Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, my question is for the government leader in the Senate. On Friday morning, Canadians who had waited overnight in front of Service Canada office in Laval in the hopes of obtaining their passports were expelled from the premises when the police were called in to disperse the crowd. This is not service; this is shameful.

Yesterday, Brian Lilley reported the surge in passport applications that has completely overwhelmed this Trudeau government is actually just 55% of what the government processed before the pandemic — an average of 75,000 per week now versus 90,000 to 98,000 per week then.

Leader, what is your government’s response to this report? Is this correct? If no one who processes passports was laid off, as Minister Gould has said, then why can your government not keep up with the demand?

Senator Plett: Leader, how is it possible that Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine is justification for 35% fertilizer tariffs on our own Canadian farmers but not serious enough to prevent Minister Joly’s office from sending a representative to a lavish party at the Russian embassy? Does this make sense to you, leader?

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Leader, I think we should have more Monday sittings. I get a lot of questions.

My last question today, leader — even if we do have time; I should have prepared a fourth one — concerns an issue I have previously raised with you: the 35% tariff on Russian fertilizer imports being paid by Canadian farmers.

The difficult financial situation this tariff has put on Canadian farmers is completely of the Trudeau government’s own making, leader. I can think of no other country that is imposing a similar tariff on their farmers, likely because it’s a ridiculous thing to do at a time of food insecurity worldwide. The only solution the Trudeau government has brought forward isn’t a solution at all. It’s to expand the Advance Payments Program to let farmers take on further debt.

Leader, what is the average amount Canadian farmers have had to pay your government in fertilizer tariffs? Does your government track this information, or does it care?

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, my second question, again, is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate.

Leader, it concerns Health Canada’s proposed warning label for ground beef and pork, which I raised with the Minister of Agriculture earlier this month at a Committee of the Whole. When she was in the chamber, Minister Bibeau said:

The final decision hasn’t been taken yet, but you can count on me to always advocate for our producers with my colleague the Minister of Health . . .

During Question Period in the House of Commons earlier today, it sounded very much as though a decision has been taken and our beef producers were right, leader, to be worried. In Question Period, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health defended these warning labels, indicating Canadians will now have a choice to make an informed decision to limit their saturated fat. Leader, could you confirm that your government is going ahead with warning labels on ground beef and pork?

Senator Plett: One thing we can be assured of in your answers is that the government is always concerned. They don’t show that, leader.

As I said, regardless of what the minister said earlier this month, it sounds like the deal is done. Our beef and pork producers and their livelihoods are again being thrown under the bus for an incoherent, inconsistent Trudeau government policy.

Leader, if the Trudeau government slaps a warning label on Canadian ground beef and pork, it will be the only country in the world to do so. I find it strange that there isn’t another country in the world that seems to care about the health of Canadians — only our government. Leader, what do you think that will do to our beef exports worldwide? Last year, Canadian beef exports were worth about $4.5 billion. Do you think a warning label will help our beef exports or hurt them?

Senator Plett: I’m a bit disturbed by the fact that you would say you aren’t sure whether the facts are correct. These facts are very correct, and it’s on the record that 75,000 applications are being processed a week now versus 90,000 to 98,000 per week before. Those are statistics that are not disputed by anyone, including your government.

Last week, Blacklocks reported that of the 26,000 Service Canada employees who handled passport applications, over 18,000 are still working from home, or about 70%. Maybe it’s time they stopped playing the groundhog game.

Why is it that your government is overwhelmed and can’t provide Canadians with this basic government service? Is it because the staff processing passports are still mainly working from home, leader?