Senator Gold: Your concern for the presence of Hamas on our streets is laudable. The question, though, borders on the obscene.

The fact remains it is up to the police, not the government of Canada, to enforce the criminal laws against hate speech, incitement to violence. I live across the street from the Israeli consulate. I’m very aware of the activities of those who are supporting Hamas, and I look forward to the strict application of the Canadian law in all that it entails.

Senator Gold: Thank you for your question. As you know, the joint committee has been reconvened specifically to study this important issue. The government is awaiting the report before deciding what to do about the recommendations it will contain.

[English]

Senator Housakos: Senator Gold, the only thing this tax does is punish working-class Canadians. It has created divisions in our country. Pausing the tax for one group while quadrupling it for another is completely unfair.

Senator Gold, just admit it — Justin Trudeau isn’t making decisions to benefit Canadians. He’s making decisions to try to save his sinking political ship. Also, just admit that the Prime Minister is not worth the cost for Canadian taxpayers and only Pierre Poilievre and a majority Conservative government will keep the heat on for all Canadians.

Senator Boyer: If you’re taking this information from the website and you didn’t directly say, “Where do those members come from,” then you don’t know that answer, do you?

Senator Forest: It is all about representation. If I understand correctly, the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, which is a very good organization that does a lot of work to promote the cause of Indigenous people, is not necessarily an elected organization.

What your amendment is proposing is to formally reserve a seat on the council for the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples. Why that organization and not some other national organization? Would it not be appropriate for us to instead set out criteria for selecting an organization? People may or may not be members of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples. If I were an Indigenous person who was not a member of that organization, I might not feel as though it could speak on my behalf.

I have a problem with arbitrarily granting this organization a seat on the council.

[English]

Senator Gold: I’ll certainly convey the question. Absolutely.

Senator McCallum: Okay. I’ll ask a question.

[Translation]

Senator Boyer: Thank you.

Senator Tannas: It’s a very good point. Again, it goes to the heart of one of the discussions we had, which was that we have the three national rights-holders organizations. There were two other organizations that are also national organizations funded by the government, et cetera. If they had stuck with the three, we would have had a very consistent position that we all could have gotten our minds around.

When they added the other two in committee, and then took one out, we wound up with something that we could not rationally explain — except to say that CAP is not a worthy organization. We’ve heard about that today.

If that is the case, then let the government say it. Let the other national organizations say it by asking the government to remove CAP specifically, and send it back to us with that stripped — that will diminish the work, surely, that CAP has done in the past, but at least there will be some honesty around the whole process.

Senator Dalphond: Thank you, Senator Boisvenu.

Honourable senators, we would have to also compare the growth rates of Nova Scotia and British Columbia in terms of population and economic output, for example. We must note that there are many possible explanations for the increase in greenhouse gas emissions, because the more factories there are, the more carbon emissions are produced.

Senator Boisvenu, you’re absolutely right in saying that the fight against climate change requires determination. We can’t look at the numbers in the abstract. We need to tackle the problem head-on, specifically by cutting greenhouse gas emissions. That’s what the carbon tax does, and it’s designed to change behaviours. Economists, including Nobel Prize winners, have said so. Everyone agrees that this is the best policy.

Thank you.

[English]

Senator Martin: Yes, the new minister, Minister Anandasangaree, did appear. When I asked the question regarding CAP and we were talking about the inclusion or the exclusion, he was new to the file, so he didn’t specifically talk about the criteria. To me, it’s still unclear. I believe that CAP should be included.

Senator Clement: Thank you for those comments, Senator Batters. Of course, I agree with you. All of us around that committee table were troubled by the fact that there wasn’t sufficient data to justify this bill or prove it would work.

My efforts regarding making amendments to this bill revolved around compromise and trying to find a way to make this better — or less bad — for the people who end up in prisons and Indigenous women in particular.

Senator Boisvenu: Honourable senators, I think an important clarification needs to be made. We are studying a bill that deals with domestic violence involving a firearm. It does not address all cases of domestic violence, only those committed with a firearm.

Madam Senator, don’t you think that when a woman is assaulted, if the man, the assailant, has used a firearm, we’re looking at one of the most violent cases?

Senator Cotter: The research that was provided to me was the late 1600s. I think they have slightly deteriorated since then.

(On motion of Senator MacDonald, debate adjourned.)

On the Order:

Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Gold, P.C., seconded by the Honourable Senator Gagné, for the second reading of Bill C-232, An Act respecting Arab Heritage Month.

Senator Martin: I don’t agree that we should not include CAP. That’s why I’ve moved this amendment. As you said, there are the three rights-holding organizations: the Assembly of First Nations, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and Métis National Council, and the Native Women’s Association of Canada, which is different, but they are included and they are deserving. I feel the same way about CAP. We can agree to disagree, but I’m explaining why I believe that CAP shouldn’t have been removed and should have a guaranteed seat.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, there have been consultations and there is an agreement to allow a photographer in the Senate Chamber to photograph the introduction of a new senator.

Is it agreed, honourable senators?

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I have the honour to inform the Senate that the Clerk of the Senate has received a certificate from the Registrar General of Canada showing that Rodger Cuzner has been summoned to the Senate.

[English]

Senator Boisvenu: No, I think we’re ready to vote on the matter.

Senator Boisvenu: Would you be willing to answer a question or two?