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.

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.

Senator Gold: Senator Richards, we are here debating the pre-study. Your concerns are legitimate ones. I think all colleagues look forward to the contributions you can make, both at committee and during debate.

Senator Gold: Thank you for the question. Respectfully, I don’t agree. You’re correct. It has been a challenge to move legislation through this Parliament. It is still a minority government, despite the — if I could continue.

Senator Richards: I’m sorry, Your Honour.

The Hon. the Speaker: Senator Plett, the process that we’ve been following so far is that senators will ask one question and one supplementary. Time permitting, we will go to a second round. I have you on the list for a second round.

Senator Plett: Disinformation.

Hon. Claude Carignan: My question is for the government leader. I think you are misunderstanding the Senate’s historic powers. The power of the Senate goes beyond simply passing government bills. The Senate must also hold the government to account, conduct studies and produce reports. Right now, because of the pandemic, the committees are sitting half as often as they did in the past. Committee time slots have been slashed by 50%. Bills are now being introduced in the Senate before they are passed by the House of Commons, and this undermines the work of committees, which are supposed to investigate and hold the government accountable. Do you really believe that the only role of the Senate is to pass government bills?

(1550)

Senator Gold: That is not what I said, so my answer is no. I said that the primary and fundamental role of the Senate is to examine government bills and, in that regard and in that aspect, to contribute to Canada’s legislative process. As I have explained, I do not and will never deny the importance of the work that is done in committees. However, the fact that government business must be given priority is recognized by all senators in this chamber.

Senator Carignan: Waiting is not the only role of the Senate, leader. When we are not busy with bills, the traditional role of the Senate is to conduct inquiries, to monitor, to audit, and to undertake substantive studies on all sorts of topics. The inquiries seek to hold the government to account because the only counterbalance chamber, the only check and balance that exists in Canada with respect to the content of a bill, is the Senate. We are the only ones who have this power; even judges do not have power over the content of a bill. They have power when a bill is inconsistent with the Canadian Constitution, but not within the jurisdiction of the federal government. That’s where you misunderstand the role of the Senate. You think that because we are not seized with government bills we have nothing to do. We have a lot of do. We have inquiries to do, leader.