Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you. The Government of Canada has always supported the victims of that terrible tragedy. With regard to specific steps the government may be taking, I’ll have to make inquiries and report back.

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

I don’t know the answer, but I will make inquiries with regard to whether the payment has been made and what the future intentions are of the Government of Canada.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you, senator, for the question. It’s an important one.

Canada has contributed $2.6 billion to the global fight against the coronavirus. This includes a total of $1.3 billion to support access to the COVID Tools Accelerator.

Canada has also committed to donating the equivalent of at least 200 million doses to the COVAX facility by the end of 2022. This includes both financial commitments to COVAX and surplus dose donations. I’m advised that, as of March 4 of this year, 13.9 million surplus vaccine doses have been delivered through the COVAX facility, and the equivalent of 87 million doses have been provided through financial support.

I’m further advised that Canada has provided $50 million to the Pan American Health Organization to support efforts to introduce COVID-19 vaccines and ancillary supplies to reach those living in situations of vulnerability across the Caribbean and Latin America, including at-risk Venezuelan migrants and disadvantaged populations.

Portions of this grant, colleagues, are being used to procure vaccine doses for countries through the organization, and these are in addition to Canada’s commitments to COVAX.

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

I’m not in a position to confirm that without making inquiries, which I will undertake to do.