Hon. Leo Housakos: Minister, it’s clear that the way I measure progress on foreign interference and the way you measure progress are very different. The truth of the matter is there is a piece of legislation in this chamber — a chamber that is filled with government appointees. You know that if there were a political will to move that legislation to committee, review it, amend it and get it back to the House, it could be done very quickly.

This is just another example of why the government is dragging its feet when it comes to foreign interference.

I will ask two simple questions, which reiterate the fact that the government is dragging its feet. When will the illegal Beijing police stations operating in Canada, confirmed by the RCMP, be shut down? By what date will we have a foreign registry put in place in this country? Hopefully, it is before the end of 2023.

Hon. Marco E. L. Mendicino, P.C., M.P., Minister of Public Safety: Thank you, senator, for the question. To foreshadow where I am going, we will get you those exact numbers and provide them to you and your colleagues in this chamber.

In order to address the chronic overrepresentation of Indigenous peoples in their interactions with the law enforcement institutions across this country, we need to do some very concrete things. First, we obviously need to be sure that we are training law enforcement members across every level of policing in ways that are culturally sensitive and relevant when it comes to Indigenous traditions, culture and history.

Second, we have to make sure that we are empowering Indigenous communities to lead when it comes to public safety initiatives. I think I have provided some very concrete examples of how we are doing that. I recently had a very positive and constructive engagement in Eskasoni not too long ago, senator, a community that you will be very familiar with.

Third, and most important, the relationship has to be based on trust and respect. There’s no shortcut to that. It requires direct engagement, and it requires ensuring that we create the space that is necessary for Indigenous peoples and communities to lead these reforms and change themselves. That is precisely the work that I am committed to doing.

Hon. Andrew Cardozo: Minister, I have one more question for you. It is on the larger topic of artificial intelligence, or AI.

You will be aware that yesterday, for the second time in a few weeks, a group of major experts and public figures put out a statement that read, in 22 words:

Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war.

This obviously has concerns for your portfolio in terms of law and order as well as being government-wide concerns.

What are your thoughts about what’s happening with AI and what we should be concerned about? It seems to be out of control, and the owners and developers are asking for government to intervene and help out. What are your thoughts?

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Minister, crime is now at a record level in Winnipeg, as it is across the country. Winnipeg saw a record of 53 homicides in 2022, and 30% of them were committed with firearms.

In Bill C-5, the Trudeau government eliminated eight mandatory minimum penalties involving the use of a firearm in crime, including robbery with a firearm, extortion with a firearm, discharging a firearm with intent, using a firearm in the commission of offences and four others.

You seem to think that creating more gun laws is the answer.

Minister, how did the Trudeau government’s elimination of mandatory penalties involving the use of firearms help combat the rise in violent crime?

Hon. Paula Simons: Minister, at this time last year, you will recall that we were seized with the issue of Bill S-7, An Act to amend the Customs Act and the Preclearance Act, 2016. We were told it was essential that we pass the bill as quickly as possible here because of a court case in Alberta that had struck down certain provisions of the law as unconstitutional and created a disequilibrium so the law was applied differently in Alberta and, subsequently, in Ontario than in the rest of the country.

We were encouraged not to amend the act, but we did so nonetheless and got it done by the end of June. Now, I cannot help but note that Bill S-7 was introduced at first reading last October and has not moved any further down your Order Paper.

So just out of curiosity, why were we rushing, and what’s going on in your house?

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Well, since you asked me about the technical briefing, minister, let me ask you a question. Yesterday, Senator Gold’s parliamentary secretary, Mark Gerretsen, tweeted, “I’m calling on Senator @DonPlett to stop stalling & get tough on crime by passing C-21.” The bill has not been introduced in this chamber, minister. The Senate received Bill C-21 two sittings days ago. The sponsor has not spoken. I find it strange that he has been the parliamentary secretary in the Senate for a year and a half and he doesn’t have a clue how this chamber conducts its business. Why did Mark Gerretsen accuse me personally of stalling a bill that the government sponsor has not moved yet at second reading? Do you think this unfounded personal attack is warranted?

Hon. Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu: Minister, I was in Truro on March 31 to meet with all the families in Portapique who lost loved ones in the massacre.

Apparently, you were there too. Why haven’t you or the Prime Minister met with the families? Why do these families, still to this day, have to bear all the expenses related to their loved ones being murdered? Your government hasn’t offered any financial assistance. Why haven’t you met with the families, and why aren’t you helping them financially?

Hon. Marco E. L. Mendicino, P.C., M.P., Minister of Public Safety: If the Government Representative in the Senate has a parliamentary secretary, that is news to me. I assure you, senator, that we will work very closely with you, and with everyone in this chamber, to ensure a thoughtful debate about Bill C-21.

I want to take a moment to underline that there is good policy in that bill in the form of the strengthened ban of an AR-15-style firearm; in the form of a national freeze on handguns; in the form of raising maximum sentences against hardened gun traffickers; and in the form of introducing red and yellow flag protocols so that we can reverse the trend in the connection between domestic abuse and gun violence. There is a lot of good in that bill, senator. My only request is that we work together to see it come into force so that we can save lives as quickly as possible.

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Saturday will mark four years since the release of the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Indigenous families want to know what happened to their loved ones, minister, just as any other family in Canada would. These families deserve answers and it is high time that the Trudeau government treated all victims of crime with respect. In both 2021 and 2022, I asked the Trudeau government what progress was being made by the RCMP in resolving these cold cases. I did not receive a satisfactory response but, frankly, that’s not surprising. Minister, what specific progress has been made in resolving the cold cases since the final report was released in 2019, and have any RCMP reviews resulted in arrests, charges laid or convictions?

Hon. Mary Coyle: Welcome to the Senate, minister. Minister, as you have just mentioned, today you announced the appointment of Justice Oland as chair of the committee that will monitor and report on the implementation of the recommendations of the Nova Scotia Mass Casualty Commission. We welcome this move. My question for you is this: Will the government support the calls of the final report of the Mass Casualty Commission and the inquest into the Renfrew County killings to declare gender-based violence an epidemic-level crisis in Canada and, most importantly, create a comprehensive strategy at the federal level to address this problem?

Hon. Julie Miville-Dechêne: Minister, as you know, Bill S-211, which I sponsored, seeks to fight against forced labour. It recently received Royal Assent. I would like to thank you for having supported it.

Since the passage of this bill, businesses and individuals have contacted me with very specific questions, such as the following: How are total revenues calculated? Will the legislation apply to family farms?

My office tried to answer them as best as possible, but, in fact, the answers to these questions fall to your department, which is responsible for the regulations and for implementing the legislation by January 1, 2024.

Minister, your department knew well in advance that Bill S-211 would be passed. Do you plan to create a website, a phone line or explanatory documentation that businesses could consult to get answers to their questions on the legislation?

Hon. Marco E. L. Mendicino, P.C., M.P., Minister of Public Safety: With all due respect, senator, I’m pretty sure I spoke directly with the families from Portapique when I was in Truro. I think I was one of the first ministers in the federal government to meet with the families in person to express my condolences. I know this is an extremely difficult time for these families.

I was there to support the families when the Mass Casualty Commission published its final report. That’s why, earlier today, I announced the creation of a Progress Monitoring Committee. I have full confidence it will ensure that the final report’s recommendations are fully implemented. We have appointed retired Justice Linda Oland, a person with a great deal of experience in the judicial field and a resident of Nova Scotia. With her leadership, and together with the other stakeholders, we can fulfill the vision of the Mass Casualty Commission, because the time has come to reform the RCMP.

[English]

Hon. Marco E. L. Mendicino, P.C., M.P., Minister of Public Safety: I want to thank you, senator, for recognizing the significance of the announcement and the appointment of Justice Oland as the chair of the committee that will oversee and coordinate the implementation of the recommendations of the final report, in particular, for the families.

I do agree that we have to deal squarely with the incredible and alarming challenges around gender-based violence which the committee thoughtfully touched on. This is work I am doing in partnership with a number of other colleagues including, I would point out, Minister Marci Ien, who is rolling out an over $600‑million national gender-based violence strategy to work closely with women’s groups on the ground so we can take a trauma-informed, victim-centred approach to reduce barriers.

I think you will agree one of the most challenging aspects of this work is to encourage women to come forward and report, and the concern I have heard is that they are worried that the voice on the other end of the line will not believe them, or will not treat them with respect. That is what has led to tragedy and loss. I assure you that as we implement the recommendations of the Mass Casualty Commission we will work with Justice Oland, with the Nova Scotia government, victims and survivors from that tragedy and all women who have suffered that trauma in the past.

Hon. Marco E. L. Mendicino, P.C., M.P., Minister of Public Safety: First, Senator Plett, I want to begin by saying that I share your concern and the concern of everyone around any cold case because those women and those young girls deserve justice. And that was the reason why we created the MMIWG commission, which was a commission that had not been previously struck but one we did strike because we want justice for those victims and survivors.

As to the most recent status of any outstanding investigation and cold cases, obviously, those are questions best put to the RCMP or any other police jurisdiction who has the responsibility for carrying them out, and I’m happy to work with you, senator, to get the latest update on that. I know that our time is coming to a close here, but I do hope, Senator Plett, you will take the technical briefing on Bill C-21, which we have offered. It is important that we do this work together so we can save lives through responsible gun control legislation.

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Well, since you asked me about the technical briefing, minister, let me ask you a question. Yesterday, Senator Gold’s parliamentary secretary, Mark Gerretsen, tweeted, “I’m calling on Senator @DonPlett to stop stalling & get tough on crime by passing C-21.” The bill has not been introduced in this chamber, minister. The Senate received Bill C-21 two sitting days ago. The sponsor has not spoken. I find it strange that he has been the parliamentary secretary in the Senate for a year and a half and he doesn’t have a clue how this chamber conducts its business. Why did Mark Gerretsen accuse me personally of stalling a bill that the government sponsor has not moved yet at second reading? Do you think this unfounded personal attack is warranted?

Hon. Brian Francis: Honourable senators, I give notice that, at the next sitting of the Senate, I will move:

That, notwithstanding any provision of the Rules or previous order, the Honourable Senator Gagné be replaced as a member of the Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages by the Honourable Senator Audette.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, the time for Question Period has expired. I’m certain all senators would like to join me in thanking Minister Mendicino for joining us today.

[Translation]

We will now resume the proceedings that were interrupted at the start of Question Period.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, the time for Question Period has expired. I’m certain all senators would like to join me in thanking Minister Mendicino for joining us today.

[Translation]

We will now resume the proceedings that were interrupted at the start of Question Period.

Hon. Patti LaBoucane-Benson (Legislative Deputy to the Government Representative in the Senate): Honourable senators, I give notice that, at the next sitting of the Senate, I will move:

That, when the Senate next adjourns after the adoption of this motion, it do stand adjourned until Tuesday, June 6, 2023, at 2 p.m.