Hon. Ratna Omidvar: Senator Gold, will you take a question, please?

Senator Omidvar: Senator Gold, I would have felt far more comfortable with this bill if it had first been preceded by the bill setting up the independent civilian oversight of the CBSA.

Do you have a comment on the timing of this?

Hon. Ratna Omidvar, Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology, presented the following report:

Monday, June 20, 2022

The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology has the honour to present its

NINTH REPORT

Your committee, to which was referred Bill S-208, An Act respecting the Declaration on the Essential Role of Artists and Creative Expression in Canada, has, in obedience to the order of reference of April 7, 2022, examined the said bill and now reports the same with the following amendments:

1.Preamble, page 1: Add the following after line 12:

“Whereas English-speaking artists and French-speaking artists, as integral parts of the two official language communities of Canada, should have equal opportunities to pursue their artistic endeavours in order to enhance the vitality and development of English and French linguistic minority communities;”.

2.Clause 4, page 2:

(a) Add the following after line 18:

(b) add the following after line 24:

Your committee has also made certain observations, which are appended to this report.

Respectfully submitted,

RATNA OMIDVAR

Chair

Senator Omidvar: Senator Gold, in other words, until that bill is called into life, for Canadians who feel they have been unfairly targeted, their only recourse is to make a complaint to the CBSA, which will be handled internally by the CBSA. Is that correct?