Hon. Leo Housakos: I request that further debate be adjourned in my name for the balance of my time.

Hon. Leo Housakos: It’s fantastic that the government leader is drawing on past experiences. I will remind some of the new senators who have arrived here that in the pre-Trudeau Senate there used to be Liberal senators sitting in the opposition who would check the public accounts and hold our government to account daily. There are very few left. But you remember those days. Senator Mitchell was definitely part of that crew.

Now, government leader, let me tell you something else about those good old days. When a minister would go somewhere, like London, and spend $16 on a glass of orange juice, the opposition made sure they were held to account. Do you know what happened to that minister? A few days later, she lost her job. That’s what’s called accountability, and all of us should practise some of it.

Furthermore, I would also like to point out to your earlier answer. Somebody just checked the River Suite at the hotel that you claim was “price surged” during the Queen’s funeral, and as of a few days ago, it was still $6,000 a night. So that excuse doesn’t hold water.

It is time to shine more light on government and ensure that it remains focused on the people it is meant to serve. . . .

That’s a quote, government leader. That’s a quote that I’m not sure you recognize, senator, but it is a quote taken from Justin Trudeau’s Liberal platform in 2015.

Senator Gold, do you agree with the objective of shining more light on government? If so, how would you justify your government and your own stonewalling on answering a simple question about who stayed in a suite that cost $35,000? Once we find out who it is, explain to us why? There might be a legitimate explanation. I’d love to hear it. $35,000 for six nights. Who stayed in that suite and why? It’s a simple question, and it’s in the public accounts. Taxpayers need to know.

Senator Housakos: Senator Gold, it would be bad enough if this were a one-time lapse in judgment on the part of this Prime Minister, but it’s not. It’s a pattern. In the past seven years, Justin Trudeau has broken the law with his vacation on “billionaire islands,” has jetted back and forth across the country on the taxpayer dime to go surfing, bungee jumping and to hang out with celebrities. Now, the cherry on top: he stayed in a $7,000‑a‑night luxury suite with a private butler so he could ham it up at the piano bar with Gregory Charles, all on the taxpayers’ dime. Of course, at a funeral mourning the Queen.

Senator Gold, you don’t think that’s a question worth answering on behalf of the people who footed the bill? At the end of the day, you’re the government leader and a member of the Privy Council. But you are also our representative in this chamber. You sit on Privy Council for a reason: in order to provide us accountable answers to questions.

Quite frankly, it’s just not appropriate for weeks and days to not be able to answer on behalf of your role to this chamber and through this chamber to the taxpayers: Who stayed in that room? It’s not a complicated question.

Hon. Leo Housakos: Honourable senators, in the words of a famous senator, I will be brief this evening.

I rise to participate in debate on Bill S-246, an act respecting Lebanese Heritage Month designating the month of November as Lebanese Heritage Month, a motion that has been sponsored by the Honourable Senator Cordy, and seconded by the Honourable Senator Dalphond. Of course, I am the critic of the bill, but a very friendly critic of this bill.

I think each and every one of us should recognize that this is an important bill — important for the Canadian Lebanese community and for all of us. Even though I heard through the years some senators sometimes rise and say that we have too many designated dates and months, the reality of the matter is that Canada is essentially strong because of all the sums of all our parts. It is imperative that all our parts feel that Canadian family and recognition.

Of course, the Lebanese community is one of those communities that has made tremendous contributions. They first arrived in this country in 1880, and through a river of immigration have come and flowed into the country decade after decade, making huge contributions in all walks of life. When they arrived here, many of them through Pier 21 in 1880 — they arrived like all of us did. It doesn’t matter if we are direct immigrants or children of immigrants. We all have fled someplace in the world because of conflict, poverty or political strife. We all come to this country, and what do we seek? We seek freedom, democracy and opportunity. It doesn’t matter if it’s the people who are Indigenous to this land or the two founding peoples of this Confederation or everybody in between.

We’ve all come here and we have laid our stake and we’ve built. The Lebanese community who came here — the first arrivals in 1818 — they all engaged in various trades: the mining industry, agriculture, of course. Many of them were itinerant peddlers who sold and bought products from coast to coast and they flourished, and they have made their contribution in many ways.

The first immigrant who arrived right here in Ottawa — her name is Annie Midlige — and she settled in Ottawa, colleagues, in 1895 and started her own fur trading company. Imagine; she wasn’t intimidated by the Hudson’s Bay Company whatsoever. She started her own company right here in Ottawa and she flourished.

In British Columbia there were two brothers, Abraham and Farris Ray, who began their careers in Victoria as itinerant peddlers.

In Alberta, the first Lebanese immigrants who arrived there were a gentleman named Ali Abouchadi, later known as Alexander Hamilton, and his uncle Sine Abouchadi. In 1905, they started peddling goods between Edmonton and Lac La Biche. By the 1920s, Mr. Alex Hamilton was one of the most successful businessmen in that particular town.

In Prince Edward Island, by 1905, there were two dozen Lebanese licensed peddlers on the Island, and before you knew it, they had branched out into various enterprises and businesses.

Of course, in every part of the country we see the Lebanese community. They’ve set up vibrant communities in terms of cultural centres, religious centres, and, of course, they are famous for their great entrepreneurial spirit. Who hasn’t enjoyed Lebanese and Mediterranean food like I did, of course, today at lunch? In every region of the country, they have very much become part of the fibre of our diet in many ways.

Colleagues, it’s more than that. They’re integrated very well. They’re multilingual immigrants when they arrive here. In large part, of the 250,000-strong Canadians of Lebanese descent, many are in the most beautiful city in this country, Montreal, my own town, where they are business leaders, community leaders and academics.

Senator Gold will also recognize that. I think this is one issue we will be in agreement about. I think they’ve made a fantastic contribution.

Further to that, when they arrived here, they did what they had to do, like all immigrants. My late mom always said to me — I asked her, “What was the driving reason you came here?” She said:

Look, where I came from you would work as hard as you want and it seems you’d never be getting anywhere. When you come to Canada, it’s very simple. You work hard, and the harder you work, the further you get.

A couple of weeks ago, I was walking into one of my favourite ice cream parlours. There is a gentleman named Sam; he is of Lebanese descent. He owns three parlours across the city of Montreal, a very successful man. He immigrated back around 25 years ago. He works extremely hard and is well-to-do. I said, “Sam, you’re working very hard. You are of a certain age. You don’t need to be working this hard.” He said:

Look, Canada afforded me great things. Because where I came from I worked very, very hard and I didn’t seem to get anywhere. Here, the harder I work, the further I get, and it’s a wonderful thing.

It just brought literally word for word the memories that my late mom shared with me, someone who came through the Port of Halifax in 1957 with a dream.

The Lebanese community, every single one of the immigrants, came with a dream and have attained that dream. If you look at the success stories in all walks of life — I did a little bit of research and, of course, senators, MPs, business people and academics. Right in this chamber, when I first arrived here, of course, there was my former colleague senator Mac Harb. Very quickly I learned he was of proud Lebanese descent. Parliamentarians on the House side: former parliamentarians like Allan Koury, who was elected in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve as a Conservative in Montreal in 1988; Maria Mourani, who was elected; and Eva Nassif; and, of course, my good friend Fayçal El-Khoury, who is currently the Member of Parliament for Laval—Les Îles; and, of course, Ziad Aboultaif, my good friend, I think, from the riding of Edmonton Manning, who is a great representative of the Lebanese community.

Former premier Joe Ghiz from Prince Edward Island. Colleagues, not only is he of Lebanese descent but he was also the first premier elected in Canada who was not of European descent, and that was a historic and a proud element that the Lebanese community celebrates all the time.

Walter Assef, the Mayor of Thunder Bay, Ontario. Eddie Francis, the Mayor of Windsor.

Of course, in the academic field, Henry Habib — Professor Habib; Dr. Justine Sergent, a famous neurologist in Canada; Professor Gad Saad, who teaches at the John Molson School of Business, which I know Senator Loffreda is very much affiliated with.

Lebanese Canadians are very proud of artists like Keanu Reeves, who was born in Beirut and raised in Toronto. Of course, all of us, Canadians of all origins are very proud of the fact that Keanu Reeves is someone of Lebanese and Canadian background.

Of course, Kristina Maria, a singer my kids informed me about. It’s a little bit more their speed; I’m still the old guy. My kids call me “boomer.” So here I am.

Of course, Marwan Hage, who played in the Canadian Football League for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. And, of course, we all know Nazem Kadri, the Stanley Cup champion who is now playing for the Calgary Flames.

And there is a long list of entrepreneurs and business people, starting with Kevin O’Leary, who have made great contributions to this country.

It doesn’t end there. The Lebanese community didn’t only come here in order to work and succeed commercially, academically and professionally, but they were ready to fight when it was time for that freedom that they cherish so much and that opportunity called Canada. Many Lebanese Canadians answered the call to service in World War I and World War II and proudly fought for their freedom, so much so giving up their lives for their country called Canada.

Lieutenant Edward F. Arab, the young lawyer who was so proud of his Lebanese heritage, heroically died for Canada on the front line in Belgium. Charlie Younes was also killed while bravely fighting in action. There were many more who served and were wounded and injured, like Samuel Ross. The list goes on and on.

We thank them for their contribution to our society. Of course, the vast majority of Lebanese immigrants came to Canada between the years of 1975 and 1990. They were fleeing civil war in Lebanon, which reiterates the point that most of us have come here fleeing something and looking for something better.

I think this is a very worthy bill. I don’t think it requires any more debate or discussion. I thank Senator Cordy for putting forward this very worthy bill, and I add my voice to it and full support. Colleagues, I urge you all to support it through second reading and send it on to committee. Thank you.