Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for the question. Minister Miller went on the radio at about 8:15 this morning to further explain the issues and the complexity of this situation.

In terms of this unacceptable and intolerable situation, the federal government’s means for intervening are not unlimited — quite the contrary. The Province of Quebec has a great deal of responsibility here, particularly regarding law and order. It is a well-known fact that there are governance issues within the community in question, as residents are all too aware.

In addition, all levels of government are working together to find a solution, including the Government of Quebec, the Government of Canada and the Kanesatake band council. This is an intolerable situation, of course, but the solutions are not obvious and an effort is being made. Unfortunately, this is a tragedy for the residents; the solutions are not obvious in the short term.

The Hon. the Speaker: Senator Gold has the floor.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you, Senator Downe, for raising this issue and bringing it to my attention. I will certainly bring this issue to the attention of the relevant minister.

Hon. Percy E. Downe: Senator Gold, more than 120,000 people living in Canada receive a U.K. State Pension. These pensions are indexed to inflation for pensioners in the U.K. as well as those living in many other countries, including the United States. However, for pensioners living in Canada, this is not the case.

The U.K. government policy stands in sharp contrast to Canada, where pension payments are always indexed, regardless of where in the world the recipient lives. Not only is this unfair to those who face pensions of steadily declining value as a result of inflation, but it represents an estimated $450 million not entering the Canadian economy, with all the benefits that would bring.

I’m interested in finding out whether there’s currently any effort on the part of the Government of Canada to fix this long-standing problem.

The Hon. the Speaker: Senator Gold has the floor.

Hon. David M. Wells: My question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate. Senator Gold, this question is about the Pivot Airlines crew detained in the Dominican Republic for seven months last year. In November 2022, Minister Alghabra’s office committed to a full investigation of the incident. The crew was released in December of last year. On February 7, I asked you about the government’s progress in the commitment to this investigation, and I received a short while ago a delayed answer that they can’t do an investigation on foreign soil. Of course, the question wasn’t about things outside the Department of Transport’s jurisdiction; it was about things within their jurisdiction, and that was their commitment.

Senator Gold, we know most of the failings happened within Canada. My question is when this investigation will occur. It’s a very simple question.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for the question, senator. It’s my understanding that there is an investigation under way. I’m not able to comment on the details of the investigation, nor do I know its progress, but I have been advised that Transport Canada has undertaken an investigation of this matter and I will certainly follow up with the minister to bring these concerns to him.

Some Hon. Senators: Hear, hear.

Hon. Leo Housakos: My question is for the government leader in the Senate. It’s always comical to hear him lecture the Leader of the Opposition about respecting this institution. The truth of the matter is that your government has been continuously disrespectful of Parliament. Just in the last few days, we had the Minister of Finance not answer the questions of a member of the House of Commons and call him a “party hack.” That same minister goes to a committee in the House of Commons that we were filibustering for weeks to get the Minister of Finance to show up to answer basic questions, and when she does, she says she’s tired of Conservative “fiscal fearmongering.” Well, we’re tired of Liberal fiscal incompetence, government leader.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for the question. I’m afraid I don’t have the answer to the question, but I appreciate you raising it and I appreciate, at least, the tone with which you asked the question, if not the preamble.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for the question and for underlining the ongoing challenges that Canadians are facing to secure affordable housing in the areas where they want to live.

The Government of Canada is doing its part. I won’t repeat what I’ve said many times in this chamber, but there have been serious investments and programs put in place on the federal side to assist and create incentives — top-ups to the Canada Housing Benefit, the Housing Accelerator Fund and so on. But, colleagues, as we know, the supply of housing is not exclusively a federal matter. It engages not only the provinces and territories but municipalities and their zoning and the private sector, of course, to say nothing of capital markets and the market more generally. The Government of Canada is doing its part, as many provinces, territories and municipalities are doing, in the hope and expectation that the housing crisis will abate and Canadians can find housing fit for their purposes.

Hon. Patti LaBoucane-Benson (Legislative Deputy to the Government Representative in the Senate): Honourable senators, I have the honour to table the answers to the following oral questions:

Response to the oral question asked in the Senate on June 1, 2022, by the Honourable Senator Moodie, concerning the National Housing Strategy — Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

Response to the oral question asked in the Senate on June 1, 2022, by the Honourable Senator Moodie, concerning the National Housing Strategy — Employment and Social Development Canada.

Response to the oral question asked in the Senate on June 1, 2022, by the Honourable Senator Moodie, concerning the National Housing Strategy — Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.

Response to the oral question asked in the Senate on February 8, 2023, by the Honourable Senator Omidvar, concerning the earthquake in Turkey and Syria.

(Response to question raised by the Honourable Rosemary Moodie on June 1, 2022)

In Canada, eviction and rent control regulations fall under provincial and territorial jurisdiction, and therefore the National Housing Strategy (NHS) does not have specific eviction targets.

A foundational principle of the NHS is to address the housing needs of the most vulnerable, including those experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The NHS commits to reducing chronic homelessness by 50% by 2027-28, a target that is supported by Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy. Furthermore, a minimum 25% of NHS investments will support the unique needs of women and their children. As of December 31, 2021, an estimated $7.1 billion has been committed toward meeting the housing needs of this group. This represents over 28% of all NHS funding committed.

The complementary initiatives of the NHS address needs across the housing continuum, including for the most vulnerable Canadians. This includes direct affordability support to low-income households through the Canada Housing Benefit (CHB) and rental assistance for low-income households living in community housing. The NHS also includes programs to increase the supply of affordable housing such as the Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) which quickly builds permanent affordable housing units to address the urgent housing needs of vulnerable Canadians.

(Response to question raised by the Honourable Rosemary Moodie on June 1, 2022)

The Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS), a horizontal Government of Canada initiative led by ESDC in collaboration with 11 other federal departments, agencies and Crown corporations, helps young people (ages 15-30) develop their skills and transition into the labour market.

The Housing Internship Initiative for Indigenous Youth, a YESS program delivered by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, served over 330 Indigenous youth in 2021, providing housing-related internships, work experiences and on-the-job training.

Currently, one of the performance indicators for the YESS is the percentage of youth served from each of the following groups who are facing barriers to employment: Indigenous youth, youth with disabilities, and visible minority youth. Starting in 2023-24, YESS programs will begin to improve data disaggregation of under-represented youth being served and the socio-economic barriers they may face.

(Response to question raised by the Honourable Rosemary Moodie on June 1, 2022)

Statistics Canada produces the Market Basket Measure (MBM), which establishes poverty thresholds that can be used to report on progress against some of the federal government’s social policy objectives. The MBM provides contextual information by shedding light on the characteristics of economically challenged populations who may be at risk of evictions and homelessness. Poverty reduction targets are set by Employment and Social Development Canada.

The MBM thresholds are based on the cost of a basket of goods and services, which represents a modest, basic standard of living for a reference family. Those with incomes less than their applicable thresholds, given family size and region of residence, are deemed to be in poverty. To account for potential regional differences in the cost of living, Statistics Canada publishes MBM thresholds for 53 regions across Canada (https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1110006601).

The thresholds are updated yearly to take into account inflation. To account for changes regarding what represents a modest, basic standard of living over time, the Poverty Reduction Act mandates that Statistics Canada undertake a review of the MBM basket and methods every five years.

Statistics Canada completed the most recent adjustments to poverty measurement in 2020 and will be launching the next review in 2023.

(Response to question raised by the Honourable Ratna Omidvar on February 8, 2023)

Canada allocated $50 million in response to the earthquake in Türkiye and Syria of which $20 million was allocated to two matching funds. Matching funds are useful public engagement tools following disasters. The choice of partner is dependent on a number of factors, including local capacity and operational footprint in affected areas.

As the immediate needs of communities affected by the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria became clear, the Government of Canada committed to match donations made to both the Canadian Red Cross and the Humanitarian Coalition.

On February 7, 2023, a matching fund of $10 million with the Canadian Red Cross was announced. This funding supports efforts of the Turkish Red Crescent.

On February 24, 2023, the Government of Canada announced it would also match $10 million in donations raised by the Humanitarian Coalition and its members to support efforts in Syria. The Humanitarian Coalition brings together twelve trusted Canadian humanitarian organizations.

An additional $30 million is supporting expanded operations largely by United Nations partners selected based on proven ability to rapidly scale-up and adapt operations to meet emergency needs.

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Leader, if you would one time answer our questions properly — Senator Housakos asked you a question.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): I answered it.

An Hon. Senator: Hear, hear.

Hon. Kim Pate: Colleagues, as I mentioned yesterday, consulting with disability communities is not the same as guaranteeing, in legislation, the protections they advocate. During her testimony at the Social Affairs Committee, Margaret Eaton, National Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Mental Health Association, clearly articulated that while the CMHA applauds the creation of Bill C-22:

. . . we also have some real concerns with the legislation because many crucial aspects of the benefit will be implemented by regulations and not by legislation. Regulations can be vulnerable to shifting political priorities, and if it’s not legislated, it means that future governments can make unilateral changes without requiring parliamentary oversight.

Precisely to avoid leaving the substance of this bill to be determined by the regulatory process, the CMHA emphasized that key recommendations made by the disability community should be “. . . baked into the legislation. . . .”

The pressure to pass Bill C-22 quickly was pitted against the importance of ensuring it was fit for purpose. This irreconcilable framing reflects a very real and urgent need to address and redress the disproportionate and shameful poverty rates for people with disabilities in this country. Shouldering this tension, many of the groups urging us to work quickly have also acknowledged the urgent need for amendments and regulation design to Bill C-22. Too many people with disabilities are in desperate straits.

As I said in committee and as I’ve discussed with disability advocates directly, as someone whose life’s work has been in collaboration and coalition with many of these individuals and groups, I recognize the pressure and responsibility they experienced. When I was in their position, I frequently heard, “This is the best we can get. If you push for more, you’ll likely get nothing. We’re running out of time. We have to get re‑elected, and then we can do more.”

And best of all: “Trust us.”

Today, however, I’m no longer in the challenging position of a non-governmental advocate offering only one option. Here, with all of you, honourable colleagues, we share the responsibility of scrutinizing the adequacy of the measures Bill C-22 offers and the opportunity to propose a more fulsome response. That’s the spirit in which I fully support the amendments adopted at committee; I’m so pleased that so many of you have also indicated your support, and I urge us to follow the implementation of the legislation and continue to push for further necessary improvements.

In particular, as the Social Affairs Committee, or SOCI, heard from Linda Bartram, First Vice-President, Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians, this bill:

. . . leaves out a complete sector of a community of persons with disabilities in that it is restricted to working-age persons with disabilities and excludes, presumably, seniors.

The alliance emphasized that the unemployment rate for blind persons is 75%. They are forced to subsist on Old Age Security and the Guaranteed Income Supplement alone once they turn 65. Their impact analysis showed that these individuals are subsisting well below the poverty line.

In Ontario, for example, a single person who qualifies for the Ontario Disability Support Program receives a maximum of $1,228 per month. This is well below the official poverty line, and from 2002 to 2021, the supports of an unattached single person with a disability decreased, plunging those with disabilities 18 percentage points deeper below the poverty line.

Friends, in most provinces, the majority of people in receipt of social assistance are persons with disabilities. This bill, now with amendments, has the potential to change that and take a huge step toward the elimination of poverty in Canada.

Minister Qualtrough heralded Bill C-22 as a once-in-a-generation legislation. I agree with her. If we only get one chance in our careers to do this, we must get it right. All the more so given our roles and responsibilities as senators.

As committee discussions here and in the other place underscored, adequacy must be enshrined as a fundamental principle of Bill C-22 in order to ensure that the Canada disability benefit provides the necessary supports for all people with disabilities to live with dignity. If the government is planning to fulfill this promise, then why not provide for adequacy upfront? Why ignore this deficit?

Together, we can fulfill our mandate to represent the interests of and address the issues faced by the most dispossessed, the most economically disadvantaged, individually marginalized and historically ignored.

Human rights and equality litigation experts have identified that, as it was introduced as originally written, Bill C-22 would assist middle-class folks with disabilities. It could also be a windfall to provinces that, as many did with pandemic benefits, may feed their coffers by clawing back provincial benefits in response while leaving those with the least to languish. Without national guidelines with respect to adequacy, the poorest will likely not just continue to be neglected but, worse yet, be plunged ever deeper into poverty.

As evidence mounts that increasing numbers of those without adequate economic, social and health resources to live in the community are considering end-of-life options preferable to the desperation and despair of deep poverty, this issue is made even more urgent.

Disability groups have demonstrated that they are ready and eager to play their part in the meaningful co-creation of regulations to realize the Canada disability benefit.

It is now time for us to ensure the framework proposed by Bill C-22 is strong enough to support its ambitions and that the burdens of any flaw in the legislation will not be borne by disability communities.

Our colleagues have done impressive work at committee. I hope we soon see unanimous concurrence from the other place so those who need this benefit the most finally have access to supports that allow them to live with dignity and choice. We can and we must do this. The time for heartfelt intentions that deliberately ignore the needs and interests of the most marginalized has passed.

It is time to do our job and make the Canada disability benefit just that.

Meegwetch, thank you.

An Hon. Senator: Wow.

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

(Motion agreed to.)

(At 5:29 p.m., the Senate was continued until Tuesday, May 30, 2023, at 2 p.m.)

Hon. Senators: Question.