Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question. Canada is grateful for the assistance Taiwan provided, as you properly pointed out, and grateful for the collaborative and good relationship Canada has with Taiwan.

The question you raised is an important one. The government continues to value its relationship with Taiwan and works in all ways in which to provide both the benefits of Taiwan’s participation and the benefit to Taiwan of its participation in international fora.

Senator Gold: Thank you for the follow-up question. As I said, the government continues to monitor its application and use in order to determine whether it or some other technique, app or method would prove even more effective and popular. As soon as decisions are made, I’m sure they will be communicated in a timely fashion.

[Translation]

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question, senator. As colleagues may recall, I have had previous questions about the Strategic Innovation Fund. Indeed, I have made inquiries on your previous question with regard to that. Regrettably, I have yet to hear back from the government. Pursuant to your question, I will add a query that is specific to the province of Saskatchewan and I hope to provide an answer in that regard in a timely manner.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you, colleague, for the question and for reminding us how important it is. Preventive measures, including warnings, are an important part of keeping us safe. The government values the input of the reports and studies to which you referred and is considering all of those steps seriously.

I don’t know what the actual state of progress is. I will make every effort to find out and be happy to report back as soon as I can.

Senator Gold: Thank you for your question. With respect, esteemed colleague, the government has taken action to support victims of sexual exploitation. I note that in Quebec, for example, the government supports the organization Alliance-Jeunesse Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, and that it is also working with Maison Marie-Frédéric and other community partners to provide a range of services and activities for youth between the ages of 16 and 30 who are victims of sexual exploitation or human trafficking on the south shore and in the Quebec City area.

The Minister of Justice has also provided financial assistance through the Victims Fund. The Government of Canada is committed to protecting the rights of all Canadians and providing better access to justice to the vulnerable.

[English]

Senator Gold: Thank you again. I will add those specific questions to my inquiry. I hope to have an answer as quickly as I can.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Honourable senators, as you know, our colleague Josée Forest-Niesing passed away in November in her Sudbury home. The Senate of Canada is known for its stance in favour of minority rights. That reputation endures thanks to senators who take great care to ensure those rights are respected. Senator Forest-Niesing volunteered with many different community organizations, so she was destined to serve as one of the Senate’s advocate for respect for official languages.

In her November 3, 2020, statement, she reminded us of the following:

Canada’s two official languages have equal constitutional status. One is not the main language which then gets translated into the other.

She encouraged us to take steps to make that equality part of our daily reality and to pay special attention to this issue during these uncertain pandemic times. On June 3, she argued in favour of introducing a bill to amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act to include national guarantees of bilingualism in court proceedings.

Senator Forest-Niesing’s premature death is a great loss to the Senate and official language minority communities. May her death inspire us all to pursue her passion for access to justice in both our official languages.

I had the privilege of meeting her family and members of her community. The love, admiration and respect they felt for her, as well as the personal stories they shared about her, clearly showed how deep her roots in her community were and how much her service to others was an integral part of who she was.

Over and above her qualifications as a lawyer and dedicated community member, Senator Forest-Niesing always showed great compassion, a particularly important trait for our institution which is, above all, human.

As Government Representative in the Senate, I offer my condolences to her husband, Robert, her two children, Philippe and Véronique, and her grandchildren.

[English]

Senator Gold: Thank you for your question. Indeed, Canada aligns itself with countries that share our democratic values and commitments to the rule of law. Canada is also an active player in the world more broadly, and, alas, that world does not always share our values and principles.

Canada’s long-standing One China policy takes into account practical geopolitical realities of the region, which are complicated, as all of us surely know.

Canada continues to have strong and growing trade relationships and people-to-people ties with Taiwan. The government is committed to deepening our ties based upon the shared values that the honourable senator underlined as well as the large diaspora.

We have a complex geopolitical relationship with China. It presents challenges, and we all know that. Indeed, most of Canada’s other international partners are facing similar challenges, and the Government of Canada is actively engaging with them, our allies, in order to address the common interests and concerns that we all share.

While recognizing the strategic military and geopolitical realities of the region, the government continues to be firmly guided by Canadian interests, by our fundamental values and principles — which include human rights at their core — as well as the global rules and strategic partnerships we have developed over time.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you, colleague, for the question. The COVID Alert app is one of many tools made available to Canadians to help slow the spread of COVID-19. I’m advised the government continually reviews the evolving scientific evidence and public health guidelines to determine the app’s continued use. The government is also maintaining and monitoring the service as the pandemic evolves.

I further note that in the COVID-19 Exposure Notification Application Privacy Assessment under the “Time-Limitation” paragraph, the government committed:

The app as a whole will be shut down within 30 days of a declaration by the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada that the pandemic is over.

Colleagues, as of February 15, 2022, the app has been downloaded more than 6.9 million times. More than 58,000 users have entered a one-time key into the app. Since April 2021, this has resulted in more than 388,000 notifications and the identification of at least 2,290 positive cases. These notifications provided users with next steps to self-isolate and to get tested or self-monitor for symptoms so as to limit the transmission of COVID-19.

While downloading the app is voluntary, the government is still encouraging Canadians to download it and, of course, individuals can at any time delete the app.

Senator C. Deacon: Senator Gold, health data is under a lot of scrutiny. I believe the COVID Alert app went above and beyond in how it managed data, and the privacy-by-design element received gold star marks from many privacy experts. Yet it was not adopted at anything close to the rates of other countries despite the numbers you have provided.

Does the government have a plan to manage the public perception of this type of app into the future? The reality is we are going to need to have more digital data to help us with good decision making. All the elements were in place, but it was a failure in terms of adoption. I’m hoping the government hasn’t given up. I’m hoping the government is looking for ways to do a better job in the future.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): I thank the senator for her question. The government will always work to ensure that our criminal laws are effective and that they protect our communities and respect the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

With respect to current legislation, the five-year parliamentary review of the former Bill C-36, which is currently under way, is the appropriate forum for parliamentarians to examine the legislation and its effects since it came into force. The committee members have already had the opportunity to hear from experts and partners, including sex workers, and discuss a number of views. The Minister of Justice looks forward to seeing the results of the work of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights and reviewing its findings and recommendations. The Government of Canada remains committed to a society in which all members enjoy equal rights and opportunities.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for the question, and thank you for reminding us of the five-year anniversary of the passing of the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act. The evidence demonstrates that individuals experiencing or witnessing an overdose are often afraid to call for emergency assistance. The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act seeks to reduce that fear and to encourage calls that save lives.

This law is only one part of Canada’s actions to combat this ongoing crisis, and they have been guided by the Canadian drugs and substances strategy. The Government of Canada is committed to doing everything that it can to save the lives of Canadians. I have been advised that the government would be open to working with you and any interested colleagues on ideas for potential expansion of the current scope of this legislation.