Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for the question. As I may have answered on a previous occasion, senators may recall that the government, in fact, laid the foundation in this area, as in many others, by accepting an interim recommendation from former Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbour to begin referring the investigation and prosecution of Criminal Code sexual offences from the military justice system to the civilian one.

Since Minister Anand received and accepted the recommendation to refer sexual offences from the military justice system to the civilian system in the fall, the government has made substantial and substantive progress in such referrals.

As Ms. Arbour outlines in a report — and this is my understanding of the facts on the ground — there have been some challenges with certain jurisdictions. To this end, Minister Anand is writing, again, to provincial and territorial partners about the path forward and to start the process of establishing a formal, intergovernmental table to build a durable transfer process that will better serve the Canadian Armed Forces now and in the future, and, of course, serve the interests of justice for those who are victims of alleged assault.

Senator Housakos: Senator Gold, the RCMP has been very clear in their claims in this investigation. The only people refuting them are the government talking points that you are spewing here today.

If your government really wants us to believe that you are putting the interests of Canadians — in particular, the families of victims in Nova Scotia — ahead of the Trudeau government’s political interests, you would have already agreed to the emergency debate on the accusations revealed yesterday regarding the RCMP commissioner. Instead, your government has moved to have Parliament remain at half efficiency for yet another year as a response.

Senator Gold, I know you came to this place in the spirit of independence. I know you have an open mind, and somehow now you have found yourself as a member of Privy Council representing a government that has proven to be hyperpartisan.

Don’t you think the people of Nova Scotia deserve better? Don’t you think the victims’ families deserve answers to these important questions?