Senator Gold: Thank you for the question. I certainly will bring this question as well to the relevant authorities.

Hon. Robert Black: Honourable senators, today I rise to speak about an incredibly important organization in my home community of Centre Wellington. Portage Ontario is a leader in mental health and addiction rehabilitation. I continue to receive updates about their invaluable work, and am happy to speak again today to commend them on their successes.

In April, I received another update on their work and heard stories from a few of their clients, Reegan and Siv. I stand here today in the Senate to applaud these two young people and their hard work and dedication to their health and well-being, and I will continue to cheer them on.

As the chamber of sober second thought, it is our duty, colleagues, to give independent consideration to not just the bills put before us, but also to the problems ongoing outside this chamber. Mental health and drug addiction concerns are on the rise. There is a considerable lack of access to facilities for mental health and addiction rehabilitation.

According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, 21% of Canadians — 6 million people — will meet the criteria for addiction in their lifetime. Organizations like Portage in Centre Wellington, and elsewhere, work diligently to address this issue.

Now, almost 50 years in, they have supported thousands of Ontarians in their paths to wellness. This non-profit has directly impacted the lives of many young people in a positive way, and I’m proud to have met individuals like Reegan and Siv who have grown to be productive, polite and considerate adults, having gained the tools needed to handle life’s challenges during their time at Portage.

I thank Portage for their continued work, and I hope today that all of my honourable colleagues can take the time to consider how they can support Canadians dealing with mental health and addiction issues, and what we as a collective body can continue to do to advocate for improvement of access to these services. Thank you, meegwetch.

[Translation]

Senator Gold: Thank you for your question and for underlining the exponential — if that word isn’t already outdated — growth of AI research development and interest, and its transformative impact on our society.

Canada is already well positioned. Canada has a robust network of researchers, research centres and talented personnel who are doing cutting-edge work in research. It’s very much the case in my hometown of Montreal and elsewhere, as we all know. This was made possible by government support and investment in research, the research networks and fundamental research, along with our universities, provinces and territories.

Honourable senators, the government remains committed to ensure that Canada is well positioned in this area — as in other areas — to be a leading player for the benefit of Canadians as we continue our passage through this remarkable, transformational information epoch in which we live. The government will be there and continues to be there in that respect.

Senator Housakos: Government leader, on a number of occasions, I brought my preoccupation to you on this very floor while this injustice was happening to Canadians. This has nothing to do with protecting Canadians from COVID; this was just a messed up, inappropriate process — that the government put into place — that unfairly persecuted Canadians. Canadians who were exercising their legitimate right to return home were slapped with fines of as much as $8,500, despite showing proof of vaccination. They were then threatened with more fines of as much as $750,000 if caught breaking quarantine — quarantine was used as a punitive measure rather than a medical one.

Was it to pay for your government’s total failure on that ill‑conceived, terrible and costly app? You saw the bill going up and up. I asked you about that in the middle of COVID on this very floor.

Is this just another revenue grab? Is that why innocent, law‑abiding citizens were wrongfully ordered to quarantine: to pay for this government’s failure in regard to this app? Why this injustice?

Senator Moncion: Thank you again for the question. There are a lot of things that are within the rules of the Parliament of Canada Act, and that motion, I don’t think, brings changes to the Parliament of Canada Act on this hiring process.

[Translation]

Senator Gold: Thank you for the questions.

First of all, honourable colleagues, the assertion and attribution of motivations to any government, or member of the government, that they didn’t take action because it benefited them is unfounded in fact and is inappropriate, as we have been reminded by the previous Speaker in his rulings.

With regard to your question, again, this is Question Period. You can ask questions about classified information that might be available from security and intelligence forces, but it is not — and will never be — appropriate for the representative of the government, or the government leader, or however you want to style me or my successor, to reveal intelligence information in this place.

Senator Gold: It’s a big question. As I mentioned in my answer to Senator Coyle, there’s no question that if the Industrial Revolution transformed society in past centuries, the Information Revolution — which began many decades ago — is now proving to potentially be an even more dramatic and fast‑paced transformation. With transformations, there are dislocations and changes, and we are seeing that not only in this area but in our economy as the world is beginning a shift from heavy reliance on fossil fuels to other forms of energy.

The government is actively engaged in this issue around the question of risk, and I have every confidence that the government will also respond to the economic implications of transformations that will surely follow from the expansion of AI into all aspects of our lives.

[Translation]

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of the Honourable Martin Cauchon, former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada; John Lee; Judy Niu; Richard Zhong; and Nathan Xie. They are the guests of the Honourable Senator Oh.

On behalf of all honourable senators, I welcome you to the Senate of Canada.

Senator Coyle: Senator Gold, I now have a question about the upside of AI.

The growth of AI start-ups has been nothing short of remarkable, accelerating fourteenfold since 2000 and showing no signs of slowing down. The global AI market is booming and is projected to reach a value of $190 billion by 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of 36.62%. By 2030, the impact of AI on the world’s GDP is expected to be substantial, adding a remarkable $15.7 trillion and boosting the global economy by 14%.

Senator Gold, while I believe it’s crucial that federal legislation be in place to govern the development, deployment and ethical use of AI, given our country’s established presence in the global technology sector, Canada has an opportunity to position itself as a leader in the field of AI technology.

Senator Gold, we know competition in the field is accelerating. Could you tell us what steps are being taken by the federal government to firmly and quickly position Canada to be a global leader in artificial intelligence, or AI?

Senator Gold: It’s a big question. As I mentioned in my answer to Senator Coyle, there’s no question that if the Industrial Revolution transformed society in past centuries, the Information Revolution — which began many decades ago — is now proving to potentially be an even more dramatic and fast-paced transformation. With transformations, there are dislocations and changes, and we are seeing that not only in this area but in our economy as the world is beginning a shift from heavy reliance on fossil fuels to other forms of energy.

Senator Gold: It’s a big question. As I mentioned in my answer to Senator Coyle, there’s no question that if the Industrial Revolution transformed society in past centuries, the Information Revolution — which began many decades ago — is now proving to potentially be an even more dramatic and fast-paced transformation. With transformations, there are dislocations and changes, and we are seeing that not only in this area but in our economy as the world is beginning a shift from heavy reliance on fossil fuels to other forms of energy.

The government is actively engaged in this issue around the question of risk, and I have every confidence that the government will also respond to the economic implications of transformations that will surely follow from the expansion of AI into all aspects of our lives.

[Translation]

Senator Coyle: Absolutely.

Hon. Gwen Boniface: Honourable senators, it is with a heavy heart that I rise today, once again. The grief in the Ontario Provincial Police is unbearable. There are simply no words to describe how this tragedy affects everyone in the service, in the little community of Bourget and across eastern Ontario.

Last Thursday, three officers were shot following a call to a residence in the rural community of Bourget, just 50 kilometres from here. Sergeant Eric Mueller was killed. The two other officers were hospitalized, one of them with critical injuries.

Sergeant Eric Mueller was a 21-year veteran of the OPP, having served with the Offender Transport Unit for four years before becoming a provincial constable in 2006. I had the privilege of swearing in Eric in my final year as commissioner. Eric served in the Leeds County detachment before transferring to Russell County. He became a sergeant in 2018.

Let me tell you who he was. He was a fine young man and a deeply dedicated police officer. Seriously injured on duty in 2008, he fought hard to fulfill his desire to return to work as a police officer. Eric was a leader amongst the finest to his shift mates; to his community, he was seen as a gentleman; to his friends and colleagues, he was described as one of the finest, kindest and smartest officers they’ve had the chance to work with.

He was a brother, a husband, a son and a father. He did his job to the best of his ability — a natural in the service to others. In 2015, Sergeant Mueller received the Commissioner’s Citation for Lifesaving after he helped rescue an injured suspect who was trapped under a burning vehicle.

Tomorrow, officers and first responders will gather to honour him and his family here in Ottawa at 11 a.m.

Colleagues, please take a moment to think of the many mourners who will gather here in Ottawa, but especially of his family, his colleagues and his friends. Please join me in wishing the injured officers a full and speedy recovery. To the officers of Russell County, I want them to know we are with them.

This tragedy is impossible to make sense of. We have lost a talented police officer. A wife has lost her husband. Two young children have lost their father. May we forever remember the sacrifice he has made.

Thank you, meegwetch.

Hon. Brian Francis: Thank you, Your Honour. I would like to offer my sincere congratulations on your appointment.

Honourable colleagues, I rise today to pay tribute to Mr. Joseph Kenneth Levi from Metepenagiag First Nation, who retired from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, or DFO, last January after working for more than three decades as a fisheries officer in New Brunswick.

During his long career, Mr. Levi was repeatedly tasked with mediating between the department and local First Nations, including at times of significant tension, harassment and even violence directed at fellow Mi’kmaq who attempted to exercise their constitutionally protected Aboriginal and treaty rights. He highlighted two examples.

During the wild Atlantic salmon crisis in 1995, Mr. Levi worked near Natoaganeg First Nation, which is only a kilometre from his residence and therefore put him in a very difficult position. After weeks of extensive surveillance, there were multiple seizures and arrests until the river was finally closed.

In addition, Mr. Levi was at the front lines during the Burnt Church crisis from 1999 to 2002. He shared that DFO was unprepared and resistant to the ruling of the Supreme Court of Canada in Marshall. As a result, Mi’kmaq who tried to catch and sell their lobster for sustenance encountered an aggressive enforcement response from the department, which concluded in violent clashes. There was also significant pushback from non‑Indigenous stakeholders. Mr. Levi was caught in the middle of this crisis and feared for his own safety and that of his colleagues and the broader community. On one occasion, he was in a vessel at sea when rocks were thrown, and he had to aid a new recruit who was seriously hurt.

Despite tough times, Mr. Levi is proud of what he accomplished and overcame during his long career at DFO. He pushed for change from within, including by advocating for more Indigenous recruitment to help build deeper understanding and relationships locally. However, Mr. Levi laments that retention remains low because the department has not allocated the necessary time and resources to become more culturally capable and responsive. Nevertheless, he remains hopeful that it will one day work in true partnership with the Mi’kmaq so that current and future generations can enjoy and benefit from their right to fish and trade lobster, salmon and other species which were shared freely by our ancestors after contact.

To Mr. Levi and all other Indigenous public servants who are committed to helping improve the experiences and outcomes of other Indigenous people from within, I say we’lalin — thank you — for your contributions and sacrifices. Having walked alongside you earlier in my career, I know how challenging it can be to balance your personal and professional responsibilities, especially when you experience prejudice, discrimination and other barriers in the workplace and when you are directed to administer laws, policies and programs which may adversely impact your families, communities and nations.

We’lalin. Thank you.

[Translation]

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of our former colleague the Honourable Douglas Roche, who is also a former Ambassador for Disarmament. He is accompanied by Cesar Jaramillo, the Executive Director of Project Ploughshares. They are the guests of the Honourable Senator McPhedran.

On behalf of all honourable senators, I welcome you back to the Senate of Canada.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Chief Aaron Sock of the Elsipogtog First Nation; Joseph Levi of Metepenagiag First Nation; Tara Levi of Neqotkuk First Nation, Executive Director for MAWIW Council Inc.; and James Lloyd Rockwell. They are the guests of the Honourable Senator Francis.

On behalf of all honourable senators, I welcome you to the Senate of Canada.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Régine, Jean-François and Alexis Diard. They are the guests of the Honourable Senator Audette.

On behalf of all honourable senators, I welcome you to the Senate of Canada.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of our former colleague the Honourable Douglas Roche, who is also a former Ambassador for Disarmament. He is accompanied by Cesar Jaramillo, the Executive Director of Project Ploughshares. They are the guests of the Honourable Senator McPhedran.

On behalf of all honourable senators, I welcome you back to the Senate of Canada.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Chief Aaron Sock of the Elsipogtog First Nation; Joseph Levi of Metepenagiag First Nation; Tara Levi of Neqotkuk First Nation, Executive Director for MAWIW Council Inc.; and James Lloyd Rockwell. They are the guests of the Honourable Senator Francis.

On behalf of all honourable senators, I welcome you to the Senate of Canada.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Régine, Jean‑François and Alexis Diard. They are the guests of the Honourable Senator Audette.

On behalf of all honourable senators, I welcome you to the Senate of Canada.