have nuclear weapons come despite the fact that the UN Security Council — all five permanent members, in fact — made a statement just last year saying, “. . . nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.”

Yet, the nine nuclear-armed states spent $82.4 billion on their nuclear weapons in 2021, during a continuing global pandemic and only months before Russia began assembling troops on the border of Ukraine. This is an inflation-adjusted increase of $6.5 billion over the previous year.

This report is entitled Squandered: 2021 Global Nuclear Weapons Spending.

I want to note with great appreciation that more than 40 senators have signed on to the parliamentarian pledge to work to prohibit nuclear weapons, and next week is Nuclear Ban Week in Austria. Thank you very much.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question. I don’t need to remind the chamber that the government has recently announced the changes to the rules for domestic travellers and has adjusted the measures over time.

It will continue to monitor the issue as it addresses both the security and safety needs of Canadians and others who want to travel to Canada and the health risks that are still present.

Senator Housakos: Senator Gold, your government doesn’t need to monitor anything. They need to lift these mandates and unleash Canadians so they can get back to work and get our economy and our country going again.

One of the main causes of the delays at the Toronto Pearson Airport is the doubling of processing times for inbound international travellers because of your vaccine mandates, including the use of the ineffective and unreliable ArriveCAN app.

Senator Gold, when will your government do the right thing for Canada’s economic reputation and drop the vaccine mandates for all travellers? How much longer will travellers be forced to use this ridiculous app?

Senator Ataullahjan: Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra recently announced the hiring of 865 more screening employees, but they still have to go through training before they are fully operational. To make matters worse, we have learned that employees in training have been allowed to go right to the front lines of work at the airport. This, no doubt, contributes to the chaos in the airport.

Senator Gold, to what extent will the added employees and the easing of COVID-19 travel restrictions address airport delays, and were their security background checks completed before they began work?

Hon. Salma Ataullahjan: Honourable senators, my question is for the government leader in the Senate.

Delays in our airports have become more than unpleasant; they have become problematic. According to the Toronto Star, roughly 27 flights per day were cancelled last week. Travellers at Toronto Pearson Airport have faced long lineups, delays and cancellations, so much so that it has attracted international attention.

These issues are affecting Canadians trying to get their lives back on track after the pandemic. A bride was late to her own wedding after her flight was cancelled, and she spent the night at the airport. A brother and sister rushing home to see their father before he passed away were forced to say goodbye over the phone because their Air Canada flight through Pearson was cancelled.

I abandoned flying to Ottawa this week for my Senate duties and drove five hours from Toronto to avoid the delays, cancellations and waiting on the tarmac in the airplane.

Senator Gold, Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie has been calling the situation “completely unacceptable.” I agree. What is your government’s plan to end the chaos at Toronto Pearson Airport?

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

Wednesday, June 15, 2022

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

SIXTH REPORT

Your committee, which was authorized to examine and report on the appropriate consequential amendments to the Rules of the Senate and to chapter 3:05 of the Senate Administrative Rules that may be necessary for the implementation of the Senate Audit and Oversight Charter, in relation to the committee’s mandate and procedures, has, in obedience with the order of the Senate of Tuesday, June 7, 2022, examined the said consequential amendments and now reports as follows:

1.That the Rules of the Senate be amended by

(a)replacing rule 12-6(2) with the following:

(b)replacing rule 12-7(17)(e) with the following:

“(e) review the Senate’s quarterly financial reports and the audited financial statements, for information purposes; and”; and

(c)replacing the first sentence of rule 12-13(4) with the following:

2.For greater certainty, your committee recommends that the proposed new wording of rule 12-7(17)(e) be maintained even after it becomes rule 12-7(4)(e), on July 31, 2022, as a consequence of the coming into force of the Third Report of the Standing Committee on Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament, adopted by the Senate on May 12, 2022, and that the Senate Audit and Oversight Charter be amended in consequence.

3.That the Senate Administrative Rules be amended, in Chapter 3:05, by

(a)adding the following after subsection 2(2):

(a) be adopted by the committee;

(b) be presented to the Senate as a report of the committee; and

(c) contain a general estimate of the total cost of expenses for carrying out the committee’s mandate or any other order of the Senate.”; and

(b)replacing section 3 with the following:

Respectfully submitted,

MARTY KLYNE

Chair

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

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

(At 3:13 p.m., pursuant to the order adopted by the Senate on May 5, 2022, the Senate adjourned until 2 p.m., tomorrow.)

Senator Carignan: As you know, government leader, I have an excellent research and analysis team. It found out that the Minister of Public Safety said 12 times that he was acting at the request of police. It’s one thing to say his words were misinterpreted once or that he misspoke once, but the fact that he did so 12 times under varying circumstances and on different days suggests that the minister misled the House.

When will the Prime Minister ask the Minister of Public Safety to resign?

(1430)

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): I thank the honourable senator for his question.

First, the minister did not lie. His words were misinterpreted, as one of our colleagues in Parliament explained.

Second, it is the Government of Canada’s position — and I have gone over this at length here — that invoking the act in question in order to provide the necessary tools to resolve the ongoing problem here in the national capital was entirely legitimate.

We are pleased that the parliamentary process is unfolding and that people are asking us questions, good questions, real questions, legitimate questions, but the government maintains that invoking the Emergencies Act was appropriate given the circumstances.

Hon. Mary Coyle: Honourable senators, my question is for the Government Representative in the Senate.

Senator Gold, last week at the Summit of the Americas, Canada endorsed the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection. This declaration commits us to promote regular pathways for migration and international protection, humane migration management, coordinate responses to mass migration movements and have a shared approach to reduce, mitigate and manage irregular migration. This declaration also includes a Canadian promise to welcome an additional 4,000 migrants from the region by 2028, as well as a pre-existing plan to bring in 50,000 more agricultural workers from Mexico, Guatemala and the Caribbean.

Senator Gold, we know that most people migrate for economic, security and family reasons. Could you tell us specifically how the announced $118 million for initiatives aimed at providing support to people in their own communities and countries — so they don’t feel compelled to leave — is expected to actually achieve that goal?

Hon. René Cormier: My question is for the Government Representative in the Senate.

Senator Gold, since it’s National Blood Donor Week, I would like to remind this chamber of recent advances in blood donor screening. On April 28, 2022, Health Canada eliminated the three-month donor deferral period for men who have sex with men and replaced it with a less discriminatory screening approach.

Starting in the fall of 2022, all donors will be screened for high-risk sexual behaviour, regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation.

[English]

That said, in The Hill Times article of May 13, 2022, Dane Griffiths, director of the Gay Men’s Sexual Health Alliance said:

. . . the new policy will still discriminate against the “vast majority of gay and bisexual men” who will still not be able to donate, as well as further increasing the stigma surrounding queer sex, specifically regarding HIV/AIDS.

This is particularly so given that Health Canada’s policy for assessing high-risk behaviour will not take into consideration advances like pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, a medication that prevents HIV transmission, and the fact that potential donors who are HIV-positive can have an undetectable viral load.

[Translation]

April’s announcement is a first step, but it is not enough. Senator Gold, what steps does the Canadian government plan to take next to improve and adapt blood donation eligibility for the LGBTQ2+ community, and when will this happen?

Senator Cormier: Thank you for the answer, Senator Gold. Can I count on you to make sure Health Canada responds to the submissions that will be filed in this regard?

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

The government remains committed to supporting blood and plasma donation policies in Canada that are safe, non-discriminatory and scientifically based.

As you mentioned, on April 28, Health Canada authorized a submission from Canadian Blood Services to eliminate the three-month blanket donor deferral period for all sexually active men who have sex with men. This deferral period will be replaced by an approach that screens all donors for high-risk sexual behaviour, regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation.

The authorization is a significant milestone toward a more inclusive blood donation system nationwide and builds on progress in scientific evidence made in recent years thanks to government-funded research.

Under the Blood Regulations, Canada’s two blood operators, Canadian Blood Services and Héma-Québec, are required to make submissions to Health Canada for any changes to their processes, such as changes to donor deferrals. Héma-Québec has indicated that more flexible donor screening criteria for plasma will be implemented in the fall of 2022.

In the months that follow, the organization plans to file a submission with Health Canada to extend these measures to other types of donations, such as whole blood and platelet donations.

Senator Gold: I will do my best.

[English]

Senator Gold: Honourable senator, I will certainly make inquiries and, concurrent with that, I would encourage interested senators to explore how we can use our good resources and perhaps the reputation of the Senate to bring this measure to light.

I do want to, if you will permit me, underline the importance of publicizing the Criminal Code provisions and the protection that it attempts to provide. In this regard, the federal government addresses the issue, which it deems a serious issue and an odious practice. It addresses this through a federal interdepartmental working group, which is co-chaired by Women and Gender Equality Canada and Global Affairs Canada. It brings together 13 federal departments to provide a forum for collaboration to address harmful practices, including female genital mutilation. The government also supports many initiatives and organizations that are working to end this unacceptable practice.

Senator Gold: Thank you for raising this. It is an important issue, but it is a complex one and it cuts across multiple government departments.

The Government of Canada is focused on finding a solution that will allow our important work in Afghanistan to continue. I am advised that the government is reviewing recommendations made to it in a special committee report that was recently released. It will respond as soon as possible.

The government has also received additional opinions from members of the legal community. These opinions add additional information for the government to consider as it looks for a medium- and longer-term solution to this problem.

Hon. Leo Housakos: Honourable senators, my question is for the government leader in the Senate.

Senator Gold, your government’s deputy leader, Chrystia Freeland, testified yesterday that your government’s decision to invoke the Emergencies Act during the “Freedom Convoy” was made because the convoy was a threat to our economic reputation. Not only does the act not list that as legal grounds for its invocation, but your government doesn’t seem to suffer any such concerns about the mess it has created at Canada’s largest airport, which has been dragging on for two weeks because of your pointless vaccine mandates.

Senator Gold, why is your government continuing to enforce these ridiculous mandates for incoming international travellers?

Hon. Marilou McPhedran: Honourable senators, this is a question to the government leader, Senator Gold.

Senator Gold, my question follows on my previous question when I asked if Canada was going to join with other NATO members Norway and Germany in sending an observer delegation to Vienna next week for conferences hosted by the government of Austria. We got a tentative seemingly positive answer, but nothing firm, so I am asking again today.

This question comes in the context of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s nuclear threats and the nine nuclear-armed states spending $82 billion on nuclear weapons in 2021, an increase of more than $6 billion. The Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons will take place on June 20, and it will include a session reserved for parliamentarians. The conference will bring together states representatives, international organizations, scientists and civil society to look at the research on humanitarian consequences and risks of nuclear weapons. The next day, Austria is hosting the first meeting of the states parties that ratified the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons activated last year.

Senator Gold, why is Canada refusing to participate, failing to send parliamentary observers to these two historic and crucial conferences in the way that Norway and Germany are — also NATO members?

Hon. David M. Wells: Honourable senators, my question is for the Government Representative in the Senate. Senator Gold, a couple of days ago, cabinet posted an order-in-council regarding Hans Island and an agreement between Canada and Denmark on the division of Hans Island.

Hans Island is 18 kilometres off the coast of Canada and, in the belief of many, it is a part of Canada. They made an agreement with a country thousands of kilometres away for less than half of the geographic area of the island. Immediately, of course, Canada put an embargo on the media reporting any details about it. Senator Gold, can you please give us some details about what side agreements were made with respect to the division of natural resources, be they petroleum or fisheries resources, on that Hans Island deal that was done behind closed doors?