Hon. Denise Batters: Honourable senators, I rise today to pay tribute to a true legend — George Reed. This Canadian Football League great passed away Sunday in Regina, one day shy of his eighty-fourth birthday. George Reed was beloved throughout Saskatchewan and Rider Nation, which extends across Canada and far beyond. Reed excelled in his 13 years with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, tearing up the field with 16,116 rushing yards and 137 touchdowns. George Reed and his perennial and also legendary on-field partner — quarterback Ron Lancaster — led the Roughriders to their first Grey Cup championship in 1966, and made the Green Machine a top-level team for the next decade.

In 1973, George Reed became pro football’s all-time leading rusher, passing Jim Brown’s record in the NFL — and achieved all of this despite constant and often major injuries. During one season, he played six games with a broken leg. He embodied “Saskatchewan tough.”

George Reed was also a strong leader for all CFL players off the field, serving a long and accomplished tenure as president of the CFL Players Association. The Saskatchewan Roughriders and their devoted Rider Nation were quick to honour George Reed after his retirement in 1976. That fall, Reed’s iconic number 34 was retired. He was inducted into the SaskTel Plaza of Honour in its very first year of existence. When our beautiful new Mosaic Stadium was built, bronze statues of George Reed and Ron Lancaster were installed there — Ronnie and George, together again.

Reed attained his rightful place of prominence in CFL excellence in a 2006 TSN poll where he was named the CFL’s second-greatest player of all time; Doug Flutie was named number one. After his outstanding football career, Reed used his fame for significant charitable causes, like his George Reed Foundation to assist persons with disabilities and the key role he played in the formation of Special Olympics Saskatchewan.

Even with all the deserving accolades Reed received, he remained humble — yet his legendary status could not be denied. Whenever I had the privilege of seeing him around Regina, the last time being this summer, it always made me catch my breath for a second and say excitedly, “There is George Reed!” He continued to attend Roughrider home games, including several this season, and every time they showed George on the giant screen, he’d receive a long and sustained ovation — no matter what the score was.

It is fitting that the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ annual Legends Night game is this weekend, and George Reed will be honoured there — the legend among legends. Sincere condolences to his family, his many friends and his legions of fans. Rider Nation will love George Reed forever. Thank you.

Senator Plett: The only reason Canadians know about this waste is because a group of whistle-blowers came forward. I hope the Prime Minister isn’t going to go after them the way he did with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, or CSIS, whistle-blowers earlier this year.

The investigators also found issues with conflict of interest and other mismanagement of funding. Yet, this past summer, the foundation said the allegations were all unfounded.

Leader, how many taxpayers’ dollars have been spent on salaries, expenses and bonuses at this foundation under the Trudeau government?

Senator Gold: I do not have the information that you have requested.

I will repeat: The government, upon learning of this, took the appropriate remedial action, and expects all of the organizations funded by the government to comply with the appropriate and strict standards.

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

That, notwithstanding the order of the Senate adopted on Thursday, May 19, 2022, the date for the final report of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology in relation to its study on the Canadian assisted human reproduction legislative and regulatory framework be extended from October 31, 2023, to June 30, 2025.

Hon. Senators: Hear, hear!

[Translation]

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, when shall this bill be read the second time?

(On motion of Senator Omidvar, bill placed on the Orders of the Day for second reading two days hence.)

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, October 17, 2023, at 2 p.m.

Hon. Ratna Omidvar introduced Bill S-278, An Act to amend the Special Economic Measures Act (disposal of foreign state assets).

(Bill read first time.)

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, when shall this bill be read the second time?

(On motion of Senator Omidvar, bill placed on the Orders of the Day for second reading two days hence.)

Hon. Ratna Omidvar introduced Bill S-279, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (data on registered charities).

(Bill read first time.)

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to remind you that yesterday the Senate adopted an order to govern the times for questions and responses during Question Period. Pursuant to the order, when we do not have a minister with us, a senator’s initial question is limited to one minute, and the answer to another minute. The senator can then ask one supplementary question of at most 30 seconds, with the answer limited to the same duration.

The reading clerk will stand 10 seconds before the expiry of these times.

Is it also agreed that, if a senator has started a question, they be allowed to continue with their supplementary question and to receive the answer without being interrupted by the expiration of the time for Question Period?

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Senator Gold, last night the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry admitted the Trudeau government has frozen the work of Sustainable Development Technology Canada. This is a federal foundation, Senator Gold, that the Trudeau government has given $1 billion — over five years — to distribute to green technology firms.

According to external investigators, in 2020 and 2021, this foundation gave $38 million in emergency relief COVID payments to companies it had dealt with previously without proper eligibility monitoring or reporting.

Leader, this is yet another example of waste and incompetence on the part of the Trudeau government. No one was giving this foundation proper oversight. Senator Gold, is anything being done to recoup these taxpayers’ dollars?

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of members of the Korean-Canadian community of British Columbia. They are the guests of the Honourable Senator Martin.

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 Ms. Crescence Ottou, Mayor of Bikok, Cameroon. She is the guest of the Honourable Senator Gerba.

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

Hon. Yonah Martin (Deputy Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, I rise today in the presence of fellow Korean Canadians Ann Woo, Myung Shin An, Soon Hee Oh and Ho Sook Kwon to recognize an important day for us and the national Korean-Canadian community and people of Korean descent around the world. October 3 is Gaecheonjeol, National Foundation Day, a day that celebrates the legendary origin and ancient history of the Korean people.

Gaecheonjeol, meaning “the day when the heavens opened,” is a day to commemorate the founding of Gojoseon, the first nation of the Korean people formed in 2333 BC, according to the Dangun myth.

Gaecheonjeol has been designated as a national holiday in Korea since 1909 and is currently a public holiday that is celebrated in various ways. According to the long-standing tradition, on October 3, communities gather at official ceremonies to mark this important day. Families visit ancestral burial sites or gather to honour their ancestors. They enjoy traditional foods and play games. In towns and cities, there may be parades or festivals to bring people together to enjoy traditional performances and entertainment in celebration of the shared culture and thousands of years of history.

In celebration of Gaecheonjeol here in Ottawa, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea will be hosting an event tomorrow evening at the Fairmont Château Laurier.

This year, 2023, is indeed a historic year. It marks the sixtieth anniversary of diplomatic relations between Canada and Korea and the seventieth anniversary of the Korean War armistice.

Korea has a proud history of overcoming Japanese colonial rule and the devastating Korean War and achieving today’s prosperity as the twelfth-largest economy in the world.

The Korean people also remember the courageous patriots of the independence movement from the Japanese colonialism and the Korean War veterans, whose efforts and sacrifices have built the foundation upon which Korea has flourished and become a G20 nation.

Honourable senators, please join me in recognizing Gaecheonjeol and what this day means to the more than quarter‑million members of the Korean-Canadian communities across Canada.

Thank you. Gamsahamnida.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of David Brazil, Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and Labrador. He is the guest of the Honourable Senator Wells.

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

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Honourable senators, as soon as the government learned of the alleged wrongdoing, it engaged a third party expert to conduct a review. The government has received the report. The government takes these findings seriously; that’s why it’s taking immediate, corrective action, including implementing the action plan by December.

As this process continues, the government will monitor the situation. It expects all organizations funded by the government to adhere to the highest standards.

Hon. Leo Housakos: Senator Gold, your government repeatedly said that user-generated content would not be regulated by Bill C-11. You explicitly ruled out the regulation of podcasts.

On May 12 of this year, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, or CRTC, released a myths and facts communiqué stating that concerns over the regulation of podcasts were a myth, and that anyone who creates a podcast isn’t a broadcaster under this law.

Quietly, last Friday, the very same regulator announced that podcasts must be registered with your government. Senator Gold, for a government supposedly consumed with misinformation and disinformation, this government continues to engage in it. Why were Canadians lied to in this manner by the Trudeau government and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, or CRTC?