Hon. Sharon Burey: Dear colleagues, today I rise to draw your attention to Children’s Mental Health Week, May 1 to 7, 2023.

Mental health exists on a continuum. Talking about mental health or illness can be stressful because it is so close to home for so many of us. Approximately 1.2 million children and youth in Canada experience a mental health disorder, but fewer than 20% receive appropriate treatment. Early intervention and supports for children, youth and their parents result in significant net cost savings.

The pandemic laid bare the systemic cracks in our public health, social welfare and education systems. Pandemic-spurred investments in mental health services are encouraging, but we will need data and accountability measures.

I devoted my career to some of these very issues. The Mental Health Commission of Canada, which originated from this very body and the work of Senator Kirby — who produced the landmark report Out of the Shadows at Last: Transforming Mental Health, Mental Illness and Addiction Services in Canada — continues to provide recommendations and a path forward.

Children with neurodevelopmental, reading and learning challenges are especially vulnerable to mental health problems. That is why as a pediatric community leader, I joined with many other advocates, led by the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s inquiry entitled Right to Read, to advocate for evidence-based, structured literacy interventions in all Ontario schools. This will reduce the development of mental health problems. This is now part of Ontario’s language curriculum. Sadly, this is not the case in every province. We have work to do.

We must reckon with how social policies and racism affect lifelong physical, mental, economic and justice outcomes, and how developing resilience and promoting resilient, safe and nurturing environments will make Canada a place where we can all succeed.

My message to children and young people: We need you. Canada needs you, your ideas, your creativity and your innovation. You are 100% of our future. Thank you.

Senator Seidman: There’s a lot of evidence to show that vaping is a gateway to smoking tobacco, burning tobacco and cigarettes. It is a cause for concern. We have some of the highest rates of vaping among youth in this country.

My supplementary is as follows: On Tuesday, Australia introduced reforms that toughen their already strict vaping law. The country has banned all disposable vapes. Prescriptions will be necessary for the vaping products that remain legal.

My home province — and your home province — of Quebec is also acting. In April, it followed Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and the Northwest Territories in banning flavoured vaping products.

Senator Gold, youth vaping rates doubled between 2017 and 2019. The government has the data, and now it needs to act. When — specifically — will the government finally act to ban flavoured vaping products?

Senator Coyle: There is the National Association of Friendship Centres that services many urban Indigenous people in Canada.

My question is this: Are you saying that if we want this new council to represent those 800,000 voices, the way to do that is to get this group on the national council? Is that the answer?

Senator Ataullahjan: Senator Gold, you talk about the process being faster, and it has been digitized; yet, between last Thursday and this Wednesday, the wait time has gone up to 802 days.

Senator Gold, I want to read to you one of the messages I received:

Why are we suffering the most? We are contributing to the workforce, paying taxes and yet no one is helping us. The Canadian United Arab Emirates visa office is the most painful visa office.

What do I say to this gentleman and others who feel abandoned by this Liberal government?

Senator Coyle: Okay. That’s where my question is. I do not question that the organization is a recognized Indigenous organization. The issue around representation of 800,000 people — and I think you are talking mostly about urban Indigenous people. We heard at the Indigenous Peoples Committee how the other national Indigenous organizations are working hard, in their ways, to represent the interests of their people who do not necessarily live in their territories — who live in other parts of the country — and that there may be some issues, and we know there are, with that.

Senator Coyle: Okay. That’s where my question is. I do not question that the organization is a recognized Indigenous organization. The issue around representation of 800,000 people — and I think you are talking mostly about urban Indigenous people. We heard at the Indigenous Peoples Committee how the other national Indigenous organizations are working hard, in their ways, to represent the interests of their people who do not necessarily live in their territories — who live in other parts of the country — and that there may be some issues, and we know there are, with that.

Senator Richards: I just stated how I feel. I feel it should go to committee and be examined. I feel that a warning label on alcohol is not a bad thing. If anything, it’s a good thing. It’s absolute common sense that it could be done, a committee could study it and my speech explicitly gives the reasons why I think that. That’s about all I can say, senator.

(On motion of Senator Martin, debate adjourned.)

On the Order:

Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator McCallum, seconded by the Honourable Senator Boisvenu, for the second reading of Bill C-226, An Act respecting the development of a national strategy to assess, prevent and address environmental racism and to advance environmental justice.

Senator Brazeau: Senator Richards, thank you very much for your speech and for your personal story. I know you mentioned you didn’t want to go into it in detail, but I think there’s enough detail there to give us all a very clear picture of what you and your family went through.

This place is a place of partisanship; whether we like it or not, it is about partisanship. However, Bill S-254 is a non-partisan bill. It’s a bill about the health of Canadians and it’s a bill about the right of Canadian consumers to know what effects and consequences could come with the consumption of alcohol.

We are here in this chamber. It would be my dream for this bill to at least see the light of day in a committee room so that we can have the experts come and testify and answer questions that we all collectively have. We went through this fight with the tobacco companies several years ago, so I’m asking you: What would you have in terms of a suggestion for us to really push for this bill to get into a committee room as soon as possible?

Senator Gold: Thank you for your question. I continue to endeavour to get answers to all questions, and the answers will be forthcoming when this chamber and I are provided with them.

Leave having been given to revert to Senators’ Statements:

Senator Martin: Yes. My answer is “yes.” We have heard from the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples that they have a large membership and they have the provincial and territorial bodies they work with. So yes, absolutely. This is something I hope our committee will look at very carefully and that all the recognized national organizations will be represented on this council.

Senator Ataullahjan: Senator Gold, you talk about the process being faster, and it has been digitized; yet, between last Thursday and this Wednesday, the wait time has gone up to 802 days.

Senator Ataullahjan: Senator Gold, you talk about the process being faster, and it has been digitized; yet, between last Thursday and this Wednesday, the wait time has gone up to 802 days.

Senator Gold, I want to read to you one of the messages I received:

Why are we suffering the most? We are contributing to the workforce, paying taxes and yet no one is helping us. The Canadian United Arab Emirates visa office is the most painful visa office.

What do I say to this gentleman and others who feel abandoned by this Liberal government?

Senator Gold: In my capacity as Government Representative, I can underline the logic of your proposition. I suggest that this is something I would need to discuss further. I would invite you to be part of those discussions.

Senator Coyle: I have just a quick question this time. I need to ask this in terms of the framing. The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, according to your understanding, is an elected body that represents those 800,000 Indigenous people who are living in territories other than the territories that the other national organizations represent. Is that your understanding?

Senator Coyle: Okay. That’s where my question is. I do not question that the organization is a recognized Indigenous organization. The issue around representation of 800,000 people — and I think you are talking mostly about urban Indigenous people. We heard at the Indigenous Peoples Committee how the other national Indigenous organizations are working hard, in their ways, to represent the interests of their people who do not necessarily live in their territories — who live in other parts of the country — and that there may be some issues, and we know there are, with that.

Senator Martin: I don’t have the answer to whether we need to make the language broader, but I think, as a committee, we can look at whether having representation of a group that focuses on economic reconciliation — one or two perhaps — would be suitable. Again, that’s something we will consider carefully, and perhaps amendments will be put forward by me or by someone else.

Senator Plett: Good answer.

Senator Martin: Yes. I am not the expert in this chamber, but this is based on my conversation with the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, and I know that Senator Brazeau represented the group — he was an elected leader. The organization has been established for decades, and they should equally have a place on the council. I think that they represent all those who are off-reserve, as well as Métis, status and non-status Indians and southern Inuit Indigenous people living off-reserve in Canada.

Senator Martin: Yes. I am not the expert in this chamber, but this is based on my conversation with the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, and I know that Senator Brazeau represented the group — he was an elected leader. The organization has been established for decades, and they should equally have a place on the council. I think that they represent all those who are off-reserve, as well as Métis, status and non-status Indians and southern Inuit Indigenous people living off-reserve in Canada.

Senator Martin: Thank you for the question, Senator Omidvar.

Not being an expert, and this topic being of such importance, I was very careful in what I raised as my concerns. The concern of who is represented on this board and the fact that over 800,000 voices represented by the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples are missing are to be considered.

If members of the committee want to explore the importance of that economic reconciliation pillar, that is something the committee will need to look at carefully.

I know we have a robust draft plan that has been in the works. There are many witnesses who will be called. Being on the Indigenous Peoples Committee, I have a sense of confidence in the work of the committee. We will aim to look at that carefully at committee.

[Translation]

Senator Gold: Thank you for the supplementary question. Minister Champagne recently convened an emergency meeting of Canada’s Advisory Council on Artificial Intelligence, specifically on the issue of generative AI, to gather expert opinion on paths forward so we can assure Canadians that their use of AI will be done responsibly.

In addition, the government is engaged with G7 partners to ensure that high-risk regulation of AI moves forward. The government is also in discussions with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, or OECD, and Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence, or GPAI, on artificial intelligence. Indeed, as I alluded to earlier in my response, Minister Champagne is meeting directly with international partners, including Japan, to coordinate on the international responsible regulation of artificial intelligence.

Senator Gold: Thank you for the additional information. My answer remains the same: I’ll have to look into it.