Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, my next question is, again, for the government leader, and it’s a follow-up to a question I asked last year about Sean Bruyea, a veteran who was personally attacked in The Hill Times newspaper in a column by Minister Seamus O’Regan. I asked this last year, leader. I hope you have an answer by now.

In January 2020, the Office of the Veterans Ombudsman recommended engaging a mediator to work toward improving the relationship and communication between Veterans Affairs Canada and this particular veteran. Seventeen months ago, Minister MacAulay responded positively to this recommendation. However, I was recently informed that departmental officials are still stonewalling this recommendation.

Leader, I asked you about this case last June and have received no response, neither written nor otherwise. Can your government confirm that mediation is still not in place? I hope it will be a yes or no answer. If so, what possible reason is behind the delay?

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): I couldn’t have said it better myself either. Oh, I did say it myself.

Yesterday in my office, when my staff and I did a bit of a debrief in the afternoon, we got on the topic of arguing with oneself. I said I like arguing with myself; I win all the arguments. That’s what I heard here today, you arguing with yourself, because you seem to know exactly all the reasons why we would get up and tell you why we didn’t agree to it. So thank you, at least, for preparing our notes for us. We appreciate that.

Since you’ve been quoting a bit, let me quote one person here myself, honourable colleague, in this chamber before I ask you a few questions. I’ll start with reading the quote:

. . . the use of pre-study in this chamber is occasional where the appropriate circumstances present themselves. Obviously, that has been more regularly on budget matters.

That was said by none other than the former government leader in the Senate, Senator Peter Harder, on May 30, 2018. I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Senator Gold, you had some numbers on previous governments. Let me ask you whether you know the exact number of nonfinancial pre-studies that the Harper government did in the nine and a half years that they were in government — half of those, by the way, in a minority government, not a majority as you alluded to — versus the four and a half years that the Trudeau government had in all of but the last six months in a majority government. Let’s forget about what father Trudeau did; let’s just focus on those two governments. Do you have the numbers on non-financial pre-studies?

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, my question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate.

Senator Gold, gas prices have hit a record high of more than $2 a litre across the country in recent days, making life even more unaffordable for Canadians than it already was. Leader, the day after the Prime Minister bought the NDP support until 2025, this NDP-Liberal government failed to support a motion from the official opposition in the other place to suspend GST on fuel. This is an action entirely within your government’s control that would make a positive difference in the daily lives and wallets of Canadians who are struggling.

In light of the record cost of gas, does your government regret not giving Canadians a break at the pumps by suspending the GST on fuel? Is this something that this NDP-Liberal government would consider?

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, I give notice that, two days hence:

I will call the attention of the Senate to the impact on Canada’s public finances of the NDP-Liberal agreement entitled Delivering for Canadians Now, A Supply and Confidence Agreement.