Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question, senator. You’re absolutely right, employee ownership trusts have a number of benefits. They enable employees to share in the success of their work, they support participation in business decisions and they allow workers to receive their share of the profits.

Budget 2023 announced the government’s commitment to create these trusts while consulting, as properly they should, with stakeholders to address remaining barriers. Budget 2023 proposed to introduce tax changes to facilitate the creation of these trusts. The government has consulted with stakeholders to see how best to enhance employee rights and to enhance their participation in the governance of employee ownership trusts, and will have more to say in due course.

Hon. Patti LaBoucane-Benson (Legislative Deputy to the Government Representative in the Senate) tabled the reply to Question No. 234, dated June 6, 2023, appearing on the Order Paper and Notice Paper in the name of the Honourable Senator Carignan, P.C., regarding the proportion of federal employees teleworking.