Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, I rise today to speak on chapter 7 of “Team Plett’s Curling Journey.” But before I begin my remarks, I want to thank everyone in this chamber for the incredible support and kindness you showed Team Plett last Thursday.

I was personally touched by your actions, and I wish to share with you that Team Plett will forever hold dear the outstanding welcome you have given them.

Colleagues, I want to read a short note to you from Team Plett. It’s addressed:

To Senator Plett / Grandpa,

Thank you so much for allowing my team to attend such an amazing experience. We really enjoyed meeting everyone and getting to visit such a cool building.

Thank you to the staff that helped us out and showed us around.

In addition to this, thank you for such an amazing and heartfelt speech about the team. The whole experience was super fun and one worth remembering.

Love, Myla, Alyssa, Chloe and Allie

Colleagues, I also thank every one of you for all that you did to make last Thursday such a wonderful experience for Team Plett. The warm welcome came through in many ways: from the moment the Speaker introduced the team, to when Senator Cotter spoke to their curling accomplishments, to the standing ovation from every one of you in this chamber. It also continued with the presentation of medallions to each member of the team by Greg Peters, the Usher of the Black Rod. But your outstanding welcome did not end there. Colleagues, let me tell you that when the girls walked into the third-floor boardroom and saw all of you standing there, wall to wall, ready to welcome them, they were astonished and awestruck. They had never anticipated such a warm reception, and they had never thought that we would all come together in such a way.

Colleagues, your support didn’t end there, either. As many of you watched them curl online over the weekend, some of you even actually attended a game in person, and some of you recorded video messages of support.

It is, indeed, a lot of fun when we — me, and others — can find occasions where we can put aside partisanship and celebrate something that we all enjoy together.

Yes, colleagues, Team Plett was in Ottawa to curl. And they did this marvellously, as they are now the 2023 Ottawa Junior SuperSpiel champions. They went 6-0 in their continued quest for excellence.

Following the Senate’s incredible welcome from last week, I think it is fair to say that we all wish them well as they continue to travel and represent Canada wherever their curling journey brings them next.

In closing, I will add that I am proud that they represent Canada in such an amazing professional manner.

Congratulations, Team Plett!

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Lynn Cuzner, Senator Cuzner’s spouse. She is accompanied by other guests of Senator Cuzner.

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

Hon. Marie-Françoise Mégie: On Saturday, I had the opportunity to participate in the 10th anniversary of universal neonatal screening for sickle cell disease in Quebec. This disease is not only the oldest known genetic disease in the world, but also the most widespread.

I’d like to thank Wilson Sanon, president of the Sickle Cell Anemia Association of Quebec, for inviting me to the event. It was a gathering of people from the medical, pharmaceutical and community sectors, as well as people with the disease and their families, to mark this important date in the association’s history after many years of hard work.

For me, there were three takeaways. Supporting research is essential. Making information about sickle cell disease easy to understand is crucial. Setting up a national registry is vital.

This disease affects not only the people who have it, but also their family members, their friends and the community as a whole. The Food and Drug Administration’s study of a cure for the disease marks a major turning point.

I’m counting on Canada to be a leader in the fight against sickle cell disease.

Thank you.

[English]

Hon. Paula Simons: I rise today to pay tribute to the new justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, Mary Moreau, former chief justice of the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta. She is an outstanding jurist.

I am speaking French in her honour, in recognition of the work she has done all her life to stand up for the rights of Franco‑Albertans.

Ms. Moreau was born into a bilingual family. Her father, Joseph Paul Moreau, was a strong advocate of French-language education. A French school in Edmonton bears his name today. Justice Moreau’s mother was anglophone, but she embraced her husband’s idea that their eight children should be educated in French.

As a young lawyer, Mary Moreau won a landmark case arguing that Albertans had the right to be tried in French. She argued that the rights of francophones in what was then the Northwest Territories were not abolished when Alberta joined Confederation.

In another prominent case, she won the right for Franco‑Albertans to be educated in French-language schools, and not just in immersion programs.

In addition to constitutional law, she also practised criminal law, family law and business law, in both French and English, while also raising her four children. Her husband told this revealing story about his wife, during her early days as a judge, when she was only 38 years old:

Mary was conducting her first criminal jury trial, at which time she was approximately nine and a half months pregnant with our daughter. The jury was all male, took nine minutes to acquit her client, and then quickly returned to the courtroom, urging Mary to go directly to the hospital.

Later, she argued a case before the Supreme Court while very pregnant. The judges begged her to sit down while making her arguments, but she declined.

Now, at last, she will take her place alongside her colleagues at the Supreme Court.

Congratulations, Madam Justice. We here in Edmonton are very proud of you. Thank you.

Hon. Victor Oh: Honourable senators, I stand before you today to highlight the enduring relationship between Vietnam and Canada as we celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of our diplomatic relations.

Since this establishment in 1973, our partnership has evolved into a multi-faceted collaboration. We have engaged in trade, development cooperation, educational exchanges and cultural interactions, among others. These interactions have not only benefited both countries but also contributed to regional and global stability.

Canada has also been an active supporter of Vietnam’s development goals, particularly in areas like education, health care and sustainable development. This partnership has enhanced the well-being of our countries and has strengthened our ties.

Our relations also extend to people-to-people connections, as Vietnamese communities living in Canada have enriched our cultural diversity and contributed to our shared understanding.

I had the privilege to visit Vietnam this summer for the Ho Chi Minh City Economic Forum, which focused on environmental challenges, circular economy and promoting green-energy initiatives.

This forum was a pivotal platform for fostering sustainable and environmentally conscious economic development in the country, with attendees coming from around the globe, including industry leaders, government officials and academics. Initiatives such as these stand as a testament to Vietnam’s commitment to a greener and more sustainable future, emphasizing the importance of environmental responsibility in the economic landscape.

I would also like to acknowledge the new ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, His Excellency Vinh Quang Pham. I look forward to Canada and Vietnam’s continuous efforts to further strengthen our relationship in diplomacy, cooperation and friendship.

Thank you.

[Translation]

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of His Excellency Vinh Quang Pham, Ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to Canada. He is the guest of the Honourable Senator Oh.

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 His Excellency Vinh Quang Pham, Ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to Canada. He is the guest of the Honourable Senator Oh.

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

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for the question.

Yes, it is correct. We had a request from a senator who is not able to speak to an issue and is not able, necessarily, to speak later today, and we have acceded to that request.

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Government leader, we received word just before the Senate began sitting this afternoon that you will be reordering Government Business to put Inquiry No. 5 ahead of Government Bills. Inquiry No. 5 is about the budget the Trudeau government handed down way back in March.

Senator Gold, is it correct that you are reordering business today? If so, why are you doing it?

The Hon. the Speaker: Thank you, Senator Housakos. Senator Gold, your reply.

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

That the Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources be authorized to meet on Tuesday, November 21, 2023, at 6:30 p.m., even though the Senate may then be sitting, and that rule 12-18(1) be suspended in relation thereto.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Canada has listed the Islamic Republic of Iran, including many senior officials and the IRGC, as a regime that has engaged in terrorism and engaged in gross human-rights violations against its people, the people in the region and around the world. This is a strong measure representing Canada’s abhorrence of the state-sponsored terrorism for which the Islamic Republic of Iran is responsible.

Canada continues to hold Iran accountable through many robust measures that are already in place, including listing the IRGC Qods Force as a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code, as well as three Iran-backed regional militias that are also listed as terrorist entities.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Charlotte Yates, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Guelph, and Mellissa McDonald, Assistant Vice President, Government Relations and Community Engagement at the University of Guelph. They are the guests of the Honourable Senator Coyle.

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

Hon. Marty Klyne: Honourable senators, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the tenth report (interim) of the Standing Committee on Audit and Oversight entitled Study on the Fact-Finding Mission on Audit and Oversight Practices in the United Kingdom Parliament.

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

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

Hon. Marie-Françoise Mégie introduced Bill S-280, An Act respecting a national framework on sickle cell disease.

(Bill read first time.)

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

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

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Charlotte Yates, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Guelph, and Mellissa McDonald, Assistant Vice President, Government Relations and Community Engagement at the University of Guelph. They are the guests of the Honourable Senator Coyle.

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

The Hon. the Speaker: Thank you, Senator Housakos. Senator Gold, your reply.