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

RIDEAU HALL

June 19, 2023

Madam 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 19^th day of June, 2023, at 11:47 a.m.

Yours sincerely,

Christine MacIntyre

Deputy Secretary to the Governor General

The Honourable

The Speaker of the Senate

Ottawa

Bills Assented to Monday, June 19, 2023:

An Act respecting Lebanese Heritage Month (Bill S-246, Chapter 13, 2023)

An Act to amend the Criminal Code and to make consequential amendments to other Acts (Bill C-41, Chapter 14, 2023)

An Act to amend the Official Languages Act, to enact the Use of French in Federally Regulated Private Businesses Act and to make related amendments to other Acts (Bill C-13, Chapter 15, 2023)

An Act to amend the First Nations Fiscal Management Act, to make consequential amendments to other Acts, and to make a clarification relating to another Act (Bill C-45, Chapter 16, 2023)

Hon. Ratna Omidvar: Honourable senators, I rise today, as I do every year, to recognize World Refugee Day on June 20.

I wish I had good news for you, but I don’t. As per the UNHCR, more than 110 million people — a record high — have fled persecution, conflict, violence, climate change and discrimination. The war in Ukraine, refugees fleeing Afghanistan and fighting in Sudan have all contributed to this mass movement of people, either internally or across borders.

Colleagues, global displacement has been rising at an ever‑increasing pace. Before the conflict in Syria in 2011, there were about 40 million refugees in the world, a number that had held steady for 20 years before then. Now, in just 12 years, that number has not just doubled; it has tripled.

As this number has risen, so too have the interdiction measures undertaken by nation states to prevent individuals from reaching safety and exercising their rights under the UNHCR convention. The EU has struck a deal with Libya. The U.K. has confirmed its intentions to offshore migrant processing to Rwanda. Turkey has come to a financial arrangement to hold refugees in its jurisdiction and prevent them from travelling westward. Most appallingly, colleagues, last weekend we willingly watched and waited and watched and waited and let 700 people die off the shores of Greece, including 100 children. We did nothing. We watched and waited.

Canada is, of course, proud to have set a record in welcoming and resettling refugees over the past four years — more than we ever have before and more than any other country. And yet we, too, have put a cap on private sponsorships in Bill C-47, and the government’s Immigration Levels Plan sets out a reduction on government-assisted refugees. One could argue those are the most vulnerable.

In all of this despair, I stay true to my name and look for a point of light. I see that point of light in the resilience of refugees themselves, who painstakingly continue their search for a home, for safety and security. And when they find safety, they build our nation — like the captain of the Canadian soccer team, Alphonso Davies, or “chocolate king” Tareq Hadad.

But most importantly, I want to pay tribute to mothers and daughters, sisters and girlfriends who face a harsh future of human and sex trafficking and are most vulnerable. For their sake, for the sake of their children, let’s do more, let’s do it faster, and let’s do it better. Thank you.

[Translation]

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Chief Roy Whitney of Tsuut’ina Nation, Chief Bobby Cameron of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, Chief Aaron Young of Chiniki First Nation and Chief Clifford Poucette of Goodstoney First Nation. They are the guests of the Honourable Senator Tannas.

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

Hon. Mary Jane McCallum: Thank you for the collaboration between the Canadian Senators Group and the Progressive Senate Group — the CSG and the PSG — for giving me their time today.

Honourable senators, there are two kinds of families: those we are born into and those we create. As First Nations children, we were forced to leave our birth families, despite our nurturing homes. Although scared and confused in navigating residential school, we already had strong familial experiences and were able to withstand years of oppression and assimilation. We did not fail each other; we formed families and lifelong friends.

I want to thank you — that is to my family from residential school — for inspiring me throughout my life and for keeping me safe when you could. Our love for each other gave us an unbreakable bond. You are the light that shines into my darkness.

There are lessons in everything, even in the things that break our hearts. Sometimes, we are overwhelmed and exhausted by the challenges that we face; yet, we cannot shy away from our responsibilities, despite the immense pressure. In my case, it was sitting alongside the team using ground-penetrating radar at the Guy Hill Residential School site last week. We know there are bodies there. Many think they are not in the open grounds but in the forest. It was there that adults were seen carrying tiny bodies and coming out empty-handed. Imagine those students who saw that, not knowing if they would be next. It’s no wonder that many are still unable to visit the grounds.

Last week, I sat among my former fellow students and our supporters, many of whom also attended residential school, day school or were part of the Sixties Scoop. I listened to their stories and I saw their wisdom. I told them, “I see you as the powerful, wise, compassionate, joyful, humble and courageous spirits that you are. Who among us would have believed that we would have a Shaking Tent ceremony, a pipe ceremony, a sweat, drumming and singing, an eagle fan cleansing, a prayer, smudging and talking circles at the very site of the school that had removed all that from us?”

The First Nations across the country know we are regaining our ceremonies and languages, and reclaiming the power and the spirit that were taken from us. Know that we are in a time of resurgence as sovereign peoples.

[Editor’s Note: Senator McCallum spoke in Cree.]

We belong to ourselves. We will determine our future.

To our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, know that you matter to us and that we will always be there together. How can we not be? We are family.

Kinanâskomitinâwâw. Thank you.

Hon. Senators: Hear, hear.

(On motion of Senator LaBoucane-Benson, debate adjourned.)

The Senate proceeded to consideration of the message from the House of Commons concerning Bill C-22, An Act to reduce poverty and to support the financial security of persons with disabilities by establishing the Canada disability benefit and making a consequential amendment to the Income Tax Act

Wednesday, June 14, 2023

EXTRACT, —

That a message be sent to the Senate to acquaint Their Honours that, in relation to Bill C-22, An Act to reduce poverty and to support the financial security of persons with disabilities by establishing the Canada disability benefit and making a consequential amendment to the Income Tax Act, the House:

agrees with amendments 1, 4 and 5 made by the Senate;

agrees with the Senate proposal to make any necessary consequential changes to the numbering of provisions and cross-references resulting from the amendments to the bill;

respectfully disagrees with amendment 2 because it raises significant constitutional concerns by seeking to regulate the insurance industry specifically or contracting generally, both of which fall within provincial jurisdiction;

proposes that amendment 3 be amended to read as follows:

“New clause 10.1, page 4: Add the following after line 5:

“Appeals

10.1 Subject to regulations, a person, or any other person acting on their behalf, may appeal to a body identified in regulations made under paragraph 11(1)(i) in respect of any decision

(a) relating to the person’s ineligibility for a Canada disability benefit;

(b) relating to the amount of a Canada disability benefit that the person has received or will receive; or

(c) prescribed by the regulations.””.

Hon. Senators: Hear, hear!

Hon. Pat Duncan: Honourable senators, I rise today to share the story of Mary Merchant.

In 1917, Mabel and Samuel McAllister were living in Argentina, and as was the custom at the time, Mabel travelled back to Scotland, through the danger of German U-boats in the English Channel, to have a baby. When Mabel was about to give birth, a family friend named Mary brought over a steak-and-kidney pie. Mabel declared the pie so good that if the baby was a girl, she would be named Mary in her honour. Born on June 18, Mary was duly named, and steak-and-kidney pie remains a family favourite to this day.

Mary was the second of four children. When the family returned to Argentina, it was to a large ranch, Santa Elena, part of the Bovril company.

In 1929, Mary and her older sister Barbara returned from Argentina to attend boarding school in Scotland. They returned to Argentina two short years later as the Argentine peso was devalued against the British pound and school in Scotland became unaffordable.

The family moved around Argentina, as her father worked a variety of jobs, including running a brewery. Mary remembers taking visitors through the brewery and explaining the finer points of making beer: “It’s all about the water.”

While at the British Hospital in Buenos Aires, training for a lifelong career as a nurse, Mary became a pen pal with a young man named Walter Merchant who served with the British Army in Burma. So began a six-year correspondence, leading to marriage in 1947. Moving from Argentina to England in 1955, the family, now composed of the couple and two children, chose Canada, where employment prospects seemed rather brighter.

Those brighter employment prospects did not materialize for Walter. Mary retrained to meet Canadian standards as a registered nurse at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal. The family settled in Cowansville in Quebec’s Eastern Townships, where Mary spent 20 years nursing at the Hôpital Brome-Missisquoi-Perkins. After her retirement, Mary lived for several years in Fredericton, New Brunswick.

In 1995, Mary began yet another adventure and moved to the Yukon. She continued her life of service, teaching community members to sew, knit, save money and especially to eat a healthy diet by avoiding sugar, the exceptions being Scottish shortbread and Christmas pudding, of course. In Whitehorse, Mary is legendary for her knitting. In one year alone, she knitted 50 pairs of socks, along with baby sets, sold to support the community.

Senators who have been mentally calculating as I shared this story will recognize that, on June 18, Mary, who recently shrugged off a bout of COVID with her traditional good humour, turned 106 years young.

Although Mary’s son, Philip, shared with me that Mary really cannot understand what all the fuss is about, it is an honour to wish her a happy birthday and share the story of a life well lived — one of service and contribution to communities in Quebec, New Brunswick and the Yukon.

Happy one hundred and sixth birthday, Mary.

Thank you, gùnáłchîsh, mähsi’cho.

Hon. Patti LaBoucane-Benson (Legislative Deputy to the Government Representative in the Senate): Honourable senators, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the document entitled A Self-Government Treaty Recognizing the Whitecap Dakota Nation / Wapaha Ska Dakota Oyate.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, when shall this report be taken into consideration?

(On motion of Senator Cotter, report placed on the Orders of the Day for consideration at the next sitting of the Senate.)

Hon. Mohamed-Iqbal Ravalia, Joint Chair of the Standing Joint Committee on the Library of Parliament, presented the following report:

Tuesday, June 20, 2023

The Standing Joint Committee on the Library of Parliament has the honour to present its

FIRST REPORT

Your committee recommends to the Senate that it be authorized to assist the Speaker of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Commons in directing and controlling the Library of Parliament, and that it be authorized to make recommendations to the Speaker of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Commons regarding the governance of the Library and the proper expenditure of moneys voted by Parliament for the purchase of documents or other articles to be deposited therein.

Your committee recommends:

(a)that its quorum be fixed at six members, provided that each House is represented, and a member from a non-government party or recognized parliamentary group and a member from the government are present, whenever a vote, resolution or other decision is taken; and

(b)that the joint chairs be authorized to hold meetings to receive evidence and to have that evidence published when a quorum is not present, provided that at least three members are present, including a member from a non-government party or recognized parliamentary group and a member from the government, provided that each House is represented.

Your committee further recommends to the Senate that it be empowered to sit during sittings and adjournments of the Senate.

A copy of the relevant Minutes of Proceedings (Meeting No. 1) is tabled in the House of Commons.

Respectfully submitted,

MOHAMED-IQBAL RAVALIA

Joint Chair

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Dr. Sharon Allar, Adam Allar and their children. They are the guests of the Honourable Senator Marwah.

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

Hon. Michèle Audette: [Editor’s Note: Senator Audette spoke in Innu-aimun.]

Honourable senators, before sharing something I experienced today, I’d like to thank Senator McCallum. Tshinashkumitin.

[English]

It was important for me to see you, to feel you and to listen to you this morning, along with other survivors and families who participated in this event.

Senator Patterson, you gave me your spot, so I will try to honour it.

[Translation]

First of all, I’d like to thank Senator Patterson for giving me this opportunity to tell you about the ceremony that many of us took part in this morning, where people came to show us the sacred site of a new monument that will remind us of part of Canada’s history. It’s part of a path of healing for many of us, including me.

It is also the subject of Call to Action No. 81 from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which states, and I quote:

We call upon the federal government, in collaboration with Survivors and their organizations, and other parties to the Settlement Agreement, to commission and install a publicly accessible, highly visible, Residential Schools National Monument in the city of Ottawa to honour Survivors and all the children who were lost to their families and communities.

It happened this morning to the sound of Inuit song, Métis fiddle and the words of a First Nations woman. It was powerful and moving. The committee to create this monument will be made up of people from different nations and territories and from the government, and it will reflect on how to honour these little children and the families affected by residential schools.

The beautiful thing about First Nations’ protocols is that we must ask the permission of the people to welcome us. The Anishinaabe people were present and welcomed us with a lot of love and respect. This beautiful monument that we will one day see will be located where parliamentarians enter the building, on the west side of the Hill. It will be where everyone can see it, whether they are tourists, parliamentarians or people who come just to pay their respects to and commune with our ancestors.

I will close with some of the words that I heard spoken by men and women today: This is for the children who thought we did not love them. Every day, they will see that we carry them with us in our hearts.

Tshinashkumitin.

[English]

Hon. Salma Ataullahjan: Honourable senators, I wasn’t expecting to speak, but it being World Refugee Day, I thought I should speak. I want to remember the millions displaced and acknowledge their resilience and struggles. As senators have been speaking, I have been sitting and scribbling on paper. Senator Omidvar gave us the numbers, but I want to share with you that 52% of the current refugees are from three countries: Syria, Ukraine and Afghanistan. Over 43 million are children. We are witnessing the highest level of displacement on record.

Only 3% of refugee children will go to school or have higher education. For refugee girls, it’s even more difficult. Refugee girls have less access to education than boys and are half as likely to be enrolled in school by the time they reach secondary level. UNESCO estimates that if girls completed primary education, child marriage rates would go down by 14%, and if they completed secondary education, the rates would plummet by 64%.

Canada, once again, has come out as the leader. We have been and continue to be a world leader in accepting refugees. But on this day I want to think back to the people I have seen in refugee camps. I want to mention the young boy whom I met earlier this year. I asked him about his education and the education of the girls. He was from a small remote village in Afghanistan. He was selling stuff in my hometown, and I stopped to talk to him. He said, “Girls? Girls don’t get an education.” He said, “I don’t have an education. I went to class 6 and that was it.”

I want to acknowledge the widow whom I met when the people of Swat were displaced by the Taliban. When I was in the camp, she told me:

They keep telling me, “Bring your husband.” I’m a widow. I have been a widow for 20 years. They won’t let me have any aid unless I have a man by my side.

I think of the women whose tents I went into who said, “We need help; we need feminine products. We can’t ask the men.” And I was a spokesperson for these people. These are some of the stories that I have lived through, that I have seen, that we continue to see.

I want to thank every one of you, my colleagues. You have stood with us when we speak in support of the refugees, as we did on Bill C-41. I want to thank you for that. I want to remind you: Let’s not forget those who are displaced and let’s applaud their courage. Thank you very much.

Hon. Patti LaBoucane-Benson (Legislative Deputy to the Government Representative in the Senate): Honourable senators, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the document entitled Proposals to correct certain anomalies, inconsistencies, out-dated terminology and errors and to deal with other matters of a non-controversial and uncomplicated nature in the Statutes and Regulations of Canada and to repeal certain provisions that have expired, lapsed or otherwise ceased to have effect.

The Hon. the Speaker: Is leave granted, honourable senators?

The Hon. the Speaker informed the Senate that a message had been received from the House of Commons with Bill C-51, An Act to give effect to the self-government treaty recognizing the Whitecap Dakota Nation / Wapaha Ska Dakota Oyate and to make consequential amendments to other Acts.

(Bill read first time.)

(Pursuant to the order adopted earlier this day, the bill is placed on the Orders of the Day for a second reading later this day.)

[English]

The Hon. the Speaker informed the Senate that a message had been received from the House of Commons with Bill C-35, An Act respecting early learning and child care in Canada.

(Bill read first time.)

The Hon. the Speaker: Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?

Hon. Senators: Question.