Hon. Marie-Françoise Mégie: Madam Speaker, congratulations once again on your appointment.

My question is for the Government Representative in the Senate. Canada needs immigrant labour, and Quebec is asking for francophone immigrants. Haiti, a member country of the Francophonie, is very close to Canada and its diaspora has had deep roots here for many decades.

What is Canada waiting for to add Haiti to the list of countries that are eligible for the Temporary Foreign Worker Program?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question. I do believe that the Senate has time to study this bill, as it has done successfully not only since I have been here through every budget cycle but for many decades, and, indeed, prior to any of our arrivals here.

Budget bills typically do come late, but thanks to the excellent work of our committees — the National Finance Committee first and foremost, but other committees as well — and through our practice of pre-studies, senators have had the ability to identify the issues and study them.

In that regard, I do believe, although the time is tight, that we will no doubt be able to do our job. And no, I do not believe that our privileges as senators are compromised.

Hon. Marty Klyne: Thank you, Madam Speaker. My sincere congratulations.

My question today is for Senator Galvez, Chair of the Environment Committee.

Senator Galvez, Bill S-241, the Jane Goodall act, has been at second reading for nearly 14 months. With the central objective of this bill being to protect wild animals in captivity, we need to get this bill to committee. No more delay tactics — delay prevents us from hearing from expert witnesses, including Dr. Jane Goodall, the Honourable Murray Sinclair, scientists, zoos and animal welfare groups. Each passing day risks animal welfare, not to mention public safety. For example, without this bill, licences are not required in Ontario to own tigers, crocodiles or venomous snakes.

Bill S-241 would be administered by Environment and Climate Change Canada. At least five Senate committees have studied this bill in recent years, which involves criminality, including your committee last year with Bill S-5 and Bill S-6.

As Chair of the Environment Committee, can you confirm your support towards receiving the Jane Goodall act for study and that the committee is available?

[Translation]

Hon. Claude Carignan: Once again, Madam Speaker, congratulations on your appointment.

My question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate. Leader, yesterday and today, La Presse published a series of hard-hitting articles by journalist Tristan Péloquin about the sorry saga of waste management on Kanesatake territory near Oka. Apparently all kinds of toxic substances are being dumped into the environment every day, contaminating waterways and Lake of Two Mountains.

I would remind you, senator, that Lake of Two Mountains and its outflows, Rivière des Mille Îles and Rivière des Prairies, supply drinking water to downstream communities, including Pointe-Calumet, Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac, Deux-Montagnes, Saint-Eustache, Boisbriand, Blainville, Rosemère, Terrebonne, Laval, part of Montreal and many others on the north shore.

Leader, I asked you specific questions about this serious environmental issue twice, on June 17, 2020, and on October 1, 2020. I also asked Minister Miller questions last September 22. Your government’s answers were evasive, and as far as I can tell, nothing has been done.

Leader, it seems nothing is being done as it should be in this never-ending saga.

As the Leader of the Government in the Senate, can you explain to us why your government has been so painfully slow to take action on an issue that is of such vital importance to the health of people in the area and to environmental protection?

The Hon. the Speaker: Do you have an answer to the question, Senator Galvez?

[English]

Hon. Rosa Galvez: Allow me to congratulate you too, Madam Speaker, on your appointment.

[English]

Thank you very much for your question, Senator Klyne. I can see two aspects to your question. One is a technical issue and the other is procedural.

On the technical part, I do believe that the Energy Committee, or ENEV, is the right committee to study Bill S-241 because questions on the bill encompass the protection of biodiversity, flora and fauna. You’re right that during consideration of Bill S-5 we talked about animal protection while discussing the use of toxic substances in animal testing. Therefore, yes, the ENEV mandate could encompass this bill.

The other part of your question is about why we’re not receiving the bill. Let me share with you that I believe that we and many other senators who have tabled private members’ bills are wondering what’s happening with these bills. These are discussions that take place at the scroll or the leaders’ meetings, and we don’t have access because these meetings are not public. We need to know what’s happening with that.

[Translation]

The Hon. the Speaker: Do you have an answer to the question, Senator Galvez?

[English]

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I just wanted to remind you that, according to Rule 4-8(1):

During Question Period, a Senator may, without notice, ask a question of:

(c) a committee chair, on a matter relating to the activities of the committee.

I’d like to remind senators that you have to ask a question on a matter relating to the activities of the committee.

Do you have a supplementary question?

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I just wanted to remind you that, according to Rule 4-8(1):

During Question Period, a Senator may, without notice, ask a question of:

(c) a committee chair, on a matter relating to the activities of the committee.

I’d like to remind senators that you have to ask a question on a matter relating to the activities of the committee.

Do you have a supplementary question?

Hon. Pamela Wallin: Thank you, Madam Speaker. All the very best in your new job. You’re off to a good start here.

I have a question for Senator Gold. The constitutional role of the Senate is to study and, if need be, amend legislation and to be judicious in that work, yet we are constantly hit with arbitrary government timelines, such as time allocation on Bill C-11 or the BIA — budget implementation act — programming motion. It undermines our obligations as senators. The BIA is an omnibus bill that includes potentially dozens of stand-alone legislative initiatives, such as the Canada innovation corporation act; major amendments to the Canada Transportation Act, with a massive overhaul to the complaints resolution process, which witnesses have already said is not viable; changes to the Patent Act; the Canada Elections Act; the Department of Employment and Social Development Act and unilateral action on the extension of equalization.

Senator Gold, do you truly believe that the time frame given us to study a bill injected with such issues that have absolutely nothing to do with the budget is appropriate? Do you believe our rights and privileges are being respected as senators in this chamber of sober second thought?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question and for underlining the risks that proliferation and the talk of the deployment of nuclear weapons pose for our real security and psychological security.

The Prime Minister, as we know, is in South Korea and is meeting with his counterparts. I have every expectation that this and many other subjects will be the matter of serious discussion amongst the participants.

The Hon. the Speaker: Senator Plett, I’m sorry, but the time for Question Period has expired.

Hon. Marilou McPhedran: Thank you, Madam Speaker. May I add both my congratulations and my great pleasure to see you in that chair.

My question is to Senator Gold. Senator Gold, I’m compelled to raise serious concerns about the escalating role of nuclear weapons in international affairs, as evidenced by the veiled threats and aggressive military posturing of both Russia and North Korea. Just weeks ago, the Washington Declaration issued by U.S. President Biden and South Korean President Yoon established the Nuclear Consultative Group and the Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group, both designed, we’re told, to operationalize nuclear and strategic planning. Notably, both are signatories of the UN nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

This tilts our world toward normalization of nuclear warfare. This is horrifying.

As senators know, the G7 summit will soon convene in Hiroshima, a city bearing the indelible scars of nuclear devastation where only a few hibakusha — remaining survivors of the World War II nuclear strikes — still live. Instead of progressing to realizing the vision of a nuclear-free world, the U.S., South Korea and other states, including Canada and NATO members, are stepping away from the promises of safety and peace, instead threatening deployment of nuclear devastation.

Senator Gold, what is the government doing to lead diplomatic efforts to denuclearize the Korean peninsula? Will Canada work within the G7 to condemn nuclear threats and promote disarmament in line with the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and the disarmament treaty?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for the question. As I’ve mentioned before in this chamber, the government has appointed more than 600 judges since November 2015. Judges, like senators, have mandatory retirement at 75, according to the Constitution, so there will be a certain number of vacancies created just by the passage of time.

The government has put into place a system to ensure that those who apply for judicial appointments are vetted by an independent judicial advisory committee to ensure that the best candidates are brought forward for consideration by the minister, candidates who reflect the needs of the judiciary and also the makeup of the country. Minister Lametti continues to work seriously and diligently to ensure that the remaining vacant posts are filled.

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): My next question, government leader, is a follow-up to my questions on Thursday regarding changes to our passports. Minister Fraser was at the announcement last week. He is currently presiding over a backlog of more than 2 million applications at the immigration department. As you know, leader, Senator Ataullahjan has recently questioned you about the extremely long wait for visas to visit Canada.

Minister Gould is responsible for Service Canada, which has trouble providing basic services to Canadians, including processing passports. This time last year, they were calling in the police to disperse people camped out overnight in the hopes of getting their passport. In retrospect, we see that the Trudeau government was working at that time to change the passport’s design instead of putting in effort where it was truly needed.

Leader, don’t these ministers have better things to do?

Hon. Yonah Martin (Deputy Leader of the Opposition): Your Honour, I’d like to add my voice to all the congratulatory remarks today. I am really happy to see you in the chair.

My question is to the government leader and is a follow-up to Senator Boisvenu’s recent questions on the Trudeau government’s ongoing failure to make judicial appointments.

When Minister Lametti was sworn in as Minister of Justice in January 2019, there were 58 federal judicial vacancies across Canada. According to the government’s own statistics, as of May 1, the number of vacancies has grown to 88.

A year ago, an answer was provided to a written question on our Order Paper regarding the new judicial positions created under the 2017, 2018 and 2019 federal budgets. The answer at that time showed that 26 positions had not been created.

Leader, I have two questions: How many of the judicial positions announced in those budgets still remain unfilled, and why does Minister Lametti find it so hard to do this basic component of his job to fill judicial vacancies?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for the question. As I’ve mentioned before in this chamber, the government has appointed more than 600 judges since November 2015. Judges, like senators, have mandatory retirement at 75, according to the Constitution, so there will be a certain number of vacancies created just by the passage of time.

The government has put into place a system to ensure that those who apply for judicial appointments are vetted by an independent judicial advisory committee to ensure that the best candidates are brought forward for consideration by the minister, candidates who reflect the needs of the judiciary and also the makeup of the country. Minister Lametti continues to work seriously and diligently to ensure that the remaining vacant posts are filled.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for the question. The ministers are working hard to fulfill their responsibilities and to fulfill the mandates that the Prime Minister gave to them. That includes providing an enhanced and more secure passport for Canadians to reduce the risks of fraud. It also includes putting into place measures — which are in place, are bearing fruit and will continue to bear fruit — to expedite the process for both visas and passport applications.

The Hon. the Speaker: Senator Plett, I’m sorry, but the time for Question Period has expired.