The Hon. the Speaker pro tempore: Leave is not granted.

Senator C. Deacon: Thank you, Your Honour.

The Hon. the Speaker pro tempore: Is leave granted?

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

(On motion of Senator Gold, for Senator Dalphond, bill referred to the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs.)

[Translation]

The Hon. the Speaker pro tempore: Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?

Senator Gold: Once again, I will ask the question and we shall see the reply. However, in order not to confuse senators and those watching, I will quote something that appeared in La Presse recently. Chief Federal Prosecutor André Albert Morin, of the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, Quebec Regional Office, confirmed as follows whether the trial was authorized, and I quote, “The answer is no.” He did not authorize a secret trial.

[English]

Senator Cordy: Thank you very much. You raise a really good point.

We all would love to be sitting in our committee meetings. For those of us who normally sit twice a week, it’s now down to once a week. We all understand.

But you also have to recognize that a number of our staff have developed COVID as a result of working in circumstances with a lot of people around. We know there are senators who have contracted COVID, whether that’s in the Senate Chamber, getting on an airplane and flying to Ottawa or whether it’s when they’re at home. We don’t know that, and it’s very challenging to figure out where the contacts have come from when you’ve been on an airplane, in an airport or even in the Senate Chamber as a whole.

It would be great if committees could sit twice a week, but I don’t go back on what I believe, which is that we should, at least until the end of June, maintain hybrid. I’m willing to support this motion, but I think it should be the end of June when we could better make an evaluation. We should, in fact, go along with the House of Commons — and I don’t often say that. However, in this case, I believe the motion should be until the end of June.

The Hon. the Speaker: I hear a “no.” All those in favour of the motion who are in the Senate Chamber will please say “yea.”

Hon. Rosa Galvez: Thank you, Senator Marshall. I know you say that you have to repeat the same thing many times for people to hear. I want to tell you that I hear you, and I’m worried, as are you, that we see only one third of all the expenses.

Because you have been on the National Finance Committee much longer than I have, will you please tell me if this was the practice years ago? Is it common that we only see one third, or is it because of COVID? Thank you.

The Hon. the Speaker pro tempore: Senator Patterson, Senator Dupuis has a question for you. Would you take a question?

Senator Forest: Reading between the lines of your speech, setting aside your comments about the Prime Minister’s travels, I believe you were indicating that you’d like us to be more efficient in our work.

Do you suppose that, once we’re back to in-person attendance, or even during hybrid sittings, we could try ringing the bell for less time? Instead of 60 minutes, it could ring for 15 minutes, saving us 45 minutes per vote. Could we also boost the Senate’s efficiency by not seeing the clock? That would benefit Canadians, wouldn’t it?

Hon. Raymonde Gagné (Legislative Deputy to the Government Representative in the Senate), pursuant to notice of earlier this day, moved:

That, when the Senate next adjourns after the adoption of this motion, it do stand adjourned until Tuesday, April 5, 2022, at 2 p.m.

Some Hon. Senators: Yea.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question, honourable senator, and for reminding this chamber of the tragedy and horror being perpetrated against the Rohingya people.

I do not know what the status is of the government’s deliberations on this matter. I will make inquiries and report back.

Hon. Claude Carignan: Honourable senators, my question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate.

Leader, I’m sure you know that there are some basic tenets of a free and democratic society that we call pillars, and one such pillar is a fundamental justice system in which trials are public.

It appears that RCMP investigators and federal prosecutors participated in a trial, but we do not know where or when it was held, nor do we know which judge, accused or lawyers were involved. Also, there is no transcript.

What is the justice minister’s role in this North Korea-esque phantom trial?

The Hon. the Speaker: If any senator in the chamber is opposed, please say “no.” The vote will take place now.

Motion agreed to and bill read third time and passed on the following division:

On the Order:

Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Gagné, seconded by the Honourable Senator LaBoucane-Benson, for the third reading of Bill C-16, An Act for granting to Her Majesty certain sums of money for the federal public administration for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2023.

Senator Gold: I thank the honourable senator for his supplementary question.

At the risk of repeating myself, for supplementary questions, I will try to find the answer and get back to you as soon as possible.

[English]

Senator Boisvenu: We know that the NDP has already stated that it is against purchasing the F-35s. It opposes any increase in Canada’s military spending, and that includes NATO.

Has the minister negotiated with her NATO partners to have Canada welcome 400,000 Ukrainian refugees instead of contributing the 2%? Have the provinces been informed of that? Has Quebec, who has an immigration ceiling, been informed that it may have to welcome more immigrants than the 50,000 it set as a target for 2022?

The Hon. the Speaker: Is leave granted, honourable senators?

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

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