Hon. Éric Forest: Honourable senators, I would like to take a moment to comment on the hundredth annual meeting of the Union des municipalités du Québec, or UMQ, which took place last week in Quebec City.

It was the first opportunity for the new cohort of elected representatives to meet, and more than 1,500 delegates attended the event. It was refreshing to see so many women and young people from Quebec’s major cities at the table.

The UMQ’s chosen theme also reflects the fact that newly elected officials are particularly aware of the essential role of municipalities in addressing the climate emergency. Discussions focused on optimizing land use, fighting urban sprawl and increasing neighbourhood density.

In order to significantly reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, targeting emissions in the transportation sector is critical. Electrifying transportation is good; designing neighbourhoods that minimize the need for transportation is even better. The municipalities are ready to do their part. They just need the right legal tools and funding.

At this major forum, the UMQ also shared the results of a groundbreaking study on the impact of climate change on municipal finances. According to climate change economist Charles-Antoine Gosselin, the impact of weather events translates into a 30% average increase in security spending, the fourth-largest budget item for municipalities.

According to the study, 75% of Quebec’s population will soon be living in a municipality likely to be exposed to a risk zone, such as flooding or ground movement. Governments need to empower municipalities to deal with the threat of climate change, for the sake of both the future of our planet and our public finances.

For now, all eyes will be on the Government of Quebec and its new national architecture and land use policy, which we hope will provide municipalities with new powers to fight climate change. In the medium term, we must come up with a new way of sharing revenue sources between Ottawa, the provinces and territories, and the cities if we want to effectively fight climate change.

We cannot ask the municipalities to be on the front lines of the fight against climate change and give them property taxes as their only resource. Those taxes don’t even cover the basic services provided by the municipalities.

This year, the UMQ was once again able to prove its worth by advancing the concerns of Quebecers. Municipalities are coming together like never before, and they are determined to fight this important battle against climate change.

Thank you.

[English]

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for the question. Indeed, there was an outbreak not far from where I lived in the Eastern Townships in Quebec.

The government understands that the avian influenza is causing considerable stress to all poultry producers, even if they are — and they are — being vigilant and rigorous in their application of biosecurity measures to protect their animals. I am advised that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is moving quickly to prevent the spread of the disease and to apply depopulation and disinfection protocols to affected facilities. If a poultry flock is affected by avian influenza, the agency follows a protocol to depopulate and disinfect the facility. The government continues to monitor the situation closely and is in continuous contact with the affected provinces and with industry.

Hon. Amina Gerba: My question is for the Government Representative in the Senate. Senator Gold, last week the governments of Quebec and Canada welcomed Louise Mushikiwabo, the Secretary General of La Francophonie. She was visiting Quebec City to inaugurate a new office to represent the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie in the Americas, cementing Quebec’s importance within the Francophonie.

Although the Government of Canada is very active in the Francophonie, it seems to overlook the importance of having representation in francophone countries.

Senator Gold, can you tell us why the government has yet to appoint ambassadors to 14 francophone countries, including France and Senegal, two very important embassies that have been without a head of mission since 2021?