Senator Gold: Thank you for your question. A Supply and Confidence Agreement between the Liberal Party and the NDP speaks to the support that the NDP is giving, under conditions, to the government with regard to confidence motions. There are many areas where individuals within a party — or the parties themselves — differ. The position of Canada is and shall remain one of supporting a just peace between Israel and Palestine. Canada is a firm friend of Israel as it is of the Palestinian people, and this chamber should rest assured that foreign policy in the hands of this government will remain steady in that regard.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for the question, Senator Miville-Dechêne. We are relieved to learn that after 10 years of imprisonment Raif Badawi has been released. Our thoughts are with his family and friends. The government is working to seek clarity on the conditions of his release and continues to raise Mr. Badawi’s case with Saudi Arabia. The government sincerely hopes to see Mr. Badawi reunited with his family.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question. The government understands the importance of the decision that it has to make on the proposed Bay du Nord development project. As well, it understands the importance of this project to the people and economy of Newfoundland.

The government is taking the time — prudently so — to review the information that has been provided to it to ensure and decide whether the Bay du Nord project is likely to cause unacceptable, negative environmental effects. That’s why the government extended the legislated timeline for the project so as to provide the government with more time to review the complex information that’s been submitted to it.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question. Thank you for underlining many of the problems — I alluded to some yesterday — that the international organizations impose on democratic countries.

The problem that you identified — the disproportionate unfair treatment of, in this case, Israel — is one that preoccupies all Canadians of good faith and the Government of Canada as well. I will make inquiries about this specific request that you made and will be happy to report back to the chamber.

Senator Wells: Senator Gold, you will know that the Impact Assessment Agency has said there would be no deleterious environmental effects.

I’m going to supplement it with a follow-up. Does the government recognize that every delay in the legislative process for environmental assessment sends a negative signal to the business community and to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians that the process is not based on science but on Ottawa politics?

Hon. Gwen Boniface: Thank you, Senator Tannas, for the question. As you know, the report I filed yesterday dealt with the meeting that took place on March 13, during which we were able to have the organizational meeting, as you’ve said, and the joint chairs had to be formally elected, as did the vice-chairs.

I want to assure members of the Senate that they are very well represented by Senator White, Senator Harder and Senator Carignan as our vice-chair. We have a number of routine motions that we’ve dealt with. We will deal with some others on Thursday night, which is the evening of our next meeting.

I feel reassured, having met my co-chairs, Mr. Green and Mr. Fortin, that we are all agreed on moving this process forward. I met other members of the committee, and I believe that there is a lot of commitment to get the process moving and to ensure that we do a fulsome job. I remain optimistic, and I’m reassured by the people I’ve met at the table.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question, senator. As the government has made clear, the government does not intend to be the long-term owner of the Trans Mountain expansion project. It aims to divest its ownership in a way and at a time that benefits Canadians.

I’m advised that, despite the revised cost estimate to which you referred and the completion timeline, no additional public money will be spent on this project. Trans Mountain Corporation will secure the funding necessary to complete the project with third‑party financing.

The Government of Canada remains confident that previous public investments in the pipeline will, in fact, be recouped.

Hon. Robert Black: Honourable senators, I rise today to highlight the work of S.H.A.R.E. Agriculture Foundation and the importance of charity.

S.H.A.R.E., otherwise known as Sending Help And Resources Everywhere, was founded in 1976 by a small group of farmers with the assistance of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food’s Agriculture Representative for Peel, Bob Bell, and then‑Minister of Agriculture William A. Stewart.

S.H.A.R.E is committed to enabling impoverished agricultural‑based communities to improve their quality of life by supporting projects that contribute to economic, social and environmental development and sustainability.

Over the last five decades, this not-for-profit organization has supported countless families in Brazil, the Caribbean and Africa, and more recently in Honduras, El Salvador, Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Haiti, Bolivia and even across the world in Cambodia.

I am proud to share that the work of S.H.A.R.E. is almost exclusively delivered by passionate and committed volunteers, many with decades of commitment to the organization, and made possible by the support of Canadians from coast to coast to coast. I personally have followed and supported the work of S.H.A.R.E for over 25 years. I know first-hand the great work they do, and I am hopeful that they will continue to support agricultural communities in need around the world.

S.H.A.R.E and many other charities and non-profit organizations support every aspect of Canadian life. In fact, in our 2019 report, the Special Senate Committee on the Charitable Sector found that demand for services has increased, yet funding continues to be constrained. This has become even more true as we continue to face the threat of COVID-19.

Honourable colleagues, S.H.A.R.E Agriculture Foundation was founded upon the core principle that it provides “a hand up, not a hand out,” which has generated long-term sustainability in the support that it provides to communities in need around the world. I am hopeful that, as a nation, we will continue to uphold such values in our own country and abroad.

Thank you. Meegwetch.

[Translation]

Senator Carignan: Did the Prime Minister compromise any commitments as part of his agreement with the NDP, for example, did he agree not to increase defence spending in order to get the NDP on board? Did the Prime Minister compromise our international commitments in exchange for the NDP’s help to keep him in power until 2025?

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, the time for Question Period has expired.

(For text of Delayed Answers, see Appendix.)

Senator Patterson: Thank you, Senator Marwah. I would just remind you and note that our former colleague Senator Griffin asked you on February 10, 2021, about reallocating some of the $5.5 million in savings — born from the decrease in travel as a result of the pandemic — to support additional staff and technology infrastructure. On May 25, 2021, she asked you about training new staff to support our sittings and committee meetings.

I know you’ve said that sometimes Internal Economy is constrained by not having a mandate or by supply-side issues, but we have savings of over $5 million. Have you been able to make some progress on utilizing this money to solve these problems of which we all are so keenly aware?

Hon. Julie Miville-Dechêne: Senator Gold, 12 days ago one of the most famous prisoners of conscience in the world, Raif Badawi, was released after spending 10 years in prison in Saudi Arabia.

Unfortunately, that is not the end of his ordeal. His passport was confiscated and he has been banned from leaving Saudi Arabia for the next 10 years, in addition to being fined the equivalent of $335,000. Knowing that Mr. Badawi’s wife and three children, all naturalized Canadians living in Sherbrooke, have had to live without him for the past decade, is Canada prepared to give him safe passage and issue Raif Badawi a temporary passport so that he may be reunited with his family?

Hon. Victor Oh: Honourable senators, I rise today to speak about the unacceptable rise of racially motivated hate crimes in our country.

Once again, I was deeply disturbed to wake up to news of a senseless attack on our Muslim community. This time the attack happened in my own city of Mississauga, at the Dar Al-Tawheed Islamic Centre during their morning prayer. Luckily, however, a heroic group of worshippers bravely stood up and subdued the attacker before something worse could happen.

Unfortunately, this attack is a symptom of a larger problem: the overwhelming rise of hate crimes in Canada. It pains me to rise in this chamber, yet again, to share these unsettling statistics with you. The trend of racially motivated hate crimes only appears to be getting worse. In the city of Ottawa alone, hate crimes increased 185% since 2019, while national numbers, according to Statistics Canada, point toward a 37% increase in 2020.

Colleagues, the core of Canadian values of tolerance, pluralism and multiculturalism are beacons of hope for those who escape tyranny and hardship for a better life in Canada. These values make up the very fabric of our nation. Nevertheless, we are failing to stand up for them. Whether you worship wearing a hijab, kippah, dastar or nothing at all, you must never live in fear because of your faith.

Our fellow Canadians deserve better. We must do better. From coast to coast to coast, let us stand up as one Team Canada, just as we do to cheer on our Olympians, united in our condemnation of Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, anti-Black, anti-Indigenous and anti-Asian racism and all stripes of hate in Canada.

Thank you. Shukran.

Hon. Wanda Elaine Thomas Bernard: Honourable senators, I join you today from East Preston, Nova Scotia, unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq people. Today, in honour of National Social Work Month and International Women’s Day, I pay tribute to the late Alexa McDonough, an influential social worker, politician and dear friend. Alexa was a courageous and passionate social worker who became the first woman leader of a major federal party.

Alexa inspired and encouraged all women, including me, to get involved in politics. She died earlier this year, having lived a life advocating for equity and justice.

This year’s National Social Work Month theme, announced by the Canadian Association of Social Workers, is “In Critical Demand — Social Work is Essential,” which invites us to recognize the profession’s essential role during COVID-19 and the work we must do as we build back better.

Alexa’s life and work are shining examples of social workers as essential in bringing about meaningful change. Alexa spoke on unpopular issues with conviction. As a teenager, she engaged in positive disruption, using her own privilege to effect change in Halifax. She valued the voices and experiences of those who lived outside the margins.

Alexa taught me that being born into privilege is not a problem. It’s what you do with that privilege that can influence a positive shift. She led by example, using her platforms to highlight the inequities that were revealed during the COVID-19 pandemic, like anti-Black racism and workers’ rights. Alexa also encouraged social workers to move away from Band-Aid solutions and to move toward equitable policy development.

Honourable colleagues, Alexa McDonough’s legacy reminds us that social work is a profession where both advocacy and the development of social policy are essential and that social workers are leaders who are in critical demand.

Thank you, asante.

Senator Housakos: Government leader, as you likely know, your NDP coalition partner had this to say about Israel in its 2021 federal election platform:

Canada must play an active and constructive role in advancing peace, beginning by suspending arms sales to Israel until the end of the illegal occupation.

I guess this is the NDP-Liberal government’s position now, isn’t it, leader? Isn’t this why B’nai Brith shouldn’t expect any help from your government to remove a UN Human Rights Commission chair highly biased against the State of Israel?

Hon. Nancy J. Hartling: Honourable senators, I would like to begin by thanking my friend Senator Bernard for her lovely speech on Alexa McDonough, who was my favourite person too. March is one of my favourite months of the year because there is a lot to celebrate, including International Women’s Day on March 8 — which is also my wedding anniversary and my son Marc’s birthday — but it’s National Social Work Month too.

[Translation]

Today I want to celebrate and honour Canadian social workers as we celebrate our profession this month. There are 52,823 social workers in Canada and 2,096 social workers in my province, New Brunswick.

[English]

This year’s theme is “In Critical Demand — Social Work is Essential.” I have seen first-hand the importance of our profession and its impact on people in need, especially during the pandemic. Social workers have been a lifeline for many, whether working in health care, social development, child welfare, with seniors or in community services. A predominantly female profession, social workers too often go unnoticed and are undervalued, but it’s important to recognize the value they add to society as they are important and they are essential and critical in demand.

[Translation]

One of the first social workers in Atlantic Canada was Jane Wisdom, born in 1884. Since then, thousands of people have worked in the profession, including many parliamentarians such as Alexa McDonough, Rosemary Brown and Ginette Petitpas Taylor, and, here in the Senate, Wanda Elaine Thomas Bernard, Margaret Dawn Anderson, Judith Seidman and me, to name but a few.

[English]

Since March 2019, we have been celebrating National Social Work Month on the Hill in collaboration with the Canadian Association of Social Workers, or CASW. The first couple of years we held it here at the Senate, but due to COVID-19, the events in the last two years have been virtual. This year’s events were scheduled on March 15 and 28, and Senator Bernard and I worked on the events with CASW staff and our staff. The presentations included social workers and students from Atlantic Canada discussing challenges that are faced by social workers in contemporary society. These events were accessible to social workers and to the public in Canada and internationally.

As we honour and celebrate National Social Work Month, let’s remember these dedicated, caring and thoughtful professionals who are absolutely essential and a necessary part of strengthening the social infrastructure of society.

[Translation]

We thank you for your good work and your service to society. Thank you very much.

[English]

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.