Senator Gold: It’s the position of the government that the work done to make rapid testing kits available to all provinces and territories was a significant and positive step forward.

Again, I am confident that the Government of Canada and the ministers responsible take this important issue very seriously and will continue to do so.

Senator Gold: I’m not aware of an analysis, Senator White. I’ll make inquiries and report back.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question, senator. The concerns of disabled Canadians are being taken very seriously by this government. As I’ve mentioned on other occasions when questions of this nature have been raised, and I’ll repeat again, the government is committed to and is engaged in working with various groups and members of the disabled communities across this country in order to come forward, as it will in due course, with a program that has the buy-in and the support of those communities.

[Translation]

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Honourable senators, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the 2020-21 Annual Report of the Taxpayers’ Ombudsman, entitled Adapting and Delivering in Unprecedented Times.

Senator Gold: Thank you for your question, senator. I will add that question to the previous one and get back to you with an answer as soon as possible.

[English]

Senator Gold: Thank you for quoting me in this chamber. As I said in my response to your first question, I stand by what I said in my personal capacity as a senator, as a citizen, as a Canadian and as a Jew. As Government Representative, I can only repeat that the government will take the steps it deems necessary at the time that it deems appropriate and necessary.

As for my conversations with my cabinet colleagues, you will please understand that I’m not at liberty to disclose those.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you, senator. I really do understand the frustration that has been expressed and to which you are referring. I certainly will make every effort to get an answer quickly as to the government’s plans. I’ll do my best to communicate that to this chamber as soon as I can.

Senator Gold: Thank you for your question, senator. I will have to make inquiries about the specific groups to which you referred, and I will certainly report back.

[Translation]

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question. The Government of Canada is very concerned, as are all Canadians, with the rise of Islamophobia, anti-Semitism and other forms of unacceptable discrimination, prejudice and hatred in this country.

To be clear, senator, what I said was that the Prime Minister has made it clear that he is keeping the door open to possibly intervening, if and when it is deemed appropriate. I want the record to be clear about that.

With regard to the situation you describe, again, the government’s position is that no one should be denied the right to work simply because of what they wear or their religious beliefs. It is gratifying to see the community of Chelsea come together to support the teacher and to stand up for their neighbour. That said, the government is following this situation — which is playing out not only in the courts in Quebec but also in Quebec society and, indeed, beyond — and has not closed the door to intervening or making representations on this matter in the future.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question and for raising this important issue.

Since coming into office, this government has helped over a million families get the housing they need. That’s not enough; the government knows more work needs to be done.

In the Throne Speech, as colleagues would know, the government outlined its continued commitment to making housing more affordable. That includes bringing in a $4-billion Housing Accelerator Fund, working to end chronic homelessness, and providing a more flexible first-time buyers incentive and a rent-to-own program to help renters become owners.

In this mandate, the government would also strengthen federal oversight of the housing market by establishing a national law enforcement agency solely dedicated to investigating and combating all forms of major financial crime, including the presence of money laundering in the housing sector.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question and for referring to the government’s additional investment in this area and commitment.

As I think I’ve mentioned in response to earlier questions, the government is working hard in support of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s operations. Canada is on track to meet its target of 401,000 new permanent residents this year. As I mentioned before, it has already welcomed 325,000 new permanent residents.

With regard to your other question, the government will continue to seek ways to improve and streamline the processes that are in place for work permits and the like.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question. My personal views on this bill are well known to this chamber. I spoke to this in a Senator’s Statement some years ago, but in my capacity as Government Representative, I’ll answer your question.

Prime Minister Trudeau, alone amongst leaders of federal and provincial parties, has stated on many occasions that he reserves all rights to intervene at the appropriate time in the litigation that’s currently under way in the courts of Quebec. The Government of Canada has also made it clear that it disagrees fundamentally with the provisions of Bill 21 that deny someone the right to work just because of what they wear. The Government of Canada remains committed to following the litigation closely and will take whatever decisions are deemed appropriate at the appropriate time.

Senator Gold: Thank you for the question. As I just said, the government is reviewing this important issue and is working with the groups in question. As soon as I hear anything about a new bill I will let the chamber know right away.

[English]

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question, Senator Harder, and for your ongoing advocacy for and support of this important issue.

As I have perhaps stated at an earlier occasion but which I will repeat, the government has disbursed $2.5 billion to support the global fight against the virus. That includes a total of $1.3 billion to support the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator to ensure that not only vaccines but therapeutics and diagnostics are available around the world.

During the G7 leaders summit this past June, the G7 leaders announced a collective commitment of more than 2 billion vaccine doses. Canada’s portion will be 100 million doses, but the government has committed to donate the equivalent of at least 200 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to the COVAX Facility by the end of 2022.

Canada continues to work with international partners to address barriers to equitable access to vaccines. I’ve also been advised that the Prime Minister announced an investment up to $15 million to COVAX manufacturing task force partners in support of establishing a South African technology transfer hub. The government will continue to work diligently to do its part to address this global pandemic.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question, Senator Poirier. The problem of labour shortages is acute in many provinces and regions within provinces. The government has a number of different measures that it has brought forward and is working with its provincial and territorial partners to address this question. Some of these include reforming economic immigration programs to expand pathways for permanent residency for temporary foreign workers, working with communities and employers to welcome skilled refugees to fill labour shortages and establishing a trusted-employer system to streamline application procedures so that temporary workers can get full-time work.

With respect to more specific groups within the labour force, again, government initiatives like child care should, as the experience in Quebec demonstrated in a spectacular fashion, increase the number of women able to join the workforce, therefore also addressing the labour shortage and helping bolster our economy.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Senator, thank you for your question. Without being fully apprised of the context within which the question has been asked and the answer given, I’m reluctant to speculate on why the minister answered that way.

It is clear that rapid testing is one of the important tools to help us cope with the ongoing pandemic. We know that rapid tests are not a substitute for the molecular tests, but they are an important tool. That’s why the federal government has invested significantly and made them available to all provinces and territories.

How they are used by the provinces and how they are understood or misunderstood by the population is a separate matter, but I’m afraid I cannot answer your question without really knowing the context in which it was posed and answered.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Senator, thank you very much for raising this issue.

I’ve been assured that the government intends to introduce new legislation in a timely manner, and that legislation will take action that will require even news media programs to take action against illegal content like child-exploitative sexual content and remove it.

In regard to more specific questions relating to the harms of pornography to minors, allow me to relay the concerns and your question to the government, and I will report back with a response.

[Translation]

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): The Government of Canada is, of course, aware of the concerns that were expressed and to which you refer. The position of the Government of Canada, however, is not that it was a terrible process — I don’t remember the exact words — imperfect though it was, as all processes are. The Government of Canada is proud and grateful to both the Senate and the Parliament of Canada, as well as to the committees that studied this and its sponsors in both places, for passing this historical piece of legislation. The work and the implementation plan now begin. The government remains committed to meaningful consultation with all relevant stakeholders.

Senator Gold: Your comment that more needs to be done is clear, and the government is aware. The government is working with international partners and will look seriously at requests for additional support.

I’ll make those inquiries to the government, Senator Harder, and I would be happy to report back when I get an answer.