Hon. Claude Carignan: Honourable senators, my question is for the Representative of the Government in the Senate. Three Liberal MPs from New Brunswick have spoken out over the past few days. Serge Cormier, René Arseneault and Jenica Atwin have publicly condemned the government’s decision to appeal the court ruling on the bilingualism of New Brunswick’s Lieutenant-Governor.

If the government won’t listen to members of the opposition, will it listen to members of its own party and review the decision to appeal the ruling?

Senator Gold: The issues that the reasons raise include the process for amending the Constitution, the interpretation of provisions of the Constitution Act, 1867, and the scope of the Charter. My understanding is that these issues must be clarified. That is why the decision was appealed.

(For text of Delayed Answers, see Appendix.)

Hon. Claude Carignan: My question is for the Government Representative in the Senate. I want to revisit your answer to my question yesterday about the place of francophones in the senior ranks of the public service.

In 1962, the president of CN, Donald Gordon, justified the absence of francophones among the 17 vice-presidents of the company he led by stating that they did not necessarily have the skills required to fill these positions. That statement came to epitomize the contempt some anglophones have for francophones, who supposedly are simply not sufficiently qualified.

Senator Gold, your answer yesterday was strangely reminiscent of Mr. Gordon’s in 1962. Do you maintain that your government appoints unilingual anglophones to positions that require bilingualism because there are no francophones competent enough to fill those positions? Are you the Donald Gordon of 2022?

Hon. Claude Carignan: Yesterday, in an exchange with the Government Representative in the Senate, I made it sound as though he had contempt for the Senate. What I meant to say was that he misunderstood the role of the Senate. I would ask that this be corrected in the Hansard, please.

Senator Carignan: You went over the bills the government introduced in the Senate, but did you also realize that, during this session, the Senate is studying more bills at first reading than at second reading? Right now, we have more bills up for pre-study than we do for an objective second reading. Did you add up those numbers?

Some Hon. Senators: Hear, hear.

Senator Dasko: Thank you, senator. I am not the person to answer questions about the timing of the bill. I think you should address your questions to the Government Representative. Maybe you’ll get some good answer there.

Let me put you on notice, senator, that I will be contacting you to discuss this issue with you in the coming days, so, thank you very much, and you will be getting a call from me. Thank you.

[Translation]

Senator Miville-Dechêne: First of all, your internet connection is not very good so I missed some of what you said. Putting that aside, there is no one specific moment when we need to conduct a study or pre-study. You keep repeating that the session is ending in four weeks.

I have to admit that I find it absolutely unbelievable to start hearing from senators in May that we no longer have time to do things. I must say that this is not in keeping with my former experience as a journalist, where we used all the time at our disposal to get things done. I know that politics is different, and I am aware of that, but it’s quite concerning when I hear, “No can do, we’re out of time.” We are discussing the fact that we have no time left, instead of doing what needs to be done. That is just absurd.

I am not saying that we need to do a pre-study on everything. As Senator Saint-Germain stated, we are not quite back to normal. We don’t have enough time in committee. I’m sure this has an impact on the pace of our work. I am convinced that we should probably conduct pre-studies for bills that are more important, more complex and, in this case, controversial. It’s obvious that there will be more controversy.

My stance on this is pretty firm, but I understand that you don’t agree with me, Senator Housakos. We can debate this in our committee and try to bring in good witnesses to answer our questions.

Senator Cormier: My question will be brief. Do you agree that although there doesn’t seem to be a consensus on this bill in Parliament, there is a rather significant consensus in Canada’s cultural sector, as we heard during the culture summit? Artists are calling for this bill to be studied as soon as possible, since it will have an impact on their quality of life and the discoverability of their work.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for the question. As a Quebecer, I am very pleased that our province is once again taking the lead on this very important issue.

As I have said several times in this chamber, the Government of Canada has made significant investments in supporting over 1,200 organizations on the ground that provide essential services to women who are victims of violence.

In Budget 2021, the government continued that work by investing more than $3 billion over five years to support initiatives fighting gender-based violence. We all have to be on the same page in saying that there is zero tolerance for violence against women and gender-based violence in Canada. The government is aware of this issue and will continue its work to protect all Canadian men and women.

Senator Carignan: What are they?

Senator Saint-Germain: Yes, senator.

Hon. Pierre J. Dalphond: Senator Saint-Germain, would you take a question?

Senator Carignan: Am I to understand that, without even receiving an order of reference or permission to conduct a pre‑study of Bill C-13, the committee is already studying immigration policy? Does that mean it’s already studying Bill C-13?

Senator Gagné: It has not been sent to committee.

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Senator Gagné, thank you for your comments. Can you tell us where the bill is at in the other place right now?

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Eric Slone, Catherine Slone and Susan Pollak. They are the guests of the Honourable Senator Gold.

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

Hon. Robert Black: Honourable senators, I rise today to highlight the Calgary Stampede Foundation. I know many of us are familiar with the Calgary Stampede. For over 100 years, the Calgary Stampede has brought Canadians and international guests together to celebrate Canada’s western heritage, cultures and community spirit. However, you may not be familiar with the Calgary Stampede Foundation. The foundation was established by community donors who hoped to give young people from all communities a chance to come together in fun, collaborative and inspiring environments to pursue their passions.

I am happy to share that the Calgary Stampede Foundation offers four areas of programming — the performing arts, agriculture, education and Indigenous — which impacts over 8,000 youth every year. Their year-round events, programs and initiatives invest in youth, support agricultural programs, celebrate western culture and make a lasting economic impact in the community. As you are well aware, some of my primary focuses in this chamber are agriculture and youth. The Calgary Stampede Foundation’s initiatives related to agriculture certainly bring those together through their programs that allow classroom training and interactive, hands-on experiences where young Albertans are given the unique opportunity to learn about food sustainability, land and ecosystem management and animal care.

Earlier this year, I met with representatives from the Calgary Stampede Foundation to learn more about their work and about the new SAM Centre, slated to open next year. The SAM Centre, located at the heart of the Calgary Stampede’s campus, will bring Calgary Stampede stories to life through immersive experiences fuelled by innovative technology and western hospitality in a community-driven space. The Foundation highlighted — and I couldn’t agree more — that Calgary Stampede stories are inextricably Canadian stories anchored in themes of grit and resilience, heart and community, volunteerism and collective action.

At this time, I would like to express my best wishes to all those involved in this year’s Calgary Stampede events. I know that Canadians from coast to coast to coast and international visitors are looking forward to visiting “the greatest show on earth.”

Honourable senators, the Calgary Stampede and the Calgary Stampede Foundation are supported by thousands of passionate volunteers. The Calgary Stampede itself is much more than just a 10-day celebration with midway rides and bucking broncos. The Calgary Stampede is a gathering place that hosts, educates and entertains visitors from around the world. Thank you. Meegwetch.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, when shall this bill be read the second time?

(On motion of Senator Cordy, bill placed on the Orders of the Day for second reading two days hence.)