Hon. Yonah Martin (Deputy Leader of the Opposition): Government leader, today, I’m going to give you an opportunity to provide a better answer than you did yesterday when I asked you about the lack of details on changes to the First-Time Home Buyer Incentive. Last month’s budget provided no details on how the NDP-Liberal government will change this program or when these changes will be in effect.

This is a serious matter for Canadians. April’s record inflation, which Senator Plett referred to earlier, was largely driven by the cost of groceries and the cost of shelter. In fact, Statistics Canada revealed that in April, shelter costs rose at their highest pace since 1983 — almost 40 years ago.

Leader, when will Canadians learn how you will change the First-Time Home Buyer Incentive and on what date those changes come into effect?

Senator Gold: Thank you.

To your first question, Senator Housakos, it remains to be seen what emerges from our pre-study. It remains to be seen what emerges in the bill once we do get it. Whether the concerns expressed still hold water, I fully expect some of the political posturing around the bill to continue — that is the nature of politics — but the bill has been adjusted to take into account the concerns that were expressed.

I cannot say until we roll up our sleeves and study how long the committee will need to study it, at which point the leaders — as is our practice — will get together and see what the next steps might be. That will happen once we know when the bill is going to arrive.

With regard to your last question, again, I did my best to state the case in the speech; I won’t repeat it. However, I will remind you that there is a large community that defines our identity — those creative individuals and groupings in our society who provide content that defines us as who we are. It is not just as it has been in the past, being an elite from Montreal or Toronto. We are a diverse country. The Broadcasting Act, which Bill C-11 seeks to modernize, is not adequate to provide adequate space or place for those who represent more marginalized communities in our country.

It is the money that Canadian content providers are not receiving and will not receive until this bill is passed, and the space that needs to be created in our regulatory framework to reflect the diversity of our country so that Canadian content and art can truly be a reflection of who we are, as this place has become. The Broadcasting Act, alas, lags far, far behind.

Hon. Scott Tannas: Senator Gold, thank you for your speech. As Senator Plett has mentioned, it is a relatively rare occasion. Our research bureau, I think, tallied it at somewhere around 20 pre-studies that had been nonfinancial in the last 32 years, of governments of all stripes and majorities and minorities, et cetera.

I agree, there are times when we should consider this, and this may, indeed, be one of them.

My understanding is this bill hasn’t even had a committee meeting yet in the House of Commons. It strikes me as almost a little too keen of us, a bit of apple-polishing to be running ahead of even the House of Commons and their committee meetings. Is that right? Am I clear that the committee has not yet met or seen witnesses on Bill C-11? If that is the case, would you suggest maybe we ought to wait until they’ve at least started their study and had a few witnesses so we can see where the direction is?

Senator Carignan: Part of sound human resource succession planning involves making sure that the pool or pyramid is larger at the bottom and that those individuals can move up through the ranks. It involves ensuring that there is a large enough pool of candidates who have the skills needed to carry out the duties.

How do you explain the fact that the pool is 30% francophone, but that only 19% of them are left at the top of the pyramid? Why does the government think that the francophone pool is less qualified?

The Hon. the Speaker: Senator Gold, there are a number of senators, both present and virtual, who wish to ask questions. Are you prepared to take questions?

Senator Carignan: Leader, the job of the Senate and of senators is not to provide sober second thought to measures introduced by public servants, but to properly study bills passed in the House of Commons and to ensure that regional interests, including minority interests, are respected and taken into account in the context of a thorough study. The Supreme Court’s ruling on the Senate in this regard is very clear. Why continue trying to have the Senate do the work of the House of Commons?

Senator Coyle: Senator Gold, Denmark’s Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities said, “Discussions at this ministerial meeting have laid a decisive foundation for COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.”

We are now six months away from COP27. Can you tell us what decisions were made regarding the focus of this upcoming global climate summit, and what Canada’s main areas of ambition will be for that summit?

Senator Gold: Of course.

Senator Dupuis: Thank you.

[English]

Senator Gold: The answer is no.

I could stop there, but since your question had a fair bit of preamble, I’ll take the liberty of elaborating. What the government wants is a balanced and sensible long-term approach for dealing with both economic and environmental issues for the benefit of all Canadians, including future generations.

[Translation]

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question and your commitment to this important issue.

The Government of Canada recognizes that there is work to be done to improve the situation of victims. A number of measures have already been taken, and others are currently being developed. As soon as those measures are finalized and ready to be made public, I will announce them in this chamber.

Senator Gold: Thank you for the question. I’ll certainly add that to my inquiries that I will be making of the government, and I will hope to report back in a timely fashion.

[Translation]

Hon. Raymonde Gagné (Legislative Deputy to the Government Representative in the Senate): Honourable senators, I give notice that, at the next sitting of the Senate, I will move:

That, when the Senate next adjourns after the adoption of this motion, it do stand adjourned until Tuesday, May 31, 2022, at 2 p.m.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for highlighting this important issue that affects far too many people. Unfortunately, I do not have an answer to your question, but I will follow up with the government and endeavour to provide senators with the answer.

Senator Martin: Speaking of solutions, I have another issue to take up with you. According to information released on Monday from the Canadian Real Estate Association, the average cost of a home in the greater Vancouver area went up about 19% between April 2021 and April 2022. In other parts of British Columbia, the increase was even worse. Over the same time frame, home prices went up by a third on Vancouver Island and in the Chilliwack area, and by more than 35% in the Fraser Valley.

Leader, yesterday you mentioned the creation of a tax-free, first-home savings account. As I’m sure you know, your government admits that it won’t be available for another year. How does that help those who dream of owning their own home now, especially first-time homebuyers in B.C.?

Hon. Robert Black: Honourable senators, on Wednesdays the Canadian Senators Group directs questions to committee chairs. Therefore, my question today is for my honourable colleague, Senator Housakos, chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications.

Senator Housakos, prior to taking on Bill S-6, the Transport and Communications Committee was conducting a study on the impacts of climate change on critical infrastructure. I understand that the committee intends to return to this study.

As you know, I approach everything in the Red Chamber through an agricultural and rural lens, so my question today will focus on the rural experience which is, unfortunately, often forgotten.

The 20% of our population who live in rural, remote or northern communities frequently have issues accessing critical infrastructure of all types, from transportation to access to reliable and affordable broadband.

The disparity between urban and rural Canadians has become even more pronounced during the COVID-19 pandemic. This gap will almost certainly be further exacerbated as our country continues to see the effects of climate change and its subsequent impacts on existing infrastructure.

With that in mind, can you advise if your committee will take into consideration the ways in which critical infrastructure in rural communities may be impacted by climate change, understanding that they face different issues than their urban counterparts?

And can you confirm that voices from rural regions will be amplified to ensure a comprehensive study that reflects the whole of Canada?

Senator Gold: Thank you for raising this in the chamber. Again, I regret I was not made aware that you had not received a response. I will certainly add your concerns to the inquiries that I will make now that I’m on notice.

Senator Gold: That’s not the case. We are not doing their work; we are contributing to parliamentary work, as we have done many times and as I demonstrated using the statistics I quoted. With all due respect, senator, if your argument held water, we would never do pre-studies, but it does not. I must insist on the importance of this pre-study, which will enable the Senate to do its work in a responsible fashion.

[English]

Senator Gold: I’ll take all questions I can until I run out of steam.