Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): I thank the honourable senator for the question.

LGBTQ2+ organizations are essential in Canada’s communities and are a lifeline for Canadians. They need our support to keep their doors open and to continue to develop. That is why the funding for the LGBTQ2 Community Capacity Fund is being extended for another year. This funding will enable organizations to build stronger infrastructure to advance LGBTQ2+ equality across Canada.

I’m sorry to say I don’t have any details on how the eligibility criteria for the fund are assessed. I will find out from the government and get back to you as soon as possible.

Hon. Wanda Elaine Thomas Bernard: Honourable senators, I join you today from the unceded territory of Mi’kma’ki, the traditional land of Mi’kmaq people.

For African Heritage Month, I want to pay tribute to a national treasure, Wanda Robson, who passed away last Sunday at age 95. You may know her as the sister of Viola Desmond. I knew her as Wanda, a dear friend and mentor.

Wanda Robson was a fierce advocate for human rights and education. For most of her life, she had held on to a very shameful memory of Viola’s time in jail after being dragged out of the White-only section of the movie theatre. This changed when she arrived at university in her seventies and a professor spoke to the importance of examining critical moments in Nova Scotian history. She learned to re-examine her sister’s story as a justice issue. Wanda successfully advocated, with allies, to have Viola’s charge posthumously pardoned. In this process, she shifted a story of shame to one of pride, pride that Viola had stood up for her rights and pride for African Nova Scotian history.

In February of 2020, I invited Wanda and her husband, Joe, to Ottawa to visit the Senate. That evening, Wanda and I enjoyed a wonderful fireside chat at the Museum of History. Despite the large audience, it was like we were chatting in her living room in North Sydney. She shared memories of her sister, of African Nova Scotian history and we even discovered that we had the same childhood nickname.

Honourable colleagues, please take a moment with me to honour the life and legacy of Wanda Robson and offer deepest sympathy to her husband, children, grandchildren and all who knew and loved her.

Thank you, asante.

Senator Gold: Thank you for your question, senator.

The government recognizes that organizations across the country urgently need support to provide vital community resources. The government intends to uphold its commitments.

I would add that, in the past, I have had a great deal of experience and involvement with not-for-profit organizations. I saw that stable and predictable funding is important. That said, I must point out that the government invested $7.1 million in the 2021 budget to support the work of the LGBTQ2+ Secretariat and $15 million for projects in these communities.

As for the funding, I will endeavour to follow up on the previous question.

[English]

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question. The government values the advice of the Privacy Commissioner, advice that is always well received and taken into consideration. The government also values the privacy of Canadians and their right to control their data. In that regard, it will continue to do so.

I do not have information, senator, with regard to whom the government has consulted to the extent that information would be publicly available and disseminated. I’ll make inquiries and will be happy to report to the chamber.

Hon. Peter M. Boehm: Honourable senators, I give notice that, at the next sitting of the Senate, I will move:

That the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade be authorized to examine and report on the Canadian foreign service and elements of the foreign policy machinery within Global Affairs Canada, and on other related matters; and

That the committee submit its final report no later than March 30, 2023, and that it retain all powers necessary to publicize its findings for 180 days after the tabling of the final report.

[Translation]

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): I thank the honourable senator for the question. Canada and the Government of Canada are proud of the measures taken since the beginning of the pandemic to protect Canadians. We are proud of the ability of the government to procure vaccines and for Canada to be a world leader in its degree of vaccination. This pandemic is causing enormous frustration and difficulty for individuals and for the sectors and companies to which you refer. The government is very much aware of that. It is constantly evaluating the appropriate policy adjustments to make in light of the evolution not only of scientific understanding but the evolution of the pandemic and the wave or waves that may still come. This chamber should rest assured that the government is constantly evaluating and reassessing what its policy positions will be going forward, and announcements, when appropriate, will be made.

Senator Plett: It is sad that we can’t at least touch on the answers and say “I don’t know” if the answer isn’t known. That would be an appropriate answer.

The Leader of the Opposition in the other place said to the Prime Minister:

Prime Minister, you can’t take science and put it on the table when it suits you and take it off when it doesn’t suit you.

The Prime Minister has constantly been saying that everything he is doing is scientific. Science now says that what we’re doing is not right, and he doesn’t change. You don’t have an answer. You hardly even touch on the question. That was as bad as the minister yesterday when he didn’t even touch on the question.

Senator Gold, WestJet, Air Canada and Toronto Pearson Airport are also calling for an end to mandatory quarantines for asymptomatic travellers awaiting test results upon arrival. Leader, most families can’t afford lengthy quarantines. They don’t want to hear that the government cares about them. They want to see what you are doing to show you care about us.

When, leader? Give us a date. If not today, give us a date when we come back. When will this Trudeau government end these ineffective and costly restrictions?

Senator Gold: Thank you. I will add those questions to the others.

Hon. Tony Loffreda: Honourable senators, my question is for Senator Gold, the Government Representative in the Senate. My question today focuses not so much on Canadians but those who may wish to become Canadians. It’s no secret that there are massive backlogs at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. This has been going on for years. In some ways, it’s a good problem to have because it shows how attractive Canada is to foreigners. However, it is completely unacceptable that visa applications can take up to three years to process. These applicants deserve an answer, whether it’s yes or no. The least we can do is show them the respect they deserve and make a decision in a timely manner.

Last year, the government announced in its Fall Economic Statement that $85 million would be spent to hire more public servants to address the backlogs, among other things.

Can you tell us if the government has started to spend this money and if new immigration officers have been hired to help address the processing issues?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you, senator, for raising this important issue.

The government continues to shift resources in this area to focus on priorities, to increase digitization of applications, to streamline its processes and resume in-person operations while, of course, respecting public health and safety guidelines.

Furthermore, I’m advised that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has already hired approximately 500 new processing staff, are digitizing applications and reallocating work amongst their offices around the world.

With regard to your question on spending of the allocated funds under the Fall Economic Statement, I have been advised that an outline for the funds has been released. Unfortunately, I don’t have an itemized list of the expenditures. I shall, however, inquire with the government and report back to the chamber with an answer.

Hon. Jane Cordy: Senator Gold, I raise this issue with you today on behalf of a Canadian couple who reached out to me and shared their experience of the barriers they faced as a same-sex couple starting their family.

During the last two elections, the current government campaigned on a promise to remove barriers for LGBTQ2+ people who wanted to start a family. These changes would also help heterosexual couples who have fertility challenges.

As well-intentioned as these promises are, they fail to take into account the realities of surrogacy and the differing family law systems across the provinces and territories.

More often than not, the intended parents cover the expenses of in vitro fertilization, IVF; and because neither of the intended parents are the “patient,” they are not eligible to claim the expenses from a tax perspective. The egg donor, or surrogate, cannot claim the expenses, as it would be claiming an expense for which they did not pay.

This requires a review of the structure of the tax credit system and how it defines a “patient” for the purposes of the tax credit.

Access to 15 weeks of leave is available to those parents who adopt their child following surrogacy. The government failed to understand that in several provinces with more progressive family law systems, the child born through surrogacy is not adopted. That would mean that these families would not be entitled to leave, as neither of the intended parents are the birth mother; nor would they be eligible for adoptive leave, as they have not, in fact, adopted the child.

Senator Gold, this couple’s experience is not unique. It is the same situation faced by parents starting their families through surrogacy, regardless of sexual orientation, across Canada. Mark Foley and Shelly Maynard from Dartmouth made their case public in 2019.

I know it’s not a simple issue, which is why I shared this couple’s concerns with your office in advance. I know I have provided a lot of information in a short period of time. Senator Gold, my question is this: Did you have an opportunity to raise these concerns with the responsible ministers; and if so, have you received a response?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question. I have made inquiries, Senator Cordy, and I have not yet received a specific response. However, the government remains committed to continuing to review and evaluate the structures in its areas of jurisdiction to take into account the rapidly changing realities of families in this country. As soon as I have an answer, I’ll be happy to report back.

Senator Cordy: Thank you for following up, Senator Gold, because things have certainly changed tremendously. I remember — and perhaps a few others on the line who may be my age will remember — getting eight weeks’ parental leave after one’s child was born. I have to tell you that it was really tough going back eight weeks after my older daughter was born, since I had been in the hospital a month beforehand.

Senator Gold, I met these young men who are expecting their first baby this month, in February. Congratulations to them. They are bringing this issue forward to help other people, because in some of these situations it’s too late for them to benefit.

In a recent conversation, one of the fathers said they were very fortunate because they are both professionals with good-paying jobs — as was the couple from Dartmouth. However, there is a gap in the law, and parents shouldn’t have to be well off to afford surrogacy. I’m not sure how many of us in our twenties would be able to afford $100,000 for the procedure. The surrogacy laws must be updated.

Senator Gold, would you please request that the government fulfill what were campaign promises relating to in vitro fertilization under the Assisted Human Reproduction Act?

Hon. Diane F. Griffin: Honourable senators, I have a question for the Government Representative in the Senate.

Senator Gold, proposed changes to the Migratory Birds Regulations appeared in the Canada Gazette, Part I, on June 1, 2019. These regulations were first promulgated in 1917 under the Migratory Birds Convention Act, but they have not been substantially changed in the years since and are in sore need of modernization.

As it turns out, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change has been tasked with halting and reversing nature loss in Canada by 2030. This will be a huge challenge, indeed. There are drastic declines in some species of Canadian birds. For example, since the 1970s, two thirds of migratory birds that rely on grasslands and feed on flying insects have been lost.

Senator Gold, these changes are on the minister’s desk for action on his part, and have been there for quite some time. Will the government act to modernize our Migratory Birds Regulations? Thank you.

Hon. Marilou McPhedran: Honourable senators, my question is to the Government Representative in the Senate, Senator Gold.

February 1 marked one year to the day that the Burmese military overthrew the elected government of Myanmar, or Burma, and began a brutal attack on political leaders, activists and ordinary citizens. At least 1,500 people have been killed by the military in the past year.

Wai Wai Nu, a leading young human rights defender whom I work with, has set out a long list of inaction by democracies. I repeat to you her question, Senator Gold: Will Canada support a resolution on Myanmar to the UN Security Council that includes key demands such as a global arms embargo, support for cross‑border humanitarian aid and the referral of Myanmar to the International Criminal Court?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question and for underlining the situation in Myanmar.

Canada, as you know, condemns the convictions and other abuses, and the coup d’état particularly, in Myanmar. With regard to the specific question, I’m not aware of a decision that has been made with regard to a resolution at the United Nations. I will certainly make inquiries, and if an answer is forthcoming, I will be glad to share it in the chamber.

Hon. Salma Ataullahjan: My question is for the government leader in the Senate.

Senator Gold, last fall, an investigation by “The Fifth Estate” revealed that the office of the Minister of Immigration was aware of the urgency needed to take decisive action and bring our interpreters to safety in Canada. As early as February 2020, the Minister of Immigration was contacted by Liberal MP Marcus Powlowski. An article published this morning by the National Post revealed Mr. Powlowski had pushed to rescue Afghan interpreters weeks before Kabul fell, citing credible evidence of an imminent Taliban attack against Canadian interpreters and concerns brought to him by an Aman Lara co-founder.

While strict paperwork rules and deadlines imposed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, or IRCC, led to hundreds of desperate evacuees exposing themselves to Taliban collaborators by rushing to local internet cafés to complete the application, Jeff Valois, who was at the time an advisor to the Prime Minister, allegedly ordered Powlowski to stay in his lane and to let professionals in the ministries handle it.

Senator Gold, in light of the growing number of blunders committed by our government, many are losing faith in Canada’s rescue efforts. Why is our government playing political games instead of saving lives?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Well, senator, thank you for your question and for underlining the ongoing challenges and problems that are facing those in Afghanistan.

With respect, the government is not playing political games. It is dealing with it as best it can. The government has been monitoring the situation closely. Canadian Armed Forces personnel were present in Afghanistan from early 2021 to monitor the situation on the ground. Canada was part of an air bridge with allies that saved as many people as it could throughout the difficult circumstances. The Armed Forces worked around the clock to evacuate as many people as possible for so long as conditions permitted, saving thousands of people under extraordinarily difficult circumstances.

We did not evacuate as many people as we would have liked to in August. The government is committed to exercising all of its available options to evacuate Canadians and our Afghan allies via land or air. I have finally been advised that the Minister of Foreign Affairs is in close contact with our allies and other countries in the region to help get as many people out as possible.

Senator Ataullahjan: Senator Gold, there is mounting evidence showing Canada’s mismanagement of rescue efforts in Afghanistan. A quick extraction force sat idly at a Kuwaiti air force base for days. A Canadian embassy staffer publicly outed an interpreter and safe house facilitator. The video shows Canadian soldiers ignoring Global Affairs Canada-approved evacuees at the Kabul airport.

There have also been reports of evacuees with perfect paperwork being turned away and of families being separated at checkpoints, leaving spouses and children behind because of trivial inconsistencies with their documents. Why is our government continually placing paperwork above saving lives?