Hon. Dennis Glen Patterson: Honourable senators, my question is for the Chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration. Senator Marwah, as the Senate considers extending the hybrid motion — and we all know we have a motion now before us which I understand is endorsed by leadership to extend the hybrid sessions to the end of April — I’m concerned that the reality is that, due to the pressures of the hybrid format on Senate human resources, Senate committees remain seriously under-resourced.

You’re the chair of an important committee, so you would know very well that many committees have found it difficult to meet, some waiting weeks even to have an organizational meeting. Other committees are having difficulty fitting in all the studies and important work they want to move forward into the schedule of one meeting per week that we currently have to work with under the hybrid format.

Government legislation continues to take precedence at the cost of Senate public bills, special issues, hearings and studies that, in my opinion, form the real strength of Senate committees. We’ve lost our flexibility to extend Senate hearings if clause‑by‑clause consideration goes long or to have longer meetings if we need to hear from multiple witnesses integral to a bill’s consideration.

Senator, is your committee looking at options to increase the availability of resources, including interpreters? I understand that there are no fewer than 10 companies in Ottawa that provide translation services, but we also need technology and camera operators, committee staff and so forth to enable us to resume our regular meeting schedules if hybrid settings continue.

Hon. Sabi Marwah: Thank you, senator, for that question. There are several dimensions to the problem. I think you’ve mentioned the first one, and the biggest bottleneck by far: the availability of translation services.

I would remind the senator that translation services are under the purview of the Translation Bureau and not under the purview of the Internal Economy Committee. We’ve had many discussions with them, and I’m told they are hiring all available staff but there is an acute shortage everywhere. They’re making every attempt to hire any available capacity they can find.

Another compounding problem is that the hybrid sittings we have authorized are much more difficult to manage for translators than in-person sittings. Hence that has constrained the availability on the supply side, because we’ve reduced the service levels to which translators can operate. They normally work six hours, and now they can only do four hours because of additional demands. That’s the supply side.

There are a couple of dimensions to this, senator. One is that we keep extending hybrid sittings one and two months at a time. Hence that’s not very conducive to long-range planning on our part, and we don’t want to invest in resources when we don’t know how long the hybrid setting is going to last. That has been a constraint.

Our third and fourth constraints are that senators agreed to prioritize government business, and that leaves less time for everybody else.

The last point is that there are more groups in the Senate. There used to be only two groups. Now there are four, and each one wants translation services. When you add that up, it constrains the availability of translation.

Senator Marwah: Thank you, senator, for that question. I think where it can have an impact, Internal Economy has authorized additional resources. We have authorized at least 10 to 15 additional translation booths. We have authorized additional staffing in the Information Services Directorate — which is technology — and in broadcasting, but there is not much point in hiring additional staff if we can’t solve the translation issue. That remains the bottleneck.

What I will do, senator, is revisit this issue and see if there are other short-term measures we can take that will help alleviate some of the bottlenecks, and I shall let you know.

Hon. Elizabeth Marshall: Honourable senators, my question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate. Senator Gold, I have a question about Bill C-8 that is currently under debate in the House of Commons. That’s the bill to implement the fall fiscal update. Parts of the act are very complex, and within that act is another act called the Underused Housing Tax Act, and I think that’s where most of the complication resides.

I’m looking at the calendar for this fiscal year. There are eight days left in the parliamentary calendar for this fiscal year. If and when Bill C-8 arrives in the Senate, and most likely it will be “when,” will senators have time to thoroughly review this bill?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Yes, we will.

Senator Marshall: My supplementary question is that quite a few bills are being rushed through during the review cycle. I’m a member of the Finance Committee, and we are quite often rushed in reviewing money bills. Do you have any concern that there’s a perception that the Senate is becoming a rubber stamp for government legislation?

Senator Gold: Thank you for your question. My concern is to do my part and my very best with my colleagues to ensure that the Senate has the opportunity to do the important work that we were summoned to do. That is often possible, and, indeed, the quality of our work is testament to that.

Colleagues in this chamber with many more years than I, and who have been here through different governments, will also know that certain circumstances inevitably recur. We’re approaching one now as we close the end of the fiscal year with regard to the supplementary estimates. There are other circumstances where bills come to us rather late in the day for a variety of reasons — in some cases bureaucratic and in others a function of the minority nature of Parliament.

Fortunately, at least to date, we as a chamber, in our wisdom and in the exercise of our wisdom in a responsible way, have undertaken pre-studies of such bills. This has allowed for an opportunity for senators and committees with expertise and institutional memory to dig in and advise the Senate as to their views when the bills finally do arrive.

We are not a rubber stamp. The history of our involvement in the Senate since 2015, as set out in my predecessor’s reports and simply in our own experience suggesting amendments to bills — a significant number of which were accepted in whole or in part — is testament to the fact that the Senate continues to do its job responsibly for the benefit of all Canadians.

[Translation]

Hon. Scott Tannas: Honourable senators, I have a question for Senator Boniface in her role as Joint Chair of the Special Joint Committee on the Declaration of Emergency.

I noticed from the first report filed that you have had your initial meetings. You have some timelines with which to work, you now know your colleagues and so on. I appreciate that there may be things that you can and can’t say, but could you give us your take on how things might go and your sense of your and the committee’s ability to get the job done as was envisioned?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): A supply and confidence arrangement does not — and I will insist on using those terms, colleagues, because in any serious parliamentary institution, facts should matter. However, that is not to deny you the right to continue to call the arrangement whatever you want. It’s your privilege, but it is mine to insist on the terms that are accurate.

There is nothing in the arrangement that has been communicated publicly or to me that speaks to this issue, nor is it the case that the call for 2% of GDP is necessarily the same thing as doing one’s fair share. The position of Canada has been for some time that it does indeed do its fair share, notwithstanding the fact that according to certain calculations, Canada has not and does not provide spending as requested by NATO.

Canada continues to re-evaluate its needs. The crisis in Ukraine has certainly shone a spotlight on it. As I said in my response to our colleague’s questions, details of what the government’s intentions and plans are for its defence spending will be revealed in the budget. Until then, we’ll just have to be patient.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate), pursuant to notice of March 22, 2022, moved:

That, in accordance with subsection 39(1) of the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act (S.C. 2005, c. 46), the Senate approve the reappointment of Mr. Joe Friday as Public Sector Integrity Commissioner for a term of 18 months.

Hon. Mohamed-Iqbal Ravalia: Honourable senators, I rise today to recognize the outstanding contributions of my colleague and friend Senator Salma Ataullahjan.

Today is Pakistan Day, a national holiday in Pakistan that commemorates the passing of the Lahore Resolution on March 23, 1940, a major milestone in the struggle for an independent state. Following the proclamation of Pakistan as an independent republic on March 23, 1956, the Pakistan Civil Awards were established.

On August 14, 2020, Senator Ataullahjan received one of Pakistan’s most prestigious awards, the Sitara-e-Pakistan, translated as the “Star of Pakistan.” Due to the pandemic, the senator was unable to travel to Pakistan to receive this civil award.

Earlier this morning, at the High Commission of Pakistan in Ottawa, the award was bestowed upon her, and you may admire the decorative star around her neck. This award recognizes individuals who have made an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of Pakistan, world peace, cultural or other significant public endeavours.

Senator Ataullahjan continues to be a fierce advocate for international diplomacy, particularly Canada-Pakistan relations. She is a leader in polio eradication in Southeast Asia, provides extensive services including personal financial donations in natural disaster relief, mentors and builds connections with female parliamentarians in Pakistan and also provides supports for internally displaced persons.

It was an honour to attend this ceremony this morning alongside my colleague Senator Victor Oh and Senator Ataullahjan’s daughter Shaanzeh as well as our staff.

I would like to congratulate Senator Ataullahjan for this honour and highly prestigious civilian award, and I encourage you to join me in applauding our honourable colleague for her continued tremendous efforts.

Meegwetch. Thank you.

Some Hon. Senators: Hear, hear.

Hon. Leo Housakos (Acting Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, my question is for the Government Representative in the Senate. Earlier this month, B’nai Brith Canada sent a letter to Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations, Bob Rae, seeking his support for the removal of the chair of the Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory of the UN Human Rights Council. The joint letter was signed by Hillel Neuer, the head of UN Watch, who stated:

By heading this inquiry despite having repeatedly declared Israel guilty of precisely the crimes that she is supposed to investigate, Navi Pillay embodies the injustice of the UN and its human rights council when it comes to the selective treatment of the Jewish state.

Senator Gold, my question is very simple. What is your government’s response to B’nai Brith’s letter? Also, will the NDP-Liberal coalition government support their simple request?

Hon. David M. Wells (Acting Deputy Leader of the Opposition): My question is for the government leader. As you know, government leader, the Bay du Nord offshore oil project is vital to the economy and future of Newfoundland and Labrador. However, we have yet to hear whether this project will move forward despite the March 6 deadline, which has since passed.

The government extended this decision point by 40 days despite the Impact Assessment Agency recommending approval.

This week, the federal Liberals have agreed to prioritize specific policy issues backed by the New Democrats in exchange for their support to keep the government in power until 2025.

Senator Gold, in light of this new NDP-Liberal partnership government and the fact that the NDP is against the project, could you tell us, please, what is the fate of the Bay du Nord project?

Senator Gold: Thank you for the question. No, that is not the view of the government with regard to its responsibilities, which it takes seriously with regard to reviewing the environmental impact of legislation. Both the federal and provincial governments have important roles to play, and both, I am assured, are doing so diligently and responsibly.

[Translation]

Senator Miville-Dechêne: One year ago, the Senate and the House of Commons unanimously adopted a motion calling on the government to grant Canadian citizenship to Raif Badawi. However, nothing was done. The will of Parliament was not carried out.

I realize that this may involve confidential or sensitive information, but can the Government of Canada confirm that it is doing everything in its power, together with its allies, to lift the second part of Mr. Badawi’s sentence, the 10-year detention in Saudi Arabia for publishing a text that criticized the regime?

Senator Galvez: Senator Gold, can you confirm that these two analyses mentioned by Minister Freeland in February exist and clarify whether the reports say if the pipeline will make money or will it be profitable? There is an important difference there. Thank you.

Senator Gold: Thank you for the question. I have been informed that the government has raised and continues to raise Mr. Badawi’s case at the highest levels in Saudi Arabia. Together with its allies, the government has made several requests for clemency.

[English]

Senator Gold: I’ll certainly make inquiries and report back to the chamber.