Hon. Yonah Martin (Deputy Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, my question is for the government leader in the Senate. General Wayne Eyre, the Chief of the Defence Staff, recently said the cost of living and challenges in finding affordable accommodations are the top issues he is hearing from Canadian Forces members around the country. The lack of available housing in British Columbia has gotten so bad that last month Royal Canadian Air Force members at CFB Comox on Vancouver Island were told to consider contacting Habitat for Humanity if they were having significant difficulty finding adequate housing.

Leader, Habitat for Humanity has helped thousands of Canadian families in need, but it’s the Government of Canada’s responsibility to support our military families. Why were they referred to a charity to find housing?

Senator Martin: With respect to the shortage of military housing available to Canadian Forces members, General Eyre recently stated:

. . . we’re somewhere in the neighbourhood of 4,000 to 6,000 units short on our bases, which is also accentuating the housing problem.

Leader, your government says it will spend $55 million on residential housing for Canadian Armed Forces members this fiscal year. Committing funding is one thing, but getting shovels into the ground is another. How many new homes for military families will this funding support, and when are they expected to be built?

Hon. Yonah Martin (Deputy Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, I rise today to celebrate the fourth annual Filipino Heritage Month in memory of our dear friend and former colleague the late Honourable Tobias Enverga Jr., who had been a true champion of the Filipino-Canadian community.

The month of June recognizes the contributions that Filipino Canadians have made to Canada and celebrates the Filipino history, culture and traditions that have been passed down through generations.

Filipino history in Canada dates back as far as the late 1800s, when mostly male migrants came and worked in the fishing, mining and forestry sectors in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. The first large wave of immigrant families would follow in the 1930s. The first Filipino Canadians were mainly women who worked as teachers, nurses and those who worked in the health sector. In later years, many immigrated to Canada and settled in large urban centres with more opportunities for jobs and communities to share their culture and start new lives in Canada. And today, Filipino Canadians are entrepreneurs, lawyers, accountants and contributing in nearly every sector within our nation.

According to Statistics Canada, Filipinos are the third-largest Asian immigrant community and one of the fastest growing ethnic communities in Canada.

During this Filipino Heritage Month, June 12 will be the one hundred and twenty-fourth anniversary of Filipino independence, a date that marks a momentous milestone for the Philippines and the heroic patriots who fought to end Spanish colonial rule, a path that would eventually lead to full independence in 1946 when the strong and vibrant country would realize true democracy and freedom.

Earlier today, I had the honour of attending the flag-raising ceremony on Parliament Hill on behalf of the Senate and as Vice-Chair of the Canada-Philippines Interparliamentary Group. Together with Ambassador Robles, Rosemer Enverga and her three daughters and members of the Filipino-Canadian community, we proudly raised the Philippine flag and unfurled the largest flag you have ever seen to show our sincere appreciation for the contributions that Filipino Canadians have made to Canada, and as a symbol of the deep friendship and diplomatic ties between our two countries.

This important ceremony was established on Parliament Hill by the late Senator Enverga, one of his proudest moments as a parliamentarian and now part of his enduring legacy.

Honourable senators, please join me in remembering our former colleague and in celebrating Filipino Heritage Month. In his words:

Mabuhay ang Philippines and mabuhay ang Canada!