Senator Gold: Thank you for the question. The government’s position is that it will continue to appoint judges at an appropriate pace. More importantly, the Government of Canada has full confidence in the judiciary, which is capable and responsible for managing its cases, particularly the chief justices, and I speak from experience there. We will continue to work with the judiciary on our side, and we will also continue to fill those positions that are still vacant.

[English]

Senator Plett: Well, the fact of the matter is — I think if we check Hansard, we’ll see — that Senator Carignan rose on a point of order. You may not have understood that, Your Honour, but Senator Carignan clearly stood on a point of order and raised a point of order.

Senator Plett: What is so difficult in answering my question? Adding security features to the passport could have been done without erasing images from Canadian history. It’s mind‑boggling that the Trudeau government sees all the serious issues facing Canada and thinks it’s a good idea to put its time and energy into taking Vimy Ridge, Terry Fox, the War Memorial and the Famous Five off the passport.

Senator Martin: Shame.

Senator Plett: You know, leader, you’re upset when we, somewhat in frustration, ask you questions, and you don’t even attempt to touch the question. There’s no argument about the validity of our passports. I didn’t talk about that; I didn’t mention that. I asked about images, leader, and you didn’t even touch that. And then we’re being schooled on not being personal.

Senator Housakos: Why fix it if it’s not broken?

Senator Carignan: No prime minister lasts forever, but the government and the Liberal Party are here to stay. This proposal was brought forward by the Liberal Party, this Liberal government, and some of the government members who were present endorsed it.

Whose job will it be to trace the sources? Should it be the CRTC’s job, or do the Liberals want to create a new politburo?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Honourable senators, it is with profound gratitude that I rise today to pay tribute to Speaker George Furey. Your Honour, you have had a rich and varied career as a teacher, a lawyer and a parliamentarian, but as our Speaker, you guided us through two historic and great transformations: the COVID-19 pandemic and the modernization of the Senate.

The COVID-19 pandemic placed enormous strains on Canadians, on our institutions and on our economy. But under your leadership, the Senate adjusted its practices, and we made this institution work to deliver the important supports that Canadians needed during those difficult years.

But your legacy, Your Honour, what students of Westminster parliaments will remember you by, is the skill with which you helped us navigate the modernization of the Senate. I recall in your opening remarks upon taking the chair as Speaker in 2015, you highlighted the need for this chamber to reinvent itself and to fulfill our constitutional role as an independent institution of sober second thought. Your Honour, your leadership throughout the process of reform was exemplary, and its effects will reverberate long into the Senate’s future.

Colleagues, many of us have had the great opportunity to travel with the Speaker or to join him as he welcomed parliamentary and diplomatic delegations here in the Senate, so you have seen how elegantly the Speaker represented our institution and, indeed, our country. Many of us have also had the pleasure of spending time with the Speaker in more relaxed settings, enjoying a good meal, fine wine, good whisky — often both — and being regaled by stories of his political life. These are some of the memories I cherish most fondly.

We all know that a successful political career requires a supporting family, and George has been blessed with a loving wife in Karen and with four talented children. We are all grateful to them, to all of you, for sharing George with us.

Your Honour, you have presided over this chamber with dignity, with fairness, with integrity and with a steadfast respect for this institution and all who work in it for the benefit of Canadians.

Above all, you have remained true to who you are as a person: modest and without pretension, a loving husband, father and grandfather, a person anchored in your faith and devoted to your province and your country.

You have been a mentor to me and to many, many Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, including a very important member of my team.

Your Honour, in my tradition, we have a word for people like you, and it’s a word that comes with the highest, highest praise. George, you are a true mensch. Thank you for your friendship and your support. I am going to miss you greatly.

The Hon. the Speaker informed the Senate that the following communication had been received:

RIDEAU HALL

May 10, 2023

Mr. Speaker,

I have the honour to inform you that the Right Honourable Mary May Simon, Governor General of Canada, signified royal assent by written declaration to the bills listed in the Schedule to this letter on the 10^th day of May, 2023, at 4:59 p.m.

Yours sincerely,

Maia Welbourne

Assistant Secretary to the Governor General

The Honourable

The Speaker of the Senate

Ottawa

Bills Assented to Wednesday, May 10, 2023:

An Act to enact the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act and to amend the Customs Tariff (Bill S-211, Chapter 9, 2023)

An Act to establish Food Day in Canada (Bill S-227, Chapter 10, 2023)

An Act to amend the Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act and the Income Tax Act (Bill C-46, Chapter 11, 2023)

Senator Housakos: If I may finish my point of order, I think we’ve earned that right on this side of the chamber. I am trying to finish the case that number one, it is in the Rules, in the law, that he is the government leader. We insist that there is at least a respect and an appreciation for the Rules and the law in this institution.

We didn’t get a written copy of the Speaker’s ruling unfortunately because we remember it was done in haste when he ruled on the government having the right to use closure. In that ruling, he made it clear that Senator Gold was the leader of the government. That was the ruling as we understood it. If anybody wants to challenge it, they can go ahead on a point of order.

Senator Plett: Again, Your Honour, I will be raising another point of order in a minute, but right now we are dealing with a point of order that Senator Carignan raised. That is what he did.

Senator Housakos: If I may finish my point of order, I think we’ve earned that right on this side of the chamber. I am trying to finish the case that number one, it is in the Rules, in the law, that he is the government leader. We insist that there is at least a respect and an appreciation for the Rules and the law in this institution.

Senator Housakos: If I may finish my point of order, I think we’ve earned that right on this side of the chamber. I am trying to finish the case that number one, it is in the Rules, in the law, that he is the government leader. We insist that there is at least a respect and an appreciation for the Rules and the law in this institution.

We didn’t get a written copy of the Speaker’s ruling unfortunately because we remember it was done in haste when he ruled on the government having the right to use closure. In that ruling, he made it clear that Senator Gold was the leader of the government. That was the ruling as we understood it. If anybody wants to challenge it, they can go ahead on a point of order.

Senator Gold: As I said, the government engaged in a consultation with Canadians and stakeholders, and it was the position of the government that it was the appropriate way in order to address this important issue.

It is now taking further steps to draft government legislation, and that will be drafted carefully, with the support of the resources of government, and that will be tabled — my understanding is that we can expect that legislation — within the coming months.

Senator Martin: An answer I received to the question that I asked last year stated, “Unspent funds are a normal and expected part of a department’s budgetary process.”

$1.5 billion is a staggering amount of money for Veterans Affairs Canada to allow to lapse in only two years, especially when you consider that the department missed its own target to reduce the backlog to 5,000 cases by the spring of last year. Just one year ago, a report from the Auditor General found that our veterans “are waiting too long to receive compensation for injuries sustained in their service to Canada.”

Leader, do you believe that over $1.5 billion is a normal amount to go unspent at Veterans Affairs Canada while our veterans continue to wait in line for the help they need?

Senator Housakos: Government leader, both in the other chamber and in this chamber, it has been now six years that we’ve been asking about this issue of foreign interference. Semblances of this bill have been tabled back in 2019 by MP Kenny Chiu in the House of Commons. I tabled this bill now 14 months ago. That is a long time. The minister now, for a number of months, has been talking about publicly consulting. What do they need to consult on? We know what needs to be addressed, and this is a potential tool that can be put in place quickly.

Senator Housakos: Government leader, both in the other chamber and in this chamber, it has been now six years that we’ve been asking about this issue of foreign interference. Semblances of this bill have been tabled back in 2019 by MP Kenny Chiu in the House of Commons. I tabled this bill now 14 months ago. That is a long time. The minister now, for a number of months, has been talking about publicly consulting. What do they need to consult on? We know what needs to be addressed, and this is a potential tool that can be put in place quickly.

Our American allies have done it. Our allies in the U.K. have done it. Our allies in Australia have done it. Why can’t this government do simple things that the public is calling for, that the opposition is calling for and that can take a couple of months to do?

Senator Plett: — in his ruling. So today —

Senator Plett: This passport fiasco, leader, demonstrates one thing clearly: This Prime Minister doesn’t respect our history or understand the everyday lives and priorities of Canadians. How much time, energy and money was wasted changing these passports? Please, leader, don’t tell me how important our passports are. We understand that.

Senator Plett: Food banks across Canada, leader, are reporting unprecedented demand. One in five Canadians say they’re skipping meals due to the high cost of food. A quarter of Canadians say there’s no scenario in which they can afford a summer vacation unless the Prime Minister takes them on one of his.

He, of course, has no answers to the cost-of-living crisis. At a town hall in April, he advised taking on more credit card debt to pay for school or home renovations.

Senator Martin: Out of touch.

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, I also rise to pay tribute to our colleague and friend the Honourable George Furey as we begin saying goodbye to Canada’s forty-fifth Speaker of the Senate.

Your Honour, as I reflected on your tenure in the Senate, I remembered many of your interventions when we both served on the Standing Senate Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration. That’s when our friendship began. We were faced with difficult times then — times that brought on increased transparency. Yet, things back then were simple. You were a good Liberal — if there is such a thing — and I a proud Conservative. But at the end of the day, we both knew that partisanship had a respectful role in this institution. Those were the good old days.

A lot has changed since then, as Prime Minister Trudeau sent the Senate into uncharted waters — waters that you as Speaker have had to navigate. You stepped up to the helm as a storm was brewing on the horizon. There were turbulent times, which called for you to make difficult rulings. Some we agreed with, and others we did not. But my respect and admiration for your efforts to be a fair and impartial Speaker prevailed. They never wavered.

Your Honour, thank you for the role you have played in ensuring this chamber runs smoothly. You have demonstrated incredible patience. I will always cherish your professionalism and allegiance to this institution.

Over the years, you took on the role of a devoted ambassador for Canada in your travels abroad. When meeting with various leaders of other countries, you always allowed and welcomed everyone present to take part in the discussions and meetings. You recognized the role of the opposition and you let everyone express their views.

Your Honour, I wish to close with this genuine thought: It has been a pleasure to know you over the years. I recognize that this sentence is sometimes used lightly, but the meaning is sincere. Both Betty and I hold great memories of our times spent with you and Karen. We have truly enjoyed your friendship.

As of later today, Your Honour, I will once again be calling you George. Happy retirement! I wish you and Karen the very best, and may you catch up on spending time with your loved ones, especially your grandchildren. I will take you up on that game of golf that you have promised me.

Thank you, Your Honour.

[Translation]

Hon. Raymonde Saint-Germain: Your Honour, I know how incredibly humble you are and that I am prolonging your agony by rising to pay tribute to you.

In all seriousness though, you deserve all of the tributes that are being paid to you today because you have done such an excellent job as our Speaker, a role that is so very important to our institution.

I pay tribute to you today on behalf of the Independent Senators Group, only three members of which served with you before 2015. For the other 36 members of the group, you have been the only Speaker they have known in this chamber during a particularly complex and demanding time in the history of our institution.

Your Honour, your commitment to public service is an example to us all, and your leadership has been essential in guiding the Senate in its mission to represent all Canadians and to modernize the institution.

[English]

In your opening address to this chamber as Speaker, you started by stating:

Colleagues, our chamber is at a crossroads. We have an opportunity to work together to recreate how this chamber of the Parliament of Canada does its work for Canadians. Truly, we are entering uncharted waters in which we are invited by the government to reinvent ourselves in a less partisan way and fulfill our role, as envisioned under the Constitution, as an independent chamber of sober second thought.

Your Honour, you sailed us through these waters seamlessly, and your legacy as Speaker of the Canadian Senate will live on in our country’s history. You have worked tirelessly to modernize the institution and strengthen the confidence of Canadians in the Senate.

Your previous professional training has also served us well as members of this democratic institution. On the one hand, your legacy as a teacher has made you a great guide in helping new senators better understand the Senate as well as its rules and protocol. From time to time, you have even had to do the same for veteran senators. On the other hand, your legal training has made you a Speaker with a great sense of justice and fairness, and this sense has manifested itself in all your decisions and interventions within this chamber. You have handled this with great courage — the courage to take tough decisions, sometimes not to everyone’s liking.

Outside this chamber, you have acted as an eminent ambassador for our institution. Both within Canada and abroad, along with your wife, Karen, you have represented the Senate with great elegance and finesse, and I have had the pleasure of witnessing that on several occasions.

On a more personal note, I take this opportunity to wish Karen and you a happy retirement. For you and for your family, it will be a chance to finally enjoy each other’s presence more.

Your Honour, you leave behind an impressive legacy, and your contribution to Canadian democracy and public service will never be forgotten.

Thank you and congratulations on your outstanding public service!

Hon. Scott Tannas: Honourable senators, I rise today to pay tribute to our dear Speaker, the Honourable George Furey.

Your Honour, your career in the Senate has spanned over 23 years, which, if you want to be exact, means you’ve been a senator for 8,675 days — in case you’re counting. Throughout this time, you’ve been a steady hand for this institution. Your time as the forty-fifth Speaker of the Senate and your chairmanship of the Rules Committee, the Internal Economy Committee and the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee were each simply exemplary.

This time also included some difficult moments. There is a naval expression that says, “A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.” Your Honour, during your tenure, you were faced with many difficult obstacles — the establishment of the new security arrangements for Parliament Hill, the move to a new building and a global pandemic, just to name a few. Throughout, you were the captain of our ship and you showed your skill as a sailor in very turbulent seas.

You are a well-respected leader not just for the Senate but for Canada. As you travelled the world, you met with speakers, kings, queens, presidents and prime ministers. You always represented us with dignity and poise. That’s pretty good for a boy from Newfoundland and Labrador who grew up with big dreams.

With all that you have accomplished and the way you did it, as a teacher, lawyer, senator, husband, father and grandfather, your pursuit and subsequent attainment of your dreams are a testament to your strength of character. Your personal story is an inspiration to boys and girls that your journey to greatness is possible regardless of your beginnings. That is a powerful mark to leave.

George, my colleagues from the Canadian Senators Group and I sincerely and with much affection wish you a happy retirement. Please enjoy your time at home with Karen, your kids and grandchildren. I’m sure they will be happy to see you full-time from now on.

You are a model of humility, wisdom and kindness. You are irreplaceable. It has been our honour to serve with you.