Hon. Marie-Françoise Mégie: Honourable senators, it is a great honour for me to introduce you to my guest today. She was able to take her rightful place as a Black woman, demonstrate her excellence and make a unique contribution to Quebec society and the advancement of medicine.

Her name is Yvette Bonny. She was born in Haiti in 1938. She studied medicine and provided health care in the rural areas of the country. She emigrated to Quebec in 1961 and did her residency at the Sainte-Justine pediatric hospital in Montreal in 1965. She was the first Black woman resident at that hospital.

She then went on to specialize in hematology at the Saint-Antoine Hospital in Paris, the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal and the Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, where she did her residency in hematology in 1967 and in pathology in 1968.

When she began her career, she was the third woman hematologist in Quebec and the first with a specialization in pediatrics. However, it was not an easy road. As a Black female doctor, Dr. Bonny had to work that much harder to gain the confidence of her peers and some parents who, when they saw her, doubted her abilities. She often felt as though she always had to prove that she was the best.

Still, these obstacles did not stop her. Dr. Bonny showed her determination throughout her long and outstanding career. On April 2, 1980, she performed the first bone marrow transplant on a child in Quebec. A bone marrow transplant is a procedure to treat leukemia and other cancers and is now done to treat sickle cell disease, a genetic red blood cell disorder.

She was the only pediatric hematologist performing this procedure in Quebec for many years. Over the course of her career, she performed 200 bone marrow transplants.

Her dedication, compassion and humour earned her the nickname “Patch Adams” among her pediatrics colleagues.

She received many awards and honours throughout her successful career. I certainly don’t have enough time to list them all, but I would like to point out that she was made a knight of the Ordre national du Québec in 2007 and has been a member of the Order of Canada since 2008.

Dr. Bonny has always been an inspiration to me. She has paved the way for young girls from Haiti who dream of working in health care. She is a role model for the Haitian community and especially for all young Black women.

Colleagues, please join me in congratulating Dr. Bonny on all her accomplishments and in wishing her and her daughter, Nathalie Gadbois, a warm welcome to the Senate of Canada.

Thank you.

Hon. Amina Gerba: Honourable senators, let me begin by thanking the Canadian Senators Group for giving me their speaking time today.

To this day, and despite more and more scientific research, cancer is still taking a toll in Canadian society. Some of our fellow citizens manage to recover from this disease while others, for the most part, succumb to it.

I rise today to pay tribute to Nadine Girault and honour her memory. The former Quebec minister of international relations and la francophonie was taken by this terrible disease on February 13, 2023.

Born in 1959 in Saint Louis, Missouri, to Haitian parents, Nadine Girault grew up in the beautiful Quebec town of Gaspé where her family settled after fleeing the dictatorship in Haiti.

After graduating from high school in Gaspé, Nadine Girault moved to Montreal, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in finance and marketing at the École des hautes études commerciales de Montréal and a master’s in business administration at the Université du Québec à Montréal.

Nadine had a rich and varied career, going from Xerox to the Bank of Montreal, with stints at Fonds de solidarité FTQ, Investissement Québec, the Montreal police force, the Royal Bank of Canada and the Desjardins Group.

In 2018, Nadine decided to enter provincial politics and was elected as an MNA for Coalition avenir Québec, representing the riding of Bertrand. Nadine would be appointed as the Quebec minister of international relations and la francophonie under Premier François Legault’s first government.

During Nadine’s first term, Quebec unveiled its Africa strategy, which included an investment of $50 million to fund projects and Quebec companies interested in doing business in Africa. It was also under her leadership that Quebec appointed the largest number of women to Quebec delegations around the world.

Nadine was a dignified, elegant, hard-working and very athletic woman. She was a model of selflessness and resilience, an inspiration for the diversity of our country and an example of a leader who made public service a priority.

As I extend my sincere condolences to her family and her party, I salute the memory of a woman who proudly represented Quebec and the French language abroad.

Rest in peace, Nadine Girault, my dear and sorely missed friend.

Hon. Chantal Petitclerc: Dear colleagues, I rise today to note the death of Kiska, at the approximate age of 47 years.

[English]

Known as “the world’s loneliest orca,” she died last week after four decades in captivity in Ontario.

Captured off Iceland in 1979, she spent her first year in Canada with the orca Keiko, who was later sold to Mexico and then returned to freedom in Iceland a few years later. Kiska, however, would have no such luck. She remained in captivity and mothered five calves, none of which survived.

After the death of her tank mate, Kiska was to live her last 12 years in solitary confinement.

Many have said Kiska inspired change. I agree, but change also came from the efforts of amazing and strong champions. Today, I want to recognize the many individuals who fight for animal rights and who are committed to making those changes happen.

We make our decisions from the comfort of our suits and seats. As I was reading about the death of Kiska, it allowed me to dive into the many stories of courageous, passionate and strong activists who give their time and lives to defending the rights of animals. They include Phil Demers, Dylan Powell, Camille Labchuk, the humane societies and many others. They dedicate years and decades of their lives. They show up at peaceful protests. They seek justice. They document. They research. They never give up. In the end, they push society — they push Canada — to become a better place. Today, I want to thank them, as they are devastated by the passing of Kiska.

It may feel like they have failed, but they haven’t. Because of their relentless actions in the defence of animals, Kiska may very well have been the last captive orca in Canada. Let’s hope so.

Meegwetch. Thank you.

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Leader, according to The Globe and Mail, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, or CSIS, learned that a wealthy political adviser to the Chinese Communist Party, or CCP, in Beijing was instructed to donate to the Trudeau Foundation and that the communist regime would reimburse the entire amount of that donation.

Following this report, the Trudeau Foundation returned a $200,000 gift it received in 2016, leader. The foundation’s president and CEO stated, “. . . ethics and integrity are among our core values . . . .” Integrity is important to them, but not until seven years after the fact, leader? The Prime Minister must have known the truth behind this $200,000 gift — not a small gift.

Senator Plett: His government appoints two seats on the foundation’s board, and his family appoints two seats. This is confirmed in the Trudeau Foundation annual reports and by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.

Leader, how can the Trudeau government say there is no link between Prime Minister Trudeau and the Trudeau Foundation? No one believes that this is credible, leader. How can your government say this and expect Canadians to believe this and have confidence in him?

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

Part of the preamble to your question was a quote that the Prime Minister “must have known” of the origins of the deal behind this gift, and that is an assumption you’re making and, frankly, somewhat of a smear because you don’t know what the Prime Minister was told or knew.

Indeed, as soon as the report became public, the Trudeau Foundation did the right thing and returned it. That’s what Canadians know and should understand.

As the Prime Minister has said, the minute that he took office — if not, indeed, immediately before that, but certainly since the time he’s been Prime Minister, if not before — he removed himself from any involvement with the foundation. A foundation which, I should add, has done and does important work supporting and mentoring students.

Chinese interference in our elections is an important issue. I know it is the topic that the opposition in the House and here is prosecuting vigorously. That is your right to do. That is how you see your role, and I respect your right to play that role.

However, the fact is that the attempt to focus attention on the serious issue that the government is dealing with in a serious way — to draw everything into the Laurentian elite and the Trudeau Foundation, and that the government or the Prime Minister must have known — does a disservice to the seriousness of this issue and, in my opinion, a disservice to this chamber.

Senator Plett: Well, you are right, leader, it is our right to ask these questions.

You know what else is our right, leader? A right to have the answers, as it is the right of all Canadians to have the answers.

Senator Plett: You say the Trudeau Foundation does great work. Nobody is suggesting it doesn’t. But that does not give them the right to accept illegal donations, no matter how much good work they do.

You say I insinuated. You clearly made an insinuation: Don’t talk to us or ask me questions about a questionable donation because the foundation is doing good work. How can you put those two together, leader?

As I said yesterday, the Prime Minister shouldn’t have any say, leader; he should have no say in how Beijing’s interference is being investigated. He could just tell Canadians what he knew and when he knew it. But he won’t. Why? Because he was the prime beneficiary.

Instead of a full and truly independent public inquiry, Prime Minister Trudeau named a long-time family friend, a skiing buddy and a member of the Trudeau Foundation to produce a report months from now, leader. This is designed by the Prime Minister to, again, distract and buy time, and he makes a mockery of accountability.

Senator Plett: Leader, how was the former Governor General appointed to the Trudeau Foundation in 2018? Was he recommended by the Minister of Innovation, who is, of course, a member of Prime Minister Trudeau’s cabinet? Or was he appointed by Prime Minister Trudeau’s family?

Hon. Colin Deacon: My question is for the Government Representative. Senator Gold, tax season is upon us. New digital technologies are rapidly allowing for simple, secure, faster and more accurate processing by tax authorities. For example, the United Kingdom’s implementation of open banking and their payment initiation services have caused tax payments to be processed with zero payment errors and no increase in resources.

His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and U.K. citizens are seeing meaningful savings in both time and administrative burden when taxpayers are using open banking instead of paying by credit card, manual bank transfer or cheque. Needless to say, it also saves a huge amount of frustration. I have personally experienced that it can take up to three years for the Canada Revenue Agency, or CRA, to correct their own data input errors.

Senator Gold, saving time, money and frustration when paying taxes are just a few of the multitude of benefits that can result from implementing open banking. Can you please inform us as to the CRA’s ambitions on this matter and how they are preparing to deliver on the benefits that open banking can deliver to Canadians?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question, and thank you for your continuing advocacy and for drawing this chamber’s attention to this issue and other important issues of innovation, both generally and in the financial sector in particular. I will have to make inquiries to answer the specifics of your question — in regard to how they are embarking — but I would say this: The government is determined and committed to ensuring that our financial sector operates with the highest regard for privacy and security; it’s primordial. And that’s why the government launched its Advisory Committee on Open Banking to review the potential areas of new financial technologies, and how they can best and safely be used.

The government is reviewing the advisory committee’s recommendations. It’s developing its next steps regarding moving forward with a made-in-Canada model of open banking, but I don’t know more than that, and I will have to make inquiries.

Senator C. Deacon: Thank you, Senator Gold. It’s great to hear that — looking for the button to be pushed at some point. One of the reasons is the CRA has 55,000 employees, and I think you may agree that freeing up some of those resources — from an entirely preventable administrative burden — could help the government focus on delivering on its important commitment, as reaffirmed in September 2020, to implement free, automated simple tax return filing for Canadians, as well as deal with problems like offshore tax evasion and fraud — I think Senator Downe might agree with me on that one. The freeing up of the resources might be useful.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for the question.

The Government of Canada recognizes the critical importance of all well maintained airports for connecting regional communities across the country, including the Bathurst Regional Airport. These airports support essential air services, including the resupply of remote communities.

As you know, the Bathurst Regional Airport is managed by the Northern New Brunswick Airport Authority.

Over the past three years, the Government of Canada has provided significant financial support to the operator of the airport to compensate for the impact of COVID-19. This funding includes more than $2 million in financial aid for operating and capital expenditures through the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, the Airports Capital Assistance Program and the Regional Air Transportation Initiative.

The minister met with the Bathurst airport authority to discuss the situation and he will continue to support the regional airports across Canada. He is working with the airlines and other companies to improve regional routes, because increasing the number of passengers in regional airports is vital to their survival.

Hon. René Cormier: My question is for the Government Representative in the Senate.

Senator Gold, it was not so long ago that 40,000 to 50,000 passengers were flying in and out of the Bathurst Regional Airport. Last year, only 15,000 travellers used that airport because of a number of factors, including the frequent cancellation and delays of Air Canada flights.

According to a study commissioned by the airport, 70% of potential customers have to drive several hours to get to another airport in the southern part of the province to catch a flight. According to the airport’s CEO, the airport may not survive because it is in a precarious financial situation. It is estimated that the airport is currently running a monthly deficit of over $100,000, mostly as a result of a decrease in travellers and a shortage of pilots.

Senator Gold, the Bathurst airport is not just a transit hub for planes. It is also very essential infrastructure for health care and a key driver of economic growth in northern New Brunswick.

If things continue as they are, the airport will not be able to continue operating beyond the spring of 2023. It is estimated that $1 million is needed to keep the airport running until the end of the year.

Will your government grant the Bathurst airport the emergency funding it needs to remain open? If so, when will it do that? Time is of the essence.

Hon. Robert Black: On Wednesdays, the Canadian Senators Group directs our questions to chairs of committees. Today my question is for our honourable colleague Senator Omidvar, Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology.

Labour shortages continue to challenge numerous sectors across the country. As an “agvocate” in the Senate, I’m particularly concerned about agriculture, agri-food and processing sectors.

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture estimates that the labour gaps in agricultural industries and on farms will grow to exceed 123,000 shortages by 2029. As a result, Canada has and will continue to develop a higher dependence on foreign labour, specifically through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program. This is a concern for all Canadians as food insecurity is increasing and supply chain backlogs continue.

Senator Omidvar, can you please update this chamber on your study and let us know what areas and topics have been discussed and will be discussed at the Social Affairs Committee, or SOCI, over the coming months? Specifically, how is SOCI consulting with agriculture, agri-food and processing stakeholders to ensure that the agriculture industry continues to grow and feed the world? Thank you, meegwetch.

Senator Omidvar: Thank you, Senator Black, for your important question and your group’s continued interest in the important work of this committee.

You are absolutely right. Our reliance on temporary foreign workers for meeting labour market shortages to ensure the prosperity of Canadians is an important question and one that the committee is attempting to address in as fulsome a manner as we can. There are many perspectives that we need to pay attention to — those of specific industries, agriculture in particular; the perspectives of regions; and, of course, the perspectives of the workers themselves.

We started our study in November of last year and we held a full panel focusing on agriculture and food. We heard from the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council, the United Food and Commercial Workers, as well as an academic panel on migrant help. We have received documents from the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, the Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada and Mushrooms Canada, and we continue to accept submissions.

Senator Black, we also need to focus on hospitality, retail, fish processing and small and rural communities. I predict that our work will continue into the fall, because we have government legislation in front of us.

Suffice it to say that when we come back to this chamber with our report, it will be a full and fair discussion of the recommendations we have heard. I continue to welcome your interest in this question. I also want to acknowledge that, in certain areas, the work of our committee intersects with the work of other committees. We will be talking to you about this further as well.

Senator Bernard: Senator Gold, I would be really interested — and I think this chamber would be interested — in knowing what steps the government is taking to ensure that the Canadian Human Rights Commission is indeed a workplace where Black and racialized employees will not experience the harm of anti-Black racism.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your questions. The fact that a grievance was brought and the positive response to the grievance are deeply troubling and disappointing, especially given the context of the institution that is involved. Canadians deserve to be free from racism everywhere in our country and in every space they inhabit, especially in their workplace. Racism has no place in our institutions.

As you know, the government is working to appoint new leadership to the commission, as the chief commissioner’s position is vacant. Dealing with the outcome of the findings of the Treasury Board will be an important part of the responsibilities of the new leadership of the commission.

I’m also informed, colleague, that Minister Lametti had a frank conversation with interim Chief Commissioner Malischewski earlier this week to discuss the steps the CHRC is taking to address this very important issue.

Senator Gold: Thank you for the question. This is important to the government and is a priority for the government.

To answer your question directly rather than speak in more general terms, in addition to the steps I have already described, one way the government is taking action in terms of working towards the appointment of a new leadership and making that a priority for the leadership is through the Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat. The secretariat combats discrimination and tackles the effects of discrimination on people and communities across the country, including in the workplace and health care spaces. This is another measure the government is taking more broadly to do its part to reduce — and, ideally, eliminate — racism in the workplace and other spaces in this country.

[Translation]

Hon. Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu: Honourable senators, my question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate.

Yesterday, in response to a question from my colleague Senator Plett about foreign interference in Canadian elections, you said that the Prime Minister did not benefit from any such interference. I find it hard to comprehend why the House leader of the other place, Mark Holland, claimed on Monday that the Conservative motion to compel Ms. Telford to testify could become a vote of confidence in the government. This was presumably to get Mr. Singh on board.

You said yesterday that the federal election was not compromised. That was your answer to Senator Plett.

Senator Gold, will you undertake today, in this chamber, to confirm that the alleged interference by the Chinese government, particularly during the two elections, did not result in the election of any Liberal candidates in Canada?

Hon. Yonah Martin (Deputy Leader of the Opposition): Leader, it has been raised with you previously that the cost of housing has skyrocketed under the Trudeau government. For example, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association, house prices in the interior of my province of British Columbia have gone up over 43% in the last five years. In the Statistics Canada survey released last month, 46% of British Columbians said they were very concerned about their ability to afford housing or rent. The Trudeau government’s Shared Equity Mortgage Providers Fund and First-Time Home Buyer Incentive have both been failures. The Tax-Free First Home Savings Account is still not in place.

So, leader, why should Canadians struggling to find housing or pay their rent believe your government will help them when what you have brought forward so far hasn’t worked?