Hon. Karina Gould, P.C., M.P., Minister of Families, Children and Social Development: Yes, thank you, Senator Patterson. We’re working very closely with Nunavut on addressing some of those issues that you raised.

It is a great example of a partnership between the territorial government and the federal government with regard to training and standards. In fact, in Nunavut, one of the challenges — and you raised it — is with regard to infrastructure. It is just having suitable locations in which to offer child care services.

The $625 million announced in this year’s budget is really concentrated on infrastructure. The Canada-wide agreement covers those other areas that you mentioned, and that is already part of the plan. But some heavy lifting will be needed to actually find physical space, create physical space or to co-locate in an appropriate area that is safe, has a kitchen facility and has the needed supports for child care facilities.

Part of what I will be working on with this additional money is how to best meet some of those needs and areas, particularly in a territory like Nunavut where the infrastructure costs are much greater than they might be in a more urban context, for example.

I am very happy to engage with you further on this item, but that $625 million is very specific to infrastructure, and the Canada-wide plan covers those other areas that you mentioned.

On the Order:

Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Gold, P.C., seconded by the Honourable Senator LaBoucane-Benson:

That the following Address be presented to Her Excellency the Governor General of Canada:

To Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary May Simon, Chancellor and Principal Companion of the Order of Canada, Chancellor and Commander of the Order of Military Merit, Chancellor and Commander of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada.

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENCY:

We, Her Majesty’s most loyal and dutiful subjects, the Senate of Canada in Parliament assembled, beg leave to offer our humble thanks to Your Excellency for the gracious Speech which Your Excellency has addressed to both Houses of Parliament.

[Editor’s Note: Senator Audette spoke in Indigenous languages.]

Hon. Chantal Petitclerc: Thank you, minister, for being with us today.

[English]

My question brings us back to the cruel practice of forced adoptions of children of unmarried mothers that was made possible between 1945 and 1971 with federal involvement and knowledge.

In 2018, you might remember, a Senate committee heard from those mothers, adoptees and stakeholders, and the Senate adopted the report, The Shame Is Ours. This report had some crucial recommendations, including that the federal government deliver a formal apology and make reparations including the provision of professional counselling for survivors.

Minister, I think we all agree that time is running out for these mothers whose lives have been irreversibly affected.

Would you agree with me that it is not acceptable that these women are still looking to obtain mental health supports for those impacted and adequate, specific training for mental health professionals?

[Translation]

Hon. Karina Gould, P.C., M.P., Minister of Families, Children and Social Development: Thank you for the question, senator. I appreciate all the work that was done on this study.

[English]

I read the report back in 2018, and I feel completely heartbroken. Since then, I actually became a mother myself and couldn’t imagine what these women and children went through.

As you well know, this is complicated in Canada. The jurisdiction around adoptions is primarily provincial and territorial. However, the incredible testimony and bravery of the women and children — adult children now — who came forward during this time certainly must be recognized. I appreciate all the light that the Senate has shone on this issue, and I think we need to continue to shine this light because it’s something that is a dark stain here in Canada.

Since that time, of course, we are not allowed to do forced adoptions thankfully, and we must continue to ensure that we’re supporting women and children as we move forward. I really appreciate you raising the issue. It’s certainly a difficult one.

[Translation]

Hon. Karina Gould, P.C., M.P., Minister of Families, Children and Social Development: Thank you for your question, senator.

As you know, I’m the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development. This is a question for the Minister for Women and Gender Equality.

Nevertheless, our government implemented Canada’s first strategy to end gender-based violence early in its mandate. We reinvested in Status of Women Canada after the Conservatives slashed its budget when they were in power. We are working hard on providing shelter for victims of family and intimate partner violence, another area in which the Conservatives made cuts. It is really a shame they did that.

I think our government has done a lot of work on this. There is still much to be done, but we are there for women who are victims and survivors of violence.

[English]

Hon. Marty Deacon: My question concerns the matter of a child and youth commissioner. It’s been 15 years since the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights asked the government of the day to establish a commissioner for children and youth, but we are still without one.

In the last Parliament, my colleague Senator Moodie introduced legislation that would have created one, but it died on the Order Paper when the election was called.

As a reminder, a 2020 UNICEF Report Card ranked Canada thirtieth out of thirty-eight rich countries in terms of child well-being. Compounding matters is two years of a pandemic that has taken a toll on absolutely everyone, but especially young people.

Moving forward, I think it would be wise to have more tools to support our young Canadians. My question is: Does the government see the utility of a child and youth commissioner? If so, would it support legislation to that end? Thank you.

Hon. Karina Gould, P.C., M.P., Minister of Families, Children and Social Development: Thank you very much, senator, for the question. I am always impressed by the level of advocacy by senators for children and youth in our country. I want to thank you for that. I certainly appreciate it.

I would be happy to have further conversations on this issue. I certainly welcome that discussion.

I think that for too along we have not supported our children in Canada the way that we should be. I’m very pleased, as I mentioned, that in 2015 we brought in the Canada Child Benefit, which we know, in fact, was an enormous improvement when it comes to child welfare in this country. There’s more work to do.

I’m extremely excited about what early learning and child care will enable for our children moving into the future. I’m really proud of the work that Canada has done in children’s rights, not just here in Canada but right around the world.

Certainly, we have much to be proud of, but we have much to continue to work on. I look forward to continuing this conversation with yourself and others who are interested in having it.

Hon. Dennis Glen Patterson: Welcome, Minister Gould. I’m speaking as the senator for Nunavut about the commitment that your government has made to invest $30 billion in Budget 2022 over the next five years to “build a Canada-wide early learning and child care system in collaboration with provinces, territories, and Indigenous partners.”

Looking at our 85% Inuit population, whose first language is Inuktitut in Nunavut, I would like to ask you whether this funding includes capacity development such as ECE training programs for bilingual Indigenous-language speakers so that there are workers equipped to deliver culturally appropriate care for children, as set out in your mandate letter.

Hon. Karina Gould, P.C., M.P., Minister of Families, Children and Social Development: Thank you for the question. As I mentioned, I am not the defence minister or the foreign affairs minister. However, as I already told your honourable colleagues, Canada is there for Ukraine. We are working directly with the authorities of that country to meet their needs and respond to their requests.

It is important to mention that it is not just Canada that is addressing their requests, but more or less all of NATO and all countries. We must also coordinate everything with all our allies to meet the needs and requests of Ukrainians. Canada is there for Ukraine, and it is providing military equipment and humanitarian aid, as well as financial assistance, so that Ukraine can pay its armed forces and public services now and rebuild when the time comes.

So, yes, Canada is there for Ukraine, and we continue to analyze what we can send to help them in this struggle that is so important to everyone.

[English]

Hon. Karina Gould, P.C., M.P., Minister of Families, Children and Social Development: Well, thank you, Senator Pate. I know this is a particular passion of yours, and I know how engaged you have been on this particular issue, so thank you for all of your work leading here in convening stakeholders.

As you mentioned, Canada essentially has a livable income for children as well as for seniors, and we have seen remarkable results. It was quite disappointing when the Ontario government under the current premier cancelled the basic income pilots that were taking place near my home community, in Hamilton. I’m from Burlington. I think that would have provided a great modern example for us to draw a lot of information and knowledge from. The pilots that occurred in Dauphin, Manitoba happened, I believe, in the 1970s, and so it would have been good to have a bit more updated information off of which we could draw and learn from.

That being said, I think the Government of Canada has made some important strides when it comes to improving income supports. Particularly I’m thinking about the Canada Workers Benefit, but other initiatives as well.

Of course, additional investments in things like housing, dental care, early learning and child care help to alleviate some of the high costs of living, but we know that there’s still more work that needs to be done, and I know that you are leading some of this important work, convening and research, and I look forward to carrying on that conversation and learning from the results of that work.

Hon. Karina Gould, P.C., M.P., Minister of Families, Children and Social Development: Gosh, I guess the best thing is to just keep electing Liberal governments. That’s probably the best way to go about it.

But certainly, I’m not sure how we do that other than the fact that this is a policy that has helped 9 out of 10 Canadian families. It would be quite cruel, I think, for a future Conservative government to hurt Canadian families in such a big way if they were to get rid of the Canada Child Benefit.

Certainly, we saw under the Harper government that they would rather send cheques to millionaires than send meaningful contributions to lower-income families. We reversed that. That was the right thing to do. Of course, I’m quite concerned about what we’re hearing out of some Conservative leadership candidates about getting rid of the early learning and child care agreements that we have.

Again, across the country we’re talking about thousands of dollars in savings for families, which is not just important for the affordability and ability to pay for things that families need, but it is also important for future economic growth, because if you can have two parents in the workforce, that makes a big difference in the lives and opportunities of families.

So I guess my best advice would be just to make sure we keep electing Liberals.

Hon. Karina Gould, P.C., M.P., Minister of Families, Children and Social Development: Certainly. Thank you, Senator Black, and maybe I will just use this opportunity to provide an invitation to any senator who would like to have a further discussion on the national school food policy, because I would be very open to hearing your thoughts and advice as we work to build this.

I couldn’t agree with you more in the sense that I think this is absolutely vital, and there is a real opportunity to make it holistic and comprehensive in the way that you are describing in that it’s first about providing healthy, nutritious meals to children from coast to coast to coast, which is imperative for their well-being, their learning outcomes and their future development.

However, there is also an opportunity to build an educational component of local food, agriculture and sustainability into that. There is a real opportunity to do something that will have a really meaningful impact in our country and also support local farmers as well and work with local producers in how we can get that local produce, that local food into the school system and have that engagement about where food comes from, why it is important and how to build a healthy meal.

I’m excited, and anyone who would like to contribute to that discussion, perhaps we can set up a time to have a more formal engagement.

Hon. Karina Gould, P.C., M.P., Minister of Families, Children and Social Development: It is a wonderful question, so thank you very much for asking it. In fact, this information is generally available on the Government of Canada’s website.

We have published almost all of the bilateral agreements that we’ve signed with the provinces and territories, as well as their accompanying action plans, and it will be in the action plan where you will be able to track how many spaces each province and territory has committed to creating each year.

We did two-year action plans so that we could assess, reevaluate and pivot as needed. For example, Alberta has committed to create 10,000 spaces this calendar year, so by the end of 2022.

We will be ensuring that we’re tracking the progress in each of these agreements.

I’m speaking about Alberta because I was just there and we were talking about it so it is fresh in my mind, but that would be the case for each province and territory. They will have specific goals and objectives and targets for each year. So for example, in Ontario, they’ve committed to creating an additional 86,000 spaces over the next five years, 23,000 of those within the first two years. So each province and territory has milestones and objectives, and those are and will be — if they are not already, because they are just going through the translation process — up on the website and publicly available.

[Translation]

Hon. René Cormier: Good afternoon, minister. Welcome to the Senate.

In 2020, the National Advisory Council on Poverty released its first report, in which it recommended that the Government of Canada do the following:

 . . . build on its COVID-19 response and strengthen existing strategies, programs and policies to ensure a coordinated robust social safety net in Canada by collectively providing income support that is at least at the level of Canada’s Official Poverty Line.

Minister, more than ever before, the pandemic made artists’ financial insecurity and poverty abundantly clear, but unfortunately artists were struggling long before the pandemic hit. According to 2016 data, the median income of an artist in Canada was about $24,300. I’m sure you agree that this is unacceptable, and something has to change.

How will the federal government act on the National Advisory Council on Poverty’s recommendations? Will it provide artists and cultural workers with a better social safety net in the short, medium and long terms?

Hon. Karina Gould, P.C., M.P., Minister of Families, Children and Social Development: Thank you for that excellent question.

Again, it’s not necessarily my department that handles such matters, but I know that my colleague, Minister Qualtrough, is holding consultations on employment insurance with a view to making it less complicated and easier for Canadians to access.

I know that she is also working with the provinces and territories on issues pertaining to persons living with disabilities. As you mentioned, this is a complex benefits system that affects all Canadians.

With respect to artists, in particular, I know that my colleague, the Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, is currently working with various cultural groups to see what opportunities exist to support Canadian artists in all art forms.

We are working to support Canadian artists, because culture is very important in Canada.

Hon. Karina Gould, P.C., M.P., Minister of Families, Children and Social Development: Thank you for the question, senator.

The issue of jurisdiction is one of the most important in our system of government in Canada and the provinces.

It is a topic we are currently discussing with the provinces and territories. We held consultations with them and have received their responses.

The important thing, and what motivates me on this issue, is not necessarily that the legislative authority gives instructions to the provinces and territories, but that it protects the federal investment.

During the last election, we heard Mr. O’Toole say that he would cancel the child care agreements with the provinces and territories. We want to make that more difficult for a potential future Conservative government to do.

The program is being well received by the provinces and territories. Implementing this system is a major investment; it is a big job at the national level. It is a project that offers a lot of possibilities, but we must do whatever we can to move forward and ensure that a potential future Conservative government can never cancel this agreement.

[English]

Hon. Judith G. Seidman: Minister, thank you for being with us today. Minister, an Ontario hospitals study published in January shows monthly emergency room visits by children under the age of 10 from cannabis poisoning have been nine times higher since your government’s legalization of cannabis. About a third of these children required hospitalization.

The lead author of the study stated: one, edibles appear to be a key factor; two, the current approach to preventing this increase has not met its goal; and, three, we need better protection for our children. As an example, Quebec prohibits the sale of edible cannabis products in the form of candies, desserts and chocolate.

Minister, as the minister responsible for children, what steps will you and your government take to further restrict the appearance, content and taste of edibles to better protect our children?

Hon. Karina Gould, P.C., M.P., Minister of Families, Children and Social Development: Thank you, senator. Unfortunately, I’m not actively involved in the design of this, but I am really excited about it because I think it’s really important and necessary.

In my home community of Burlington, for example, there are a couple of young women who got together and convinced the City of Burlington to provide free menstrual hygiene products in all city facilities. We’ve done this similarly at the federal level, so the federal government has to provide free menstrual hygiene products in all of their facilities. I’m excited about what this means in a broader context and how we can ensure that we are ending period poverty and making sure that women, girls and those who are menstruating have access to dignified menstrual hygiene products and can do so in a way that is discreet and appropriate.

I would be keen to learn more about the Scottish experience and learn any lessons. I am happy to share those ideas with Minister Ien, who I know is very motivated on this initiative as well.

Hon. Karina Gould, P.C., M.P., Minister of Families, Children and Social Development: Thank you, senator. What a wonderful idea. I feel as though you must have been talking with Minister Bennett, who talks about when she was a family physician and would often prescribe moments of family closeness to her patients, or perhaps going to the movies or something like that.

I am working closely with Minister Bennett and providing some input into the mental health strategy that we’re putting forward. My particular focus is children’s mental health. I recently met with the Canadian Mental Health Association and spoke specifically about the mental health of children and youth.

As you rightly point out, there are many different ways to support this: our more clinical interventions or our interventions that provide that pastime and the ability to do different things that may provoke imagination and creativity. Certainly, I will look more into that, knowing we need to support the diverse and broad array of mental health challenges that children, in particular, are experiencing right now.