Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you, Senator Omidvar, for your question and for giving me some time to inquire. Regrettably, I have not received an answer yet.

I have been assured the government desperately wants to see Mr. Badawi reunited with his family and remains committed to supporting him and them. When I do hear back from the government with particulars, I will report it in a timely manner.

Senator Bellemare: As you know, Quebec is dealing with a serious labour shortage. In September, Quebec’s job vacancy rate was 7.3%, which amounts to 280,000 unfilled positions. This is unprecedented in Quebec or anywhere else.

In the meantime, the number of people actively looking for work was more than 255,000. To address this problem, yesterday the provincial government announced a $3.9-billion five-year plan to provide bursaries and allowances for people willing to participate in training and skills development in certain key sectors.

Senator Gold, don’t you think we could make better use of EI to address these problems?

As the Government Representative in the Senate, you are also able to share our questions with the government. I would like to make a small suggestion. Why doesn’t the government task the Senate with conducting public consultations on employment insurance in the provinces? These reports could then be sent to the government with a view to reforming the system. What do you think?

Senator Omidvar: Thank you, Senator Gold. I look forward to hearing from you on that response, as does Mr. Cotler.

I understand that citizenship applications are backlogged for many because of the virus, but we have families who have been waiting for close to two or three years to get an initial response to their application, even though we significantly increased the budget of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, or IRCC, last year, and the Budget Implementation Act, or BIA.

As one example, members of the Syrian family I sponsored in 2016 were disappointed that they could not vote in the last Canadian election because they were not yet citizens. Their 16‑year-old son, who is a graduate of high school, desperately wants to join the Canadian Armed Forces, but he cannot because he is not yet a Canadian citizen.

I hope you will agree with me, Senator Gold, when I say: What more could this country want from its refugees? Will you kindly inquire into these delays for many anxious wannabe Canadians?

Hon. René Cormier: Today is World AIDS Day, a reminder that this pandemic, which first emerged 40 years ago, is still going strong, and that sustained resources are needed to eradicate it.

Exactly one year ago today, on December 1, 2020, I moved a motion in this chamber that was adopted by the Senate, calling on the Government of Canada to evaluate the cost of implementing its five-year action plan on sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections, to establish national targets in the fight against HIV/AIDS and to increase funding for the Federal Initiative to Address HIV/AIDS in Canada.

Yes, there was the COVID-19 pandemic. Yes, there was an election. Sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections did not cease to exist, however. National targets in the fight against HIV/AIDS are still essential to eradicating this disease, and more money is needed to fight HIV/AIDS now than ever before.

Senator Gold, what does the Government of Canada plan to do during this Forty-fourth Parliament to respond effectively to the needs identified in that motion?

Hon. Leo Housakos (Acting Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, my question is for the government leader in the Senate. Senator Gold, yesterday, your predecessor right here in this chamber waxed poetic about the wonderful things and accomplishments of this new independent Senate and the policies that have been implemented here in regards to the new-found independence of the Senate. And I get it; you’re both very proud of the work your government has done, as all senators who have come before us through this august chamber are proud of the work this great institution has done. But one of the things that Senator Harder lauded about yesterday was the Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments. Of course, that prompted me to think that there have been countless occasions in this chamber where we’ve asked the government to be forthright in regards to the activities of that board, and we’re still waiting for answers to those questions.

As you all know, that board is obligated to file reports in the spirit of transparency and accountability in regards to its financial obligations and its activities to taxpayers. Out of curiosity, I went back to the site, and I see that the last time there was any filing in regard to the Advisory Board for Senate Appointments was December 5, 2018. Even by the Trudeau Liberal government’s standards, you have to admit, government leader, that’s a little bit excessive. Three years is a little bit much when it comes to not being accountable.

My question is very simple: Why hasn’t this board filed public accountability reports, as they’re obligated to do? And in the last three years, has the government received any reports from this advisory board?

Senator Housakos: Senator Gold, we’ve been asking repeatedly in regards to the activity of the board and the fact that it has not been public and transparent, both in terms of expenses and the processes that they’ve been carrying out.

Leader, I’ll give your government this: I will give it full credit for consistency, because they consistently fail to provide transparency when we ask these simple questions. Yesterday, our colleague Senator Marshall asked again a simple, basic question where the public accounts come into effect: Where is the debt management project? Simple questions. She’s still waiting for answers. And today, I’m forced again, prodded by a speech by Senator Harder, to ask a simple question: Where are the reports of the Advisory Board for Senate Appointments? It has been three years and we’ve been asking repeatedly about this. So can we have a transparent, accountable question when it comes to the Advisory Board for Senate Appointments? When will they make it public?

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, on November 23, 2021, the Senate adopted an order that “the position of Speaker pro tempore be filled by means of a secret ballot by all senators to be held at the earliest opportunity, using the process established by the Speaker for the election of the Speaker pro tempore in the Second Session of the Forty-third Parliament, with timelines adjusted for the current session at the Speaker’s discretion”.

The process established last session was that the election of the Speaker pro tempore be by ranked ballot.

For the current session, a senator who wishes to be a candidate will have to communicate his or her interest by email to the Clerk of the Senate by noon on Monday, December 6, 2021.

At the start of the sitting after Monday, December 6, I will announce the names of the senators who are candidates. Instead of proceeding to Senators’ Statements, we will then hear from the candidates for a maximum of three minutes each, irrespective of the total time required. If there are fewer than six candidates, any balance of time can be used for regular statements.

The voting will start shortly after we have heard from the candidates. Details about the confidential system will follow shortly before voting is to start. Only the Clerk will have access to information about the vote. He will not reveal any of this information to anyone.

Senators will be able to vote until 6 p.m. on the day after voting starts. That deadline could be extended, if required, for technical reasons. When they vote, senators will rank as many candidates as they wish, with one being their first choice, two their second, and so on. If, however, there are only two candidates, senators will only be asked to select one candidate.

After the voting, the Clerk will count the votes in private. After the initial count, the candidate, or candidates, with the fewest votes will be dropped and those votes redistributed to the next active preference on the ballot, if one is indicated. The process will continue with successive rounds until a candidate has a majority of votes that are still active. If, after all possible distributions, two or more candidates have the same number of votes, a run-off election will be held.

The name of the chosen candidate will be announced at the start of the sitting following completion of counting. A motion to name that senator as Speaker pro tempore will then be deemed moved, seconded, and adopted, without debate, amendment, or further vote. No further details will be provided, and the Clerk will keep all information related to the vote confidential.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for the question. I will be pleased to provide a written response when I receive the information. My oral response will no doubt be somewhat predictable in that I will inquire with the government and come back with a response.

I would like to note that although it wasn’t mentioned in the Speech from the Throne, I am advised that the government knows that Canada and Canadians need a modern employment insurance system. This issue hasn’t been forgotten just because of the COVID-19 pandemic or the election.

Hon. Diane Bellemare: My question is for the Government Representative in the Senate. Senator Gold, perhaps you saw the ad published in Saturday’s edition of Le Devoir by Quebec’s Conseil national des chômeurs et chômeuses. The purpose of the ad was to draw attention to the urgent need to reform the EI system.

On October 23, the Institute for Socio-economic Research and Information published a research paper on a proposal to reform the employment insurance system to meet the challenges of the 21st century. These public statements are the latest in a series of policy stances taken by a multitude of stakeholders representing the private sector, workers and several community groups.

In its 2021 budget, the federal government promised consultations on EI reform. The budget provided $5 million over two years to conduct these consultations. However, the Speech from the Throne did not mention EI once.

Senator Gold, where is the government on its EI reform plan? What is the status of the consultations planned in the last budget? Can you provide us with a clear road map of the steps in the planned public consultations? Can you also provide us with a written response to that effect? I think a number of groups would be happy to have that information.

Hon. Leo Housakos (Acting Leader of the Opposition): My question is for the Government Representative in the Senate.

Senator Gold, while it may have been rolled out with the best of intentions, the CERB program was fraught with problems from the get-go. We’ve certainly heard all the stories of people receiving payments for which they didn’t qualify. Now, according to a report from the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC), we know that organized crime knowingly and actively defrauded the CERB program by filing multiple applications using stolen identities.

I think we can all appreciate how incredibly frustrating this must be for taxpayers, especially for Canadians who have to jump through hoops to qualify for various other programs from your government.

Senator Gold, what if anything is being done to recover these taxpayers’ dollars from criminal organizations? What is being done to ensure that criminals are punished for this defrauding of taxpayers’ funds?

Senator Gold: I do agree with your question, and I certainly will make those inquiries.

I am the grandson of an immigrant, and many of us here are children of immigrants. We, along with First Nations, Inuit and others, built this country together, so I couldn’t agree with you more. I’ll make every effort to get a quick answer for you.

[Translation]

Senator Gold: It’s the position of this government that any law that it brings forward into the other place or this chamber is one that conforms to the Charter of Rights and the values that define us, in that regard, as a free and democratic society. Again, when the bill arrives or is tabled, whether here or the other place — and I have no information on the timing or process — we’ll have occasion to dig in and study it properly.

[Translation]

Hon. Percy Mockler: My question is for the Government Representative in the Senate. My question is on the same topic as Senator Martin’s question.

Senator Gold, hundreds of thousands of forestry workers across Canada are worried about their job security in light of Canada-U.S. relations.

[English]

My question for the Government Representative in the Senate today concerns the U.S. Department of Commerce’s decision to raise its tariffs on softwood lumber exports from my province of New Brunswick.

Historically, mills in New Brunswick were excluded from the American tariffs or trade restrictions for our softwood lumber. The reasons for that included the fact that a high percentage of our wood supply in the Maritimes comes from private woodlot owners and also large industrial private land.

Senator Gold, what is the government doing to ensure that New Brunswick regains its exclusion from American softwood lumber tariffs?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): I can’t answer specifically with regard to the current discussions that are underway in Washington or what has gone on between the minister and her counterpart in New Brunswick, but it has always been the case that this government, whether in the context of free trade agreements or in the context of responding to unjustifiable initiatives — whether in softwood lumber in the past, aluminum in the more recent past and so on — has always worked closely with their provincial counterparts to make sure that provincial interests and viewpoints are reflected in the Canadian approach to dealing with the Americans. I have every assurance that will continue to be the case in this controversy.

Senator Mockler: We need action, Senator Gold. When we talk about action, I remember very well that in the Senate Chamber in June 2016, I had the opportunity to ask Minister Freeland if the Government of Canada would fight for the Maritime exclusion. Instead, New Brunswick is currently not exempted from softwood lumber tariffs imposed by the U.S.

My question to you is this: If your negotiations with U.S. representatives remain unsuccessful, will you take retaliatory measures? Is your government working with the Biden administration to accelerate the CUSMA procedures to protect our forestry sector, which creates thousands of jobs across Canada and in New Brunswick?

Senator Housakos: Government leader, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada, or FINTRAC, says that it does not know exactly how much CERB money went to organized crime. However, the Minister of National Revenue told the media that audits of CERB have been under way for some time.

Leader, according to the Canada Revenue Agency, how much CERB money did these audits show was fraudulently claimed by organized crime?

Hon. René Cormier: Honourable senators, since the emergence of AIDS, 80 million people have been infected and more than 36 million have died. Some 38 million people are living with the virus today, and between 700,000 and 1 million people die each year.

Behind those numbers are women, men, children, people from all walks of life, all origins and all regions of the world who are dying from or living with this terrible disease.

HIV/AIDS first appeared on this planet 40 years ago. It was considered a shameful disease at that time, one that only affected “other people,” mainly homosexual people and drug users.

People in my life, including Bernard, Laval, Pierre and so many others, died in silence, because one does not reveal the true nature of one’s illness, so as not to ostracize one’s family or be rejected.

Well, that remains true to this day, colleagues. It is still taboo to disclose one’s HIV status. Despite the advent of triple therapy in 1996, despite scientific advances, despite the fact that it is considered a chronic disease, silence still reigns in our communities. The spread of this virus continues because there is still no vaccine against AIDS.

According to data from the HIV in Canada surveillance report, in 2019, there were 2,122 new HIV diagnoses across the country. The most affected age groups were people aged 30 to 39, followed by those 20 to 29, and then those 40 to 49.

The most troubling part, colleagues, is that the Public Health Agency of Canada estimates that in 2018, 13% of people living with HIV did not know they were infected.

[English]

Prevention and access to drugs are both crucial in eradicating this disease off the face of the earth. However, the COVID-19 pandemic shows us that if northern countries do not effectively help southern countries have access to drugs, it won’t happen. If we do not work concretely toward reducing inequalities in the world, it won’t happen.

[Translation]

As we mark World AIDS Day and Aboriginal AIDS Awareness Week, what do we need to do, honourable senators, to ensure that Canada takes responsibility nationally and internationally and meets the targets it set with UNAIDS to eradicate this disease by 2030?

[English]

There is not a choice to be made between ending the AIDS pandemic that is raging today and preparing for the pandemics of tomorrow. The only successful approach will achieve both. As of today, we are not on track to achieve either, says the UNAIDS Executive Director.

[Translation]

Colleagues, it’s time for us to come together and urge our fellow citizens to do more. HIV/AIDS is not a pandemic of the past; it is a pandemic of today.

[English]

“End inequalities; end AIDS; end pandemics,” should be the theme that ought to inspire us, because no one is safe until we are all safe. Thank you. Meegwetch.

[Translation]

Hon. Marie-Françoise Mégie: Honourable senators, November 25 marked the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. This time is an opportunity for us to speak out against this worldwide crisis and its devastating effects, to pay tribute to the victims, and to renew our commitment to putting an end to gender-based violence once and for all.

Gender-based violence is sometimes invisible. It may remain hidden because of stigma, shame or the fear of not getting the support needed to get away from the violence or to survive the trauma associated with it. Certain intersectional populations are disproportionately affected. Black and Indigenous women, immigrant and refugee women, LGBTQ2+ people, and people with disabilities often face structural and cultural barriers that make them more vulnerable.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this violence. According to the Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability, the number of femicides in Quebec rose from 13 in 2019 to 23 in 2020, an increase of 77%. So far, in 2021, 18 femicides have occurred in Quebec and 41 in Ontario.

The pandemic is also making it harder for people fleeing gender-based violence to access support and services. According to a 2020 survey, shelters had a harder time meeting survivors’ needs during the pandemic. Lockdown measures further isolated women living with violent partners.

Esteemed colleagues, in 2020, the Government of Canada did indeed allocate $100 million to fighting gender-based violence. Nevertheless, I call on the government to work closely with the provinces and territories to develop long-term strategies to end this form of violence. We have to invest in social infrastructure to empower women fleeing violence and create the right conditions to help them thrive.

Women and girls are entitled to safety and dignity. It’s high time we ended violence against them.

Thank you.

[English]

Hon. Renée Dupuis: Honourable senators, it seems increasingly clear that the COVID-19 pandemic that has been going on for a more than a year and a half has heightened inequalities around the world, including here at home.

On the eve of International Human Rights Day, I want to acknowledge the fact that human rights now have a key place in sustainable development.

Many of the UN Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 make that very clear. For instance, goal 3 seeks to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. Goal 6 is to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. Goal 10 seeks to reduce inequality, and goal 11 is to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

Access to safe drinking water for Canada’s Indigenous communities is an ongoing issue and one of the most dire examples of inequality and systemic discrimination. This is clearly illustrated by the number of drinking water advisories still in effect on Indigenous reserves and the water contamination problems recently uncovered in Nunavut’s Inuit communities. The amount of work required to make up lost ground and eliminate these inequalities is of direct concern to us.

Dear colleagues, we are committed to having this government collaborate with Indigenous communities to establish a specific schedule and provide adequate funding for the infrastructure required to supply this essential service for all Indigenous communities, as a matter of rights, equality, justice and solidarity. We must send a message that the future of Indigenous communities and the health and well-being of their members are of the utmost importance to us.