Some Hon. Senators: Question.

The Hon. the Speaker pro tempore: I see two senators standing. Are you calling a vote?

Senator Plett: Yes, we are.

The Hon. the Speaker pro tempore: In my opinion, the “yeas” have it.

And two honourable senators having risen:

The Hon. the Speaker: Senator Saint-Germain, will you accept a question?

Hon. Dennis Glen Patterson: Would you take a question, Senator Saint-Germain?

Senator Gold: I’m sorry. You were talking about the “notwithstanding” clause?

Senator Batters: Yes.

The Hon. the Speaker: Is leave granted, honourable senators?

The Hon. the Speaker: Is leave granted, honourable senators?

Hon. Raymonde Gagné (Legislative Deputy to the Government Representative in the Senate): Honourable senators, with leave of the Senate and notwithstanding rule 5-5(g), I move:

That, when the Senate next adjourns after the adoption of this motion, it do stand adjourned until Tuesday, September 20, 2022, at 2 p.m.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Michael Spavor, who was imprisoned in China for over 1,000 days. He is the guest of the Honourable Senator Woo.

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

Hon. Pat Duncan: Honourable senators, with leave of the Senate and notwithstanding rule 5-5(j), I move:

That the reports of committees dealt with by orders no. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 under the rubric Reports of Committees – Other, under Other Business, all be adopted now.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Gina Nagano, Founder and CEO, House of Wolf & Associates Inc. She is the guest of the Honourable Senator Audette.

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

The Hon. the Speaker: If you do not give leave, you must say nay. The sitting is therefore suspended to await receipt of a message from the Crown concerning Royal Assent.

[English]

The bells will start ringing five minutes before the sitting resumes.

(The sitting of the Senate was suspended.)

[Translation]

(The sitting of the Senate was resumed.)

(2250)

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the 2021-22 Annual Report of the Senate Ethics Officer, pursuant to the Parliament of Canada Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. P-1,s. 20.7.

Senator Plett: I wonder whether the senator would take a question.

Senator Gold: I’ll add that question to my inquiries.

Senator Martin: Leader, as I have raised with you before, this is a significant discrepancy between what your government says this program will cost versus the Parliamentary Budget Officer’s estimate. The PBO’s cost estimate was $5.94 billion: That is almost twice the amount the government put forward in 2019 of $3.16 billion. Yesterday’s program update from Minister Wilkinson used the figure $3.2 billion.

Leader, has your government revised its cost estimate for this program? If so, what is it?

The Hon. the Speaker pro tempore: If you are opposed to the motion, please say “nay.”