Hon. Leo Housakos: Honourable senators, with leave of the Senate and notwithstanding rule 5-5(a), I move:

That the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications be authorized to meet on Thursday, December 8, 2022, even though the Senate may then be sitting, and that rule 12-18(1) be suspended in relation thereto.

Hon. Leo Housakos: My question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate.

Yesterday, the Auditor General released a scathing report on the Trudeau government’s spending during the pandemic. She found that over $4 billion was paid to individuals who were ineligible for benefits. She went on to say that payments amounting to $27 billion were suspicious.

In the House of Commons, the Minister of National Revenue suggested the Auditor General was playing political games. She said the Auditor General was pressured by the opposition to produce this report. That is obviously totally false and ridiculous. Shame on her for attacking an officer of Parliament like that.

Senator Gold, why is the government trying to discredit the work of the Auditor General?

Senator Housakos: Senator Gold, the Auditor General said that it was not effective at all. She found $27 billion in suspicious payments.

Like many of her colleagues, Minister Diane Lebouthillier is making blunder after blunder and, like her colleagues, she never apologizes. Your government is always ready to apologize for mistakes made by others years ago, but it is never ready to take responsibility for its own.

When will the minister apologize to the Auditor General of Canada?