Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Government leader, the Trudeau government told Canadians that it would somehow find $15 billion in savings this year, despite not once following through on their other promises to find savings. In fact, the Trudeau government did just what Canadians have come to expect from them. They spent even more money, and they spent it on consultants.

KPMG was given a contract worth just under $670,000 to tell the Trudeau government how to spend less money — hear this — on consultants. Unbelievable. This would be a joke if it didn’t involve so many hard-earned taxpayers’ dollars.

Leader, I know you don’t like to hear it, but every day Prime Minister Trudeau shows Canadians that he’s not worth the cost. How does your government possibly justify this waste?

Hon. Patti LaBoucane-Benson (Legislative Deputy to the Government Representative in the Senate): Honourable senators, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, a Charter Statement prepared by the Minister of Justice in relation to Bill S-14, An Act to amend the Canada National Parks Act, the Canada National Marine Conservation Areas Act, the Rouge National Urban Park Act and the National Parks of Canada Fishing Regulations, pursuant to the Department of Justice Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. J-2, sbs. 4.2(1).

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you, Senator Marshall. You put your finger on a real and serious problem, a problem that this government is confronting and, indeed, previous governments have confronted. Regrettably, colleagues, those of you who have worked in business or in IT in large organizations will find the story rather familiar.

Spending lots of money — and it always costs lots of money to update IT systems — is never something of particular appeal to voters, much less to governments seeking to deliver the goods to the electors in areas where electors feel the need.

As a result, generations of governments have regrettably not invested sufficiently in the infrastructure. We have reached the point now where — as you have properly pointed out, and it’s only the tip of the iceberg — the problem is significant.

This government is seized with this problem. I can tell you that with some confidence. It will make every effort within the budgetary constraints imposed on us to at least take steps forward to address this problem.

Hon. Senators: Hear, hear.

Hon. Andrew Cardozo: My question is for the Government Representative in the Senate.

Climate change is causing frequent and intense extreme weather events as well as increasing temperatures. The most recent examples are the resulting emergencies we experienced this past year with wildfires and flooding.

As the debate on climate change gallops along, we tend to lose sight of where we started and where we started this discussion. I want to go back to first principles as a starting point, primarily for Canadians who are watching us. What are the most serious climate change issues, and what are governments in Canada and elsewhere doing about them? What do we need to be doing as a society?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question. This is an important issue and part of Canada’s commitment to advance economic reconciliation by supporting Indigenous businesses through a variety of means, including federal procurement policies.

It’s premature for me to be able to measure the success of this program, but I can say that as of March 24, 2022, PSPC has awarded 42 contracts worth over $197 million to self-identified Indigenous businesses in response to the pandemic and issues that flowed from that. I am also advised that the government does expect that all departments and agencies will meet or exceed the 5% target no later than the end of fiscal 2024-25.

The Hon. the Speaker: Senator Marshall, please —

Hon. Tony Loffreda: Senator Gold, since August 2021, federal departments must ensure that a minimum of 5% of the total value of contracts are held by Indigenous businesses. I have explored this issue at the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance as part of our review of the government’s spending priorities. I have reviewed many departmental results reports, and the 5% minimum target is rarely met. For instance, Public Services and Procurement Canada, or PSPC, is struggling and hopes to increase these contracts from a projected 2.1% to 5% in just two years. That’s a big undertaking.

As our chair often reminds us, our committee shares a common denominator with the government, which is a desire for transparency, accountability, predictability and reliability for all Canadians, when we review federal spending. Two years into this directive, can you speak to us about the success of this measure?

Hon. Chantal Petitclerc: My question is for the Government Representative in the Senate.

[English]

Senator Gold, most Canadians enjoy their flights while watching a movie, working or resting. Wheelchair users spend their flights stressed, not knowing whether they will have a wheelchair when they land.

Stephanie Cadieux, Canada’s Chief Accessibility Officer, realized after arriving in Vancouver recently that her wheelchair had been left in Toronto. Rodney Hodgins lives with spastic cerebral palsy. He had to lower himself to the floor and drag himself off a plane because the airline didn’t provide him with his wheelchair. A few weeks ago, I had a less dramatic but equally frustrating experience boarding a flight.

The adoption of the Accessible Canada Act in 2019 promised to make Canada a barrier-free country and made all persons with disabilities optimistic. Clearly, however, airlines are not conforming effectively with the Accessible Canada Act. What is the government doing about that?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question and for reminding those in the chamber who have perhaps not visited Nunavut, as I have, of the very different circumstances with regard to fuel, energy, food security and the like that residents of Nunavut face on a day‑to‑day basis.

I don’t have the answer to your question, but I will bring to it the attention of the minister. I have every confidence that the government will consider how to adapt the program for the specific circumstances that are unique to the North.

Senator D. Patterson: Thank you. I appreciate that.

Senator Gold, as you know, the reason behind this tax break was to give folks more time to transition to clean energy. I’m not aware, though, of a single heat pump in Nunavut, nor are we anywhere close to being able to provide reliable, redundant, clean energy options to Nunavummiut.

So, Senator Gold, I’d also like to ask you this question: How will your government ensure that, after three years, Nunavummiut don’t just find themselves paying more money, with no viable alternative energy option?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): First of all, let’s just agree that it’s unacceptable. Those who suffer from issues of mobility or accessibility deserve to be treated with dignity and have the same opportunities to be so treated as those of us who are not subject to those constraints.

I’m going to bring this to the attention of the relevant minister in the hope that I will get some more information, and I’ll do that with dispatch.

Hon. Dennis Glen Patterson: Senator Gold, last week, Prime Minister Trudeau introduced a three-year reprieve from the carbon tax spent on home heating fuel. However, regarding the supplies in Nunavut, because it’s a backstopped jurisdiction, it’s complicated. We buy our fuel in bulk ahead of the winter, meaning that some of that home heating fuel now being used has already been taxed. Approximately 60% of the population lives in social housing, meaning it would be the Government of Nunavut both paying those costs and getting the money back, not your average resident.

So my question to you is this: How is your government going to roll this program out in Nunavut to ensure that we are getting properly reimbursed for any carbon tax already paid and Nunavut residents feel less of a pinch through this tax break?

Hon. Mary Coyle: Senator Gold, last month, our Senators for Climate Solutions group met with experts on climate adaptation. Ryan Ness of the Canadian Climate Institute applauded Canada’s National Adaptation Strategy while pointing out some shortcomings.

Senator Gold, could you tell us when the government will create an accompanying plan to measure and report on progress and create accountability for implementation of this important national climate adaptation plan?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you. I’ll certainly make inquiries and pass that on.

Measuring progress is a critical aspect of any plan. Plans aren’t fully successful unless there are measures taken to account for progress so that course corrections can be taken. I’ll certainly bring this to the attention of the minister.

Hon. Rosemary Moodie: Senator Gold, as you know, the fall represents a challenging time for respiratory illnesses. Last year, we saw the health care system pushed to the brink because of COVID-19 and the respiratory syncytial virus, RSV, striking at the same time. We also saw pediatric drug shortages affect families across this country.

What steps is the Government of Canada taking this year to prepare for the upcoming flu season? What are the tangible ways our health care system is better prepared to handle this incoming shock that we anticipate?

Hon. Rose-May Poirier: My question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate.

On October 24, Minister Guilbeault announced a joint investment of $30 million with the Nature Conservancy of Canada, or NCC, to further protect 10 national parks, which include Kouchibouguac National Park near my home in Kent County. The press release on the NCC’s website states that the funds could be used for land purchase, donation and agreements with land owners. People in Kent County are still reeling from the expropriation of 250 families in 1960.

Government leader, can you guarantee the people of Kent County that the Liberal government will not repeat the mistakes of the past, mistreating and unjustly displacing people without consent around the park in Kouchibouguac?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for that and for reminding those of us, shamefully, who are not necessarily aware of the details of that incident in our history.

This government will do everything that it can in this program to provide for recreational and conservancy space for all of its citizens, and I have every confidence that will also include treating the residents in the area with respect. I will certainly undertake to make inquiries and pass on the understandable preoccupations of the residents of your area.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): The report to which you refer is an important report, which the government is taking seriously. There are many aspects of that report which indicate that although the government’s current plan, which is always being revised, will fall somewhat short of the targets that are identified for 2030, there are many elements of the plan that are working well, including the carbon price on pollution. If the report had one central message, it was that this is one of the most effective measures, not only in theory but in practice.

The government is committed to reaching its targets. It knows it has more work to do in collaboration with the provinces, municipalities and the private sector, and it will continue to do so in as effective and expeditious way as possible.

Hon. Leo Housakos: Senator Gold, yesterday, we heard scathing testimony in the House of Commons committee looking into the ArriveCAN outsourcing scam. The former director general of the Canada Border Services Agency, or CBSA, accused his superior of lying to the committee, in particular about who made the decision to go with GC Strategies. He testified that he had recommended Deloitte, but he was told that they were put in the penalty box. He said he was told by his superior that the decision comes from above.

The only people, Senator Gold, that the director general’s superior has above are the President of the CBSA and the minister himself. Who of the two decided to bypass not just the hundreds of IT experts in the public service but also Deloitte in favour of whichever Liberal insiders lined their pockets through GC Strategies?

I’m sure we’re all concerned, senators, aren’t we?

Who gave the order, Senator Gold? Was it the President of the CBSA, or was it the minister? Who gave the order?