The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, when shall this bill be read the third time?

(On motion of Senator Gagné, bill placed on the Orders of the Day for third reading at the next sitting of the Senate.)

Senator Poirier: Senator Gold, not only does the federal government want to take francophones to court, it also wants to stay last January’s ruling. Francophones should thank Justice Noël for protecting part of what they have gained by refusing the application for a stay. That is another example of a government talking a good game but not following through when it is time to act.

Bill C-13 provides for the adoption of several regulations. Regardless of whether the government appeals the ruling, how will francophones trust that the government will act in good faith?

Senator Gold: The taxes we pay as Canadians benefit us all collectively. They made it possible, amongst other things, for the government — with the support of all parties, both in this place and in the other place — to have assisted Canadians over the last two years through the most difficult times, including those in the hospitality sector and others you mentioned.

[Translation]

Senator Gold: Thank you for the question. We are impatiently awaiting Bill C-13 here in the Senate, as it represents a big step forward for all those living in minority communities, both francophones outside Quebec and anglophones in Quebec. We are also eagerly awaiting the extensive study we will no doubt have here, in the Senate. All issues and questions will be examined at that point.

Senator Lankin: Yes, please.

Hon. Mobina S. B. Jaffer: Honourable senators, I rise today to speak about the ongoing war in Darfur. It started nearly 20 years ago, and suffering still ensues upon citizens, particularly women and girls.

Sadly, the conflict in Darfur is one of many conflicts we have seen over the past 20 years, including in Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, and now the conflict in Ukraine. Every day we see the sad eyes of women and children staring at us through our screens.

There is nothing worse than a war. Lives are changed forever. Every conflict, no matter where in the world it takes place, erodes the fabric of all our societies.

In 2002, as a senator, I was appointed as Canada’s special envoy to the Sudanese peace process by former Prime Minister Chrétien. Sadly, in 2003, fighting erupted in Darfur, Sudan. Canada was the first to intervene.

When I arrived in El Fasher, women crowded the UN plane and profusely thanked me. I was confused by what I saw. For shelter, they only had pieces of plastic, and they had very little food, yet they thanked me. They told me that Canada had provided funds to UNICEF, which allowed schooling for their children so they could have hope for the future.

I went to the Nyala refugee camp, and I asked why they had decided to send their daughters to collect firewood and not their sons. The mothers looked me straight in the eye and said, “If we send our boys, the militia will kill them. If we send our girls we risk them being raped, but they will not be killed.”

I later saw a few young girls with a wheelbarrow. Inside the wheelbarrow was a young girl. The young girl had been raped by eight militiamen. She was beaten and covered in blood. It looked like every bone in her body had been broken. I will never forget the look in the girl’s eyes — her pain, her sadness, her fear. Her tears may have dried, but her fear and pain will never be forgotten. I will never forget her.

Honourable senators, I know we want to do everything in our power to ensure that other girls do not continue to suffer a similar fate. As Canadians, we must stand by the people of Darfur, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Ukraine. We have the opportunity as parliamentarians and as Canadians to be there for all people in their times of need.

Canadians are champions for human rights, and I have confidence that we will stand up for all vulnerable people around the world.

Thank you.

[Translation]

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question. I have made inquiries, but I will certainly follow up and hope to get an answer soon.

Senator Carignan: Leader, seven years later, with a so-called transparent process, we end up with the same procurement, but seven years behind and with a substantial increase in cost and a utilization deficit to the point where we are forced to buy used F-18s from Australia, which were no longer good enough for the Australians. We had to repair and fix those to be able to use them.

In light of the response you have given us, can you tell us why the government is continuing to negotiate with Lockheed Martin and not just putting in an order to try to salvage the situation and minimize the damage that has been done by your government?

Senator Gold: Thank you for the question and for highlighting the importance of this issue, which you clearly described.

As I stated, the government will continue to work with the provinces and territories, which have exclusive jurisdiction over these issues, and it will continue to fund and implement the programs required to support and care for people with mental health issues.

Senator Gold: Thank you for your question. Senator Downe, you are someone who has been diligently prosecuting this issue, and we expect you to continue to do so.

[Translation]

Senator Gold: Once again, I thank my colleague for his question. As I said, the government brought in an open and transparent process that is appropriate in this context, and this process has stages. We are at a specific stage now and will see this process through.

[English]

Senator Housakos: Yes, I did.

Senator Oh: Yes. Senator Housakos, did you talk to Kenny Chiu about what the truth is about what happened to him?

The Hon. the Speaker pro tempore: Senator Oh, do you have a question for Senator Housakos?

Hon. Pierre J. Dalphond: Honourable senators, I move that the motion standing in my name be put.

The Hon. the Speaker pro tempore: Senator Lankin, I am sorry. The time has elapsed.

(On motion of Senator Wells, debate adjourned.)

Senator Housakos: Absolutely.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, when shall this report be taken into consideration?

(On motion of Senator Bellemare, report placed on the Orders of the Day for consideration at the next sitting of the Senate.)

[English]

Senator Cormier: Thank you for your answer, Senator Gold, even though I am not sure I understand it.

Isn’t it true that appealing the Federal Court of Appeal decision to the Supreme Court of Canada could have a very negative impact on the development and vitality of British Columbia’s francophone community, which has not had any employment services centres for francophones in the past 11 years, and on other minority linguistic communities, and interfere with the legislative process for Bill C-13?

How does the government intend to reassure communities and parliamentarians when this decision clearly points to a lack of cooperation between the minister responsible for the Official Languages Act, the justice minister and the employment and workforce development minister? I apologize for my impatience.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for the question. I don’t know the answer to that, but I suppose we’ll know next week. If I have an answer before then, I will certainly report back.