Senator Gold: Canadians don’t have to wait because the government does take the economy seriously, as reflected not only in the details of the Fall Economic Statement, but also in the credit ratings of well-known and respected rating agencies.

Hon. Yonah Martin (Deputy Leader of the Opposition): Government leader, according to statistics released by the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy, a total of 25,809 consumers filed for insolvency, up 2.3% from the previous three months. Consumer insolvency filings have jumped nearly 25% in the third quarter of this year compared to the same time last year. With the rising costs of food, fuel and taxes, it’s clear Canadians are reaching the breaking point. Canadians need certainty, and they need relief now.

Senator Gold, when will the government provide the assurances Canadians need by cancelling their planned tax hikes?

Senator Gold: The government has no plans to “cancel their planned tax hikes.” The measures in place are responsible and prudent.

The government is also investing in Canadians, both in people and in our infrastructure, and in the future of our economy in a responsible and sustainable way.

[Translation]

Senator Gerba: I’m delighted to hear that, Senator Gold. However, as you know, a strategy can only progress if the two parties meet. Many other very powerful countries are already jockeying for Africa’s attention. The entire continent is developing. In December, the United States will host the U.S.‑Africa Leaders Summit. When will Canada follow suit? Is it part of the strategy that the Government of Canada is going to put forward?

On the Order:

Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Housakos, seconded by the Honourable Senator Wells, for the second reading of Bill S-237, An Act to establish the Foreign Influence Registry and to amend the Criminal Code.

Senator Gold: Thank you for your question.

The fact is that the benefits the government has announced — and that the minister has defended, ably and publicly, in recent weeks — is money that will go to the Canadians who need it the most: low-income, working Canadians. Indeed, the current benefits will benefit over 4.2 million low-income, working Canadians, which is up from previous numbers of about 3 million.

Again, in times of rising costs — an issue which has been, as I said, properly underlined and which we all should be preoccupied with — this is one example out of many of the responsible initiatives the government is taking to help Canadians get through this difficult period.

Senator Gold: The government is serious about inflation, and it is taking measures necessary to address it while helping Canadians weather the storm at the same time.

The Hon. the Speaker: Is leave granted, honourable senators?

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Mr. Sunny Sodhi. He is the guest of the Honourable Senator Marwah.

On behalf of all honourable senators, I welcome you to the Senate of Canada.

Hon. Senators: Hear, hear!

[Translation]

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

(At 3:19 p.m., the Senate was continued until tomorrow at 2 p.m.)

Hon. Senators: Hear, hear!

(On motion of Senator Martin, debate adjourned.)

[English]

On the Order:

Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Dalphond, seconded by the Honourable Senator Harder, P.C., for the second reading of Bill C-233, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Judges Act (violence against an intimate partner).

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of His Excellency Fahad Saeed Al Raqbani, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Canada. He is the guest of the Honourable Senator Ravalia.

On behalf of all honourable senators, I welcome you to the Senate of Canada.

Senator Martin: Government leader, not everyone has an inflation-proof job. The number of Canadian families seeking debt relief is increasing. In September alone, the number of insolvencies rose by 3.1% — and they are not alone.

In the third quarter, the total number of Canadian business insolvencies increased by 48.5% compared to last year: almost 50%. Increased borrowing costs, inflation, production and labour issues, as well as a government that won’t cap its own spending have created the perfect storm. Leader, when will the government cap their spending and cancel their planned tax hikes?

Hon. Pat Duncan: Honourable senators, I note that this item is at day 15, and I’m not ready to speak to it at this time. Therefore, with leave of the Senate and notwithstanding rule 4-15(3), I move the adjournment of the debate for the balance of my time.

(On motion of Senator Duncan, debate adjourned.)

[Translation]

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question.

The government respects the Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer and its views, but the government, as Minister Freeland has stated publicly, doesn’t agree with that assessment. The government, through prudent management of the economy and the resources available to it, has made a responsible decision to invest some — although not all — in helping Canadians through the difficult times, properly underlined by you and others in this chamber, in the face of cost of living challenges for all Canadians.

This government is responsible. It takes its responsibility seriously. That means having to do many things at once, such as managing the economy in a fiscally prudent way — especially coming out of the extraordinary expenditures that we in this chamber authorized to help Canadians through the pandemic — while at the same time helping Canadians as they struggle with the inevitably higher cost of living that worldwide inflation, inflation in Canada and other measures impose.

Hon. Mobina S. B. Jaffer: Senator Patterson, thank you very much for your question — it’s a very important one.

As you know, until very recently, we were studying Bill C-5, which is a government bill; it took many weeks to study. And then we had Bill C-210 which was a bill we had left since last June to finish. We finished that bill, and we’re presently studying Bill S-205, and, after that, the steering committee will look at when we will do the study.

The study is very much on our minds, but we’ve had many other challenges, and you are not a stranger to the work of the Legal Committee. We have many bills to take care of, and we haven’t forgotten it. We know that March is the deadline.

We’re also aware that the House has started studying it, and we’re working with the House as to when we should start the study. Thank you very much for raising it today.

Hon. Dennis Glen Patterson: My question is for the Honourable Senator Jaffer as Chair of the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee.

Senator, when Bill C-28 on extreme intoxication was rushed through both chambers in June — and I know you’ll remember those debates we had here — it was with the promise that both houses would take the unusual step of retroactively reviewing the legislation for any potential loopholes in light of concerns from victims’ advocacy groups and women’s legal organizations.

I note that the other place has already proceeded with their review. Senator Jaffer, can you tell us when we can expect your committee to begin looking into this issue?

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Leader, since the finance minister unveiled her Fall Economic Statement earlier this month, we’ve heard repeated assurances from your government that it has been fiscally prudent. You’ve stated that here. This was challenged by the Parliamentary Budget Officer, or PBO, when he and the finance minister appeared before the House of Commons Finance Committee on Monday. The PBO’s office calculated that the government had announced $52 billion in net new measures over the span of six years. Allow me to quote from the PBO directly:

Would I qualify this as restrained spending growth? The answer is unsurprisingly, no. When the government has $81 billion in fiscal room and spends $52 billion of that, even after taking into account new tax measures, it’s not called keeping one’s powder dry.

Senator Gold, why is your government not exercising any fiscal restraint in the face of the upcoming economic uncertainty?

Senator Plett: Senator Gold, we find ourselves in a period of skyrocketing inflation and financial uncertainty as the recession looms. Conservatives have been warning about your government’s uncontrollable spending for years. This is not just my allegiance to Pierre Poilievre, as obviously your allegiance is to your leader. It’s been challenged by the PBO, and economists across the country are in agreement that additional spending during an inflationary period will only make inflation worse.

Your government’s response to the worsening inflation has been to simply announce more spending. Why does your government refuse to take these warnings seriously? When will you finally get serious about inflation, Senator Gold?