Hon. Tony Loffreda: Thank you, minister, for being with us today. Could you elaborate further on these important issues? I noted in your progress report on Canada’s Rural Economic Development Strategy, released in August 2021, that one of your key priorities is to help address housing pressures by building or renovating over 9,000 units of affordable housing in rural and Indigenous communities.

Could you provide us with an update on this initiative and elaborate further? I might also add that home affordability is obviously a significant issue, but home accessibility and availability are equally important. How is the government helping address some of the real estate pressures and challenges in rural communities? Does your agency have targeted measures or policies in place to encourage new Canadians, immigrants and refugees to consider rural communities as a place to call home?

Hon. Tony Loffreda: Honourable senators, I rise to pay tribute to the 2022 Aurora Prize Laureate, Ms. Jamila Afghani, who joins us today from the gallery. I thank Senator Housakos for highlighting the significance of this prestigious award.

Earlier this afternoon, we hosted a reception in honour of Ms. Afghani’s outstanding humanitarian achievements and commitment to her people, particularly the women and girls of her native Afghanistan.

Ms. Afghani is an educator, a former deputy minister, a human rights defender and, perhaps more importantly, a strong voice of reason and strength for the women of her country, who have been silenced, degraded and stripped of their fundamental human rights by the discriminatory and inhumane Taliban regime.

Ms. Afghani currently leads the Afghanistan section of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom and she is also the founder and president of the Noor Educational & Capacity Development Organization. She has helped empower and educate thousands of Afghan women and given them a sense of purpose and value by establishing libraries and home schools, arranging capacity-building training and psychosocial wellness sessions, offering support and guidance to women-led businesses and providing humanitarian and financial aid to families in need.

In a moving video tribute by the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, Ms. Afghani shares her heart-wrenching story and reminds us that she has been a refugee a total of six times in her life. Thanks to the generosity and kindness of countless individuals, Jamila, her husband and children have successfully made their way to Kitchener, Ontario, where, despite being nearly 10,000 kilometres away from home, she continues her advocacy.

Ms. Afghani recently explained that she hopes to return to her country to continue her work in support of women’s rights. We all hope that day is soon, but we urge you to consider your safety and well-being above all before returning home. Until then, I know all honourable senators join me in reminding you of how lucky we are to have you here in Canada. I hope you and your family have felt welcomed, appreciated and respected.

Ms. Afghani, your service to humanity and your desire to do good for the women and girls of your country are admirable and certainly deserving of the 2022 Aurora Prize.

I stand here before you, in the Senate of Canada, a place where freedom is protected, where democracy is upheld and where peace is valued, in admiration of your many achievements and in solidarity with you, your people and your country. You are truly an inspiration.

I conclude with a quote from Randy Pausch:

In life you cannot choose the cards you are dealt but you can and do choose the way you play the hand.

Thank you for choosing Canada.