Hon. Leo Housakos (Acting Deputy Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, as you know, October is Autism Acceptance Month in Canada.

Autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental spectrum condition that affects 1 in 50 Canadian children aged 1 to 17 years. Bill S-203, which received Royal Assent earlier this year thanks to all of you, is an important step in ensuring a brighter future for autistic Canadians, their families and caregivers.

As we move forward, I am pleased to see more autistic individuals being included in the conversation about autism and acceptance, which was one of the biggest takeaways from our study on Bill S-203. However, the involvement of autistic individuals is crucial in terms of research to better inform on what questions and priorities are most relevant and urgent. Solutions need to be developed and knowledge generated that respond directly to the needs established by the community.

One organization doing just that is the Transforming Autism Care Consortium, or TACC, a research network that connects and mobilizes Quebec’s strengths in autism research to improve the quality of life of autistic people and their families. The goal of TACC’s team of 80 researchers and more than 350 professionals, clinicians, autistic individuals and their families is to accelerate scientific discovery, build capacity and integrate evidence into practice and policy.

I also want to take this opportunity to draw attention to another pillar of the autism community in my hometown of Montreal: Giant Steps. Giant Steps — a leader in education, community training and advocacy for the lifelong inclusion of autistic individuals in all sectors of society — recently inaugurated a $54-million state-of-the-art facility to meet the changing lifespan needs of autistic individuals, their families and professionals in the field. Senator Boehm and I had the privilege of visiting that wonderful centre.

Home to many firsts since 1980, Giant Steps, which I know very well, is a shining example of many stakeholders coming together from both the public and private sectors to envision a more inclusive society and take concrete actions to achieve it.

A little more than a year and a half after being announced, the Giant Steps Autism Centre opened its doors in September to more than 250 autistic individuals, teachers, educators, researchers and staff members. Unique in Canada, the centre is already attracting worldwide attention and recently hosted a visit by the Belgian government, which was looking for inspiration as they plan to build an autism centre of their own in the next few years.

I’d like to close by saying that this month of autism acceptance is about the importance of respecting and celebrating everyone’s individuality, creating pathways for growth and success, and promoting meaningful inclusion for all individuals. I look forward to seeing a Canadian national autism strategy where all Canadians will be able to flourish and receive consistent services, from coast to coast to coast.

Thank you.

Senator Gignac: Senator Gold, according to National Bank economists, Canada’s monetary policy is the most restrictive of the G7. At his last appearance before the Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Commerce and the Economy, David Dodge, former Governor of the Bank of Canada, said that the government would be well advised to adopt fiscal anchors to support monetary policy.

Can you reassure the Senate that your government is going to submit a responsible fiscal framework before moving ahead with the New Democratic Party shopping list?

Senator Gold: Thank you for the question. I will reiterate that in the weeks and months to come, we expect to receive an interim report from the government. I am sure it will be prudent, responsible and balanced.

[English]

Senator Gold: Thank you. I do not know, and I am not in a position to predict what the government’s plan is. As you point out, provinces acting within their jurisdiction have taken that step, and I think the evidence that will accrue over time with that experience would, and certainly should, inform decisions made at the national level.

[Translation]

Senator Boisvenu: These illegal weapons have entered penitentiaries by way of drones. For the past eight years, the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers has been asking your government to provide modern, effective equipment to detect these drones, given that correctional officers aren’t detecting even 1 in 100 of them right now. Why are you going to invest a billion dollars in buying back legal weapons that you’ve made illegal when you haven’t invested a penny in penitentiaries to control illegal weapons for eight years?

Hon. Colin Deacon: Honourable senators, this morning, the Competition Bureau released a review of various measures of competition and economic activity in Canada between 2000 and 2020. The bureau found that concentration rose in our most concentrated sectors because of consolidation and fewer firms entering those sectors. Consequently, our biggest firms are less and less challenged by competitors, resulting in increasing markups and profits.

Colleagues, the state of competition in Canada is threatening our prosperity, contributing to our rising cost of living and entrenching the dominance of incumbents. Weak competition laws have created oligopolies in banking, telecom, airlines, groceries and beyond. Many oligopolies have become so dominant that they have the luxury of serving the interests of their shareholders without having to first concern themselves with the interests of their customers.

Colleagues, you can never regulate a company into being customer-centric. Only competition makes that happen.

We’ve reached the point in Canada where our oligopolies are actually protected from competition because innovative new entrants can’t afford the cost of our country’s complex and cumbersome regulatory burden. It’s a sad irony that in many sectors our regulations, initially intended to protect citizens, now do a better job of protecting the interests of incumbent oligopolies.

Conversely, a lack of regulatory protections in the area of personal data privacy has increased the dominance of some of the largest companies, both domestic and foreign. Specifically, once we press “I accept,” our personal data is vacuumed out of the country by big tech or into the control of our oligopolies. To give you a sense of the scale, it is estimated that each Canadian produces an average of 1.7 megabytes of data per second, equivalent to about 850 pages of text.

All of this can change if Parliament begins to prioritize the passage of Bill C-27, the digital charter implementation act. The bill includes a data mobility right, enabling Canadians to securely move their data from those who currently control it to organizations that they trust will better serve their needs, tilting the currently uneven playing field away from oligopolies and big tech toward Canadian consumers.

But implementing that right takes a whole-of-government approach. For example, only the Minister of Finance can grant Canadians the ability to use their financial data for their benefit versus the banks’. Canada needs to take a whole-of-government approach to ensure that every policy and regulation is pro‑competitive. The Competition Bureau’s report illustrates the results of inaction.

Urgent change is needed.

Thank you, colleagues.

Senator Kutcher: Thank you for that, Senator Gold. Given the rampant disinformation being shared widely on social media during this Israel-Hamas war — and indeed during other wars such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — Canadians need to have access to valid and fully fact-checked information in a timely and trusted way.

What plans does Canada have to ensure that Canadians can have this kind of access? When will that happen?

Senator Housakos: That is another very good question, senator. Canada, as you know, is a signatory to a number of treaties, particularly the Dublin treaty. We have no time for cluster munitions. We recognize that when countries enter a time of war, sometimes you even have signatories to these conventions that take drastic steps. We can get into a debate about how justified this is at various times; I’m always of the opinion that war and violence are never justified, except in self‑defence. If someone attacks my home, family and people, with all due respect to treaties and other commitments we have, all bets are off.

These are case-by-case decisions for our government and our Parliament when it comes to those particular times. You are absolutely right — we trade economically and have allies around the world who are not always completely aligned with us on everything. Cluster munitions is one of them. As we know, our largest trading partner and strongest political ally has engaged in constructing, building and selling them. I believe what this bill does is reinforce in our bilateral relationship with them that this is not something that we will tolerate. We won’t tolerate being pressured into reversing our position, and my understanding and sense is that, hopefully, it will help reinforce those on the other side of the border of the forty-ninth parallel who are of the view that the Americans can defend themselves in an appropriate fashion without using this hugely destructive tool in the art of war. There are many weapons in the art of war that can be used in self-defence, and, for that matter, in offensive operations as well.

(On motion of Senator Patterson (Nunavut), debate adjourned.)

On Other Business, Reports of Committees, Other, Order No. 40, by the Honourable Bernadette Clement:

Consideration of the fourth report of the Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources, entitled Hydrogen: A Viable Option for a Net‑Zero Canada in 2050?, tabled in the Senate on May 9, 2023.

Senator Housakos: As I mentioned, Senator Gold, of course, the legislation is non-prescriptive. We don’t want to handcuff the government, but there are measures needed in terms of putting the framework together. I really want to ask, on behalf of this chamber, that a gentle and polite reminder be sent to the minister that there is a timeline; the time is ticking. The bill was unanimously supported in this chamber and in the House. We will follow this closely and make sure that they follow the guidelines of the bill.

Senator Gold: As you properly should. Of course, I’m always gentle and polite with ministers, especially those with whom I’ve had the privilege of working for many years. The current Minister of Health — a former House leader — and I have a good relationship. I would be pleased to mention this to him at the next suitable occasion.

Senator McCallum: Thank you. Your Honour, I rise pursuant to rule 13-4(a) to raise a question of privilege without notice. This rule reads:

If a Senator becomes aware of a matter giving rise to a question of privilege either after the time for giving a written notice or during the sitting, the Senator may either:

(a) raise it during the sitting without notice at any time, except during Routine Proceedings, Question Period or a vote, but otherwise generally following the provisions of this chapter . . . .

When my office raised my attention to this subject matter this afternoon — after reading the scroll that was circulated to my office from the Chamber Operations and Procedure Office today at 12:27 p.m., and cross-referencing Government Motion No. 132 against the Order Paper — this activity fell within the three-hour minimum for notice to be given prior to the sitting, as required under rule 13-3(1). As such, this question of privilege falls legitimately under the aforementioned rule 13-4(a).

Your Honour, I am very concerned about Government Motion No. 132, and the ramifications it will have on effectively limiting the time for debate on non-government or other business — items that are already afforded precious little time for consideration in this place.

Based on the seeming lack of concern or urgency surrounding this motion, I am led to believe that this item most likely came about through conversations and agreement between the Government Representative Office, or GRO, and the four leaders, or their representatives, on the matter.

However, since these leaders do not represent non-affiliated senators, such agreements are not applicable to us, as we have no involvement in or forewarning of such discussions, or the decisions they lead to.

As a senator, I made the difficult choice to become non‑affiliated because of the marginalization, inequity and lack of support I felt as a member of an established group. I find that I now continue to be treated as unequal — this time due to my conscious decision to sit as non-affiliated — even though the Senate prides itself on the principle of equality of senators. I have written numerous letters to the four leaders about such concerns surrounding the lack of involvement of myself and my fellow non-affiliated senators in decisions that greatly impact not only us but also the people we represent. Is such marginalization not representative of the status quo of how things were done 100, 50 or even 10 years ago?

Further meaningful change is needed in light of enduring policies and processes that are outdated and, frankly, discriminatory. I was yet again not consulted before this decision was reached. This instance continues a dangerous exclusion of non-affiliated senators wherein I continue to be excluded from the meaningful process of negotiation. This reality continues to impact my duties as a senator — a senator who is Cree, First Nations and a woman that brings critical life-and-death issues to the floor for the people I serve.

There is other business that is critical to the people we represent — those segments of the population that are excluded from the majority represented in the other place. This other business is extremely important, and often broadens our perspectives of incoming legislation to ensure that we do the right thing for Canadians. As senators, we have a sacred responsibility that comes with the term “honourable” — to debate on issues so we can increase our awareness, knowledge and wisdom, and act accordingly.

As this motion will result in the foregoing of countless hours’ worth of time that would typically be set aside to discuss other business for the duration of this session, we continue to marginalize the very people we are supposed to represent.

As such, Your Honour, I would like to request your ruling on this matter of whether my privilege is being breached when I am forced to be party to a deal that I was not involved in and gave no agreement to, and which limits my ability to listen, to speak and to raise questions on matters of critical import to those I represent in this chamber. Thank you.

Senator Miville-Dechêne: I would point out, however, that Europe has managed to reach a compromise with Google.

Here at home, if we don’t find a compromise quickly and Google carries out its threat — and I hope it doesn’t — Canadian media will suffer significant consequences. Does the government have a plan to deal with that possibility?

Senator Housakos: Thank you, Senator Lankin, for both of those questions. They are very important. You’re absolutely right — when you’re dealing with questions of intelligence and national security, there are things that we’re not privy to as parliamentarians, nor should we be. That’s why this bill is not prescriptive in that regard. It was amended to make sure ministers have the flexibility to be able to work within the confines of the information that they have.

Of course, I can go on and we can have a whole debate about our intelligence and security structure. You know very well from the position you sit in how efficient, agile, open and transparent it is. These are not easy solutions to resolve in a debate on the floor, but I hope they will be resolved because I believe they are causing challenges. We have seen far too often members of Parliament who are part of the executive branch and seem to not obtain certain information in a timely fashion, as they should have. That’s another debate for another time.

I think the bill is non-prescriptive. It gives full flexibility to the minister to share whatever information they want to share when they appear before a parliamentary committee, and they won’t be bound by recommendations from parliamentarians. What I think they will have is another intelligence source, because parliamentarians, especially those interested in human rights, work with various NGOs. We work with parliament-to-parliament relationships with democracies around the world, and also with countries that fall on the list of less democratic or, in some cases, even rogue countries. Even those parliamentarians in this chamber and in the House will be able to provide, I hope, added value and intelligence to the executive branch of government.

As you know from our debates on Bill C-11 and Bill C-18, I am a hawk on freedom of speech and not censoring any opinions, but even I believe there comes a point in time when we have to draw a line in the sand. That includes when we’re dealing with countries that are not aligned with our values, or with blatantly undemocratic tyrants who are trampling all over rights, privileges and democracy in their own countries. I’ll name some of those countries: China, Iran — Russia, of course, is right up there. I could go on. There comes a point in time when we say that enough is enough. When we see that they engage in deliberate cyberattacks and infiltration to gain influence over our economies, intellectual properties and institutions, we have to make those collective decisions, even though they go against unfettered freedom of expression. Of course, we have to do it in a diligent fashion.

Even in these latest updated amendments made to the Broadcasting Act, we took deliberate steps to try to create a framework for what the CRTC will find acceptable or not acceptable for Canadians to post and read. I don’t want to relitigate that debate, but we did not address what I believe is a far more serious issue — giving the CRTC the tools to act diligently and with the speed required to combat the misinformation coming from these rogue nations.

Senator Gold: In a free and democratic society, there are serious limits to what the government can or should even attempt to do to guarantee so-called truth information. We rely upon citizens and others. The Government of Canada works with its international partners, including the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism, the Media Freedom Coalition and the Freedom Online Coalition to share accurate information. That is on the supply side. It is working with its international partners and partners here to detect, correct and call out disinformation, whatever its source.

Senator Gold: As my late father wisely taught me, we don’t negotiate in public.

That said, the government is certain it can address these issues through regulatory processes and ongoing discussions with tech giants. It remains in contact with stakeholders. Updates will be provided in due course.

[English]

Hon. Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu: Colleagues, her castanets and heels are forever silenced. Nicknamed Quebec’s flamenco ambassador, Sonia del Rio made an international name for herself in classical Spanish dance.

Last Friday, surrounded by her loved ones, my cousin Sonia Boisvenu, better known by her stage name, Sonia del Rio, left us at the age of 83.

Sonia was born in Rouyn-Noranda on January 29, 1940. That’s the same part of the province I was born in. She was very proud of her Abitibi roots. As the magnificent ambassador of flamenco to Quebec, Sonia led a remarkable career both here and abroad, living and working for many years in Europe and collaborating with the greatest masters of the vibrant Iberian dance. She became an international star of classical Spanish dance and flamenco, an art she also taught, in addition to performing castanet concerts.

In the 1950s, she studied classical ballet and Spanish dance. Her career took off in that same decade with numerous performances in Montreal cabarets. She shared the stage with Michel Louvain, Muriel Millard, les Jérolas, Monique Gaube and Jean Grimaldi, as well as actors such as Olivier Guimond, Manda Parent and Claude Blanchard. All were charmed by her grace and talent.

In 1960, my cousin Sonia went off to Europe to perfect her art and pursue her career there. She settled in Paris, where she performed at the Théâtre de L’Étoile, before moving to Spain, where she studied classical dance, folk dance and flamenco.

In 1974, she become the first and only Canadian to graduate from the Advanced School of Dramatic Arts and Dance in Madrid. Upon her return to Quebec in the 1990s, she taught ballet at Les Grands Ballets canadiens, a dance that was part of every fibre of her being.

I have very fond memories of my cousin Sonia, who was very proud of her Boisvenu family, her home in Abitibi, her province of Quebec and her country, Canada, which she put on the map overseas. I am very proud of her unique career, but I am especially proud of the woman and cousin she was.

She made every family gathering an emotional, caring and happy time, even though it was rare for her to attend such gatherings when she was living in Europe. The whole family was overjoyed when she returned to Canada in the 1990s. She had so many stories to tell about her career in the “old countries,” as our parents liked to say.

Sonia was laid to rest yesterday in Sainte-Adèle, and I want to once again express my condolences to her husband Claude, her son Sébastien, and all her loved ones who are with us or who are watching right now.

Rest in peace, my dear cousin, and go dance with the many members of the Boisvenu family who have already passed on to the other side. I am sure that you are already surrounded by loved ones.

[English]

Hon. Senators: Hear, hear!

Hon. Brian Francis: Honourable senators, I am pleased to rise today to celebrate the achievement of a colleague and a friend. This weekend, Mount Saint Vincent University, or MSVU, will bestow an honorary degree on one of our own, Senator Jane Cordy. She joins another colleague, Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard, who was also recognized by the university in the spring.

As Senator Cordy told us last month when congratulating her alma mater on its one hundred and fiftieth anniversary, Mount Saint Vincent University is dedicated to the advancement of women and girls. Their Doctor of Humane Letters:

. . . honours worthy recipients who have contributed to the betterment of society and humanity in any field, but in particular, improvement of the status of women, contribution to higher education, humanitarian and social service, involvement with and fostering of culture and the arts, or leadership in a field of endeavour. . . .

In announcing this distinction, MSVU highlighted some of the past work of Senator Cordy, including her teaching career before she was appointed to this chamber. Her work on various landmark Senate reports was noted, particularly the report of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology titled Out of the Shadows at Last, and her commitment to seniors, like her role on the Special Senate Committee on Aging.

As the current dean of the Senate, it’s no surprise that Senator Cordy, the third woman to represent Nova Scotia in this place, has made a sizable contribution here, and she is not done yet.

She has been a mentor to me since I joined the Progressive Senate Group. You have truly shown what it means to be a leader. I hope you know how much I appreciate your guidance and your friendship.

Jane, we are all so proud of you and will be thinking of you on October 22. I invite all honourable senators to join me in congratulating Senator Cordy on this honour. Wela’lin. Thank you.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Her Excellency Lindita Nikolla, Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Albania; His Excellency Ermal Muça, Ambassador of the Republic of Albania in Canada; and Agron Gjekmarkaj, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Albania. They are accompanied by other members of a delegation from Albania.

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