Senator Gold: Thank you for your question. Again, I will have occasion tomorrow to speak to this issue, to elaborate at greater length and to take further questions. Let me simply say that the decision to invoke the Emergencies Act was taken after consultation with all provinces. Not all provinces agreed. The Premier of Ontario — because you cited him — did indicate that he needed the support and that with the plenary tools that he would have at his disposal, he was not one of those provinces that opposed the application and invocation of the act. I think we here in Ottawa and the residents of Ottawa are very happy indeed with the results so far.

Senator Ataullahjan: Senator Gold, Ontario Premier Doug Ford declared a state of emergency on Friday, February 11, which expires on Friday, February 25. Senator Gold, why subject the rest of the country to emergency measures when Ontario had already declared a state of emergency?

Senator Jaffer: Senator Gold, can you please also ask — when the trouble started in Afghanistan, many of us were told to work with NGOs to help the fleeing Afghans to arrive at other places, and we did. And now these people are without funds in other countries. This was done specifically by instructions from people in the government that they would be processed quickly.

May I please ask, what is holding up this process? I work with many women peace builders, and it breaks my heart that I assured them, our government assured them that their visas would be processed quickly. Now they are in Mexico and Portugal and many other areas waiting for our government to process their documents, so may I please also ask you to find out about that? Thank you.

Senator Gold: Senator, I cannot comment on the assumption behind your question, but I certainly will make inquiries and report back.

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

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for the question. The issue is a serious one, and one that engages responsibilities of the province, which has ownership of the natural resources. It also engages, of course, the role of the federal government, that works with provinces to assist wherever it can and to provide funding where it can for those efforts.

The Government of Canada appreciates the work of the Parliamentary Budget Office and the report. I will certainly make inquiries as to your specific questions and report back in due course.

Hon. Claude Carignan: My question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate.

Leader, on February 10, the Economist Intelligence Unit issued its annual index on global democracy, which showed that Canada dropped seven spots in two years, from fifth to twelfth place, just ahead of Uruguay.

According to Andrew Potter, associate professor at McGill University’s Max Bell School of Public Policy, one explanation for this situation is the way the Trudeau government managed the pandemic. He said, and I quote:

What has happened over the past two years is that the Prime Minister has basically shut down Parliament for a long time and has been keen to limit the opposition as much as he can . . .

What is more, according to the Democracy Index, the measures that were taken to fight the pandemic accelerated Canadians’ loss of confidence in their institutions. The pandemic led to the normalization of emergency powers and accustomed citizens to a huge extension of state power over large areas of public and personal life.

Aren’t you worried about Canadians’ loss of confidence in our institutions? Don’t you think that the unnecessary use of the Emergencies Act will make this already bad social situation and Canadians’ loss of confidence in our institutions even worse?

Senator Griffin: Thank you for the answer. That was information I had not previously been given, so I’m glad to receive that. In spite of my gladness in receiving it, I’m still concerned about the shortcoming. The government has given you information as to why it cannot do this. If the government chose to, it could apply additional conditions to make this happen. I’m still hopeful that the government will continue to review how it handles bankruptcies and these educational plans. My belief is that if the government wanted to do this, it could. That’s not a question but a statement; I’m sorry.

Hon. Mobina S. B. Jaffer: Honourable senators, my question is also to the leader of the Senate. Senator Gold, I first want to thank you. The last few weeks have been very difficult, especially for you, and you have represented us really well. I want to thank you for the work you have done on our behalf.

I don’t need a response to this question, and this question would have been better last week when my colleagues Senator Ataullahjan and Senator Omidvar asked it. Senator, I just want you to make inquiries about why it’s taking so long, when our country has made a commitment to bring 40,000 Afghan refugees, why is it taking so long to process them?

I am a beneficiary of quick process from Uganda. So were the Syrians and so are many other people who were refugees fleeing from other countries. I just want you to find out what is holding up the processing, because all three of us are getting lots of inquiries. We really need to know what is holding this up so maybe we can tell people to make other arrangements. Thank you, senator.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Senator, thank you for the question. Again, this is a question that is very much up in the air and will be very much debated here. I will have occasion to speak to this in greater detail.

Suffice it to say that, as we know from the events here and elsewhere, neither the participants in the illegal activities nor the financing of these activities are restricted to one province.

As you will also know — because we are all following the news carefully and with concern — the operations that have been authorized to date under the Emergencies Act have, in fact, been taking place only in those areas where they are needed, as was and is the case here in Ottawa but happily is not necessarily the case elsewhere for the moment. The government has been clear that it will focus the activities only where they are needed and only when responding to the crisis cannot be done adequately with local jurisdictional tools.

Hon. Diane F. Griffin introduced Bill S-236, An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act and the Employment Insurance Regulations (Prince Edward Island).

(Bill read first time.)

Hon. Leo Housakos: Very happy with suspending Charter rights in this country.

My question is for the government leader in the Senate. When asked on Thursday about the seizure of Canadians’ bank accounts, Minister Freeland said, “. . . due process remains in place. Charter rights remain in place. And of course, the courts are there . . . .”

In fact, the Trudeau government’s Emergency Economic Measures Order states clearly that, “No proceedings under the Emergencies Act and no civil proceedings lie against an entity for complying with this Order.”

Leader, what recourse do Canadians have if they can’t take legal action against their bank, for example? And why would Minister Freeland suggest that the courts are an option when her government explicitly prohibits these Canadians from availing themselves of that option and their courts?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): I will answer some of that today, because the microphone — thank you for your question, of course, and thank you for giving me the opportunity to correct some of the assumptions and statements you have made, including the one that I barely heard, but heard enough.

The Charter has not been suspended. The operation of the courts has not been suspended, and that includes due process and the like.

There are protections for the banks in a very limited sense, but in no respect is it correct to say that the jurisdiction of the courts has been ousted if individuals feel aggrieved by the temporary measures that have been applied to them.

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, I rise today to recognize the tremendous work that the police and security personnel have done in resolving the protest in our nation’s capital.

Senator Plett: Police and protection officers came together from different locations and backgrounds to enforce public order in as restrained a manner as they could while ensuring the safety and security of Canadians and of emergency service personnel.

To each officer, I say that your professionalism, vigilance and demeanour set the tone in ensuring a successful and peaceful outcome to this operation. On behalf of the official opposition in the Senate, and I believe on behalf of all the Senate, I wish to say, “Thank you.” Thank you for ensuring the safety of all Canadians, thank you for enforcing law and order in our country and thank you for the essential role you played in de-escalating the situation.

As you stood shoulder to shoulder with your colleagues in uniform on the front lines of this crisis, please know that we stood behind you with pride and gratefulness.

I am humbled and saddened by the events that have taken place in our nation’s capital and around the country. It is sad how frustrated and disillusioned so many people in our country have become. At the same time, I am reassured by the way each and every officer acted in order to resolve this political impasse.

Eventually, there will come a time when we can analyze and review what took place on the streets of Ottawa, but for now we must show our deep appreciation. We must also be thankful for a peaceful outcome.

Colleagues, may this situation be a reminder to all of us of the essential role police and protection officers play in our communities. I have the feeling that we are living through momentous times, and I believe it will be a long time before we fully realize all the implications of what is happening in our country.

But today, I simply wish to tip my hat to all police and protection officers in this city and around the country. You have demonstrated exceptional professionalism, and for that we are all very grateful. Thank you, God bless all of you and God bless Canada.

Hon. Julie Miville-Dechêne: Honourable senators, tomorrow, February 22, we will mark National Human Trafficking Awareness Day for the second time in Canada. This day was established last year thanks to the efforts of the All Party Parliamentary Group to End Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking, of which I am a member. The aim is to educate the general public about this often misunderstood scourge.

It is often thought that trafficking only occurs outside our borders, never here in Canada. That is not true. In Canada, 95% of human trafficking convictions involve Canadians. Nearly all the victims are women and girls trafficked for sexual exploitation.

Sex trafficking often occurs right before our very eyes, without us realizing it. A girl or woman is lured by someone she knows or considers to be her lover. Indigenous and racialized women are overrepresented. It starts with gifts, outings or a seduction operation during which the trafficker exploits the vulnerabilities of his prey before desensitizing her by raping her to achieve his goal: forcing her into prostitution.

How can the victim’s parents or close friends detect the troubling signs of this trap? The Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking provides a few potential signs to look out for. We could see such signs, for example, in the case of a girl or young woman whose behaviour has changed suddenly, who seems controlled by her partner, who isolates herself, who suddenly wears clothing that is not age appropriate, who receives expensive, unexplained gifts or who has several cellphones.

The pandemic has heightened the risk of human trafficking of girls and women on the Internet, whether through the recording of intimate images without consent or the posting of illegal images of minors online.

Canada is also a destination for people trafficked from abroad. They are lured by false or real job offers, often for seasonal work, or a contract to work as a server or child care provider. Unfortunately, the job that is promised sometimes becomes a form of modern slavery with excessive hours, threats, or the confiscation of the person’s passport.

Throughout the world, an estimated 25 million adults and children are victims of forced labour, often accompanied by trafficking. There too we can be vigilant as consumers, because these shameful human rights violations are used to produce goods and food at the lowest price possible. The labelling provides a certain number of indications that can alert us, but it is far from enough.

Beyond the legislation and policies, each of us can contribute in our own way to fighting human trafficking. When we confront these tragedies we cannot look away. On the contrary, we must open our eyes.

Hon. Dennis Dawson: Honourable senators, it is with great emotion and true gratitude that I stand before you today to pay tribute to a remarkable individual who passed away on January 23. On my behalf and on behalf of all senators, I would like to honour the memory of Guy Saint-Pierre, an exceptional Quebecer and Canadian, for his invaluable contribution to our communities, his homeland, Quebec, and his country, Canada, over the course of a full and accomplished life.

For many of us, Guy Saint-Pierre was a role model because of his values, professional achievements and commitment to the progress of the French-Canadian and Quebec nation. For many of us, he had great influence on our life choices and careers.

Personally, he was influential in encouraging me to become a candidate in the first school board elections almost 50 years ago and to become the chair of a school board. He was a pioneer in the field of education. He strongly believed his entire life that it was education first and foremost that would make it possible for French-speaking Quebecers to make their mark, achieve their potential and aspire to fully take their place in the North American environment. Because of the value that he placed on education, in 1970 he was appointed Minister of Education by Premier Robert Bourassa.

[English]

An engineer by profession, Guy Saint-Pierre was responsible for the hydroelectric development of Churchill Falls in 1967. He was also responsible for the creation of the James Bay Native Development Corporation, whose goal was developing hydroelectric power in northern Quebec. In 1991, he was behind the merger of the SNC and Lavalin engineering groups to form SNC-Lavalin, one of the largest engineering firms in the world.

In 1994, Guy was named Canada’s Outstanding CEO of the Year. The following year, he was elected as president of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives. From 2001 to 2004, Guy served as chairman of the Royal Bank, the first francophone to hold this position. He also sat on numerous boards.

[Translation]

Several academic institutions, such as Concordia University, Laval University and the Royal Military College Saint-Jean, recognized his career by awarding him honorary doctorates. Also, in 2009, he became Grand Officer of the Ordre national du Québec, after having been appointed a Companion of the Order of Canada, in 2002. Mr. Saint-Pierre was a great Canadian and a great Quebecer.

I would like to express my sincere condolences to his wife, his family and his loved ones. We will always remember him. Thank you, esteemed colleagues.

Hon. senators: Hear, hear!

[English]

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Honourable senators, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the copy of the Canada Gazette, Part II, volume 156, Extra No. 1, dated February 15, 2022, including a proclamation declaring a public order emergency and two sets of regulations pursuant to the Emergencies Act.

[English]