Senator White: Thank you for the question, senator. My perspective is that I don’t necessarily believe the legislation is going to improve upon the tools policing needs, but if we are going to go there and say the role of health care workers and public health officials is so important that we will take care of them in a better and different way, then we ought to protect them from the intimidation we have seen them receive at their homes.

At the end of the day, I’m not sure it will help, but if we think it will help, then we should actually go as far as we can.

Senator Tannas: I must be running out of time, but yes, I will.

[Translation]

Senator Simons: Would the senator take another question?

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

Hon. Hassan Yussuff: Honourable senators, with leave of the Senate and notwithstanding rule 5-5(b), I move that the bill be read the third time now.

The Hon. the Speaker: Senator White, would you take a question?

Hon. Diane Bellemare: Would the honourable senator take a question?

Senator Downe: Yes.

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

Senator Downe: Thank you, Senator Batters. There are a couple of things. First, we got a very different bill from the House of Commons than our committee studied. Senator Tannas covered that in detail, so I won’t repeat it.

The second is, and I say this with the greatest respect for Senator Gold, whom I like very much personally, but he’s not a member of the cabinet. If he was a member of the cabinet, his words would carry more weight than they do as Government Representative in the Senate, and it is a division of authority and responsibility that has to be considered as well.

Hon. Pierre J. Dalphond: Would Senator Tannas take another question?

[English]

Senator White: I will.

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

The government is aware of the studies done by the professors you mentioned. I am friends with Professor Gold. We are not related, by the way.

As I’ve said many times, the government is working with its partners and with international organizations to ensure that everyone in the world can get vaccinated quickly. There are several possible ways to get there, and looking at intellectual property rights is one of them. The government is in talks with its partners to, quote, unquote, “change the rules” on intellectual property, in particular with respect to the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, which was signed under the auspices of the World Trade Organization.

Senator Gold: Thank you for your question. That gives me the opportunity to answer briefly. Since you asked three questions, the answer is no, it is not; no, it is not; and no, it is not.

The Hon. the Speaker: I would ask the senators who are asking questions to keep them very brief. We are running out of time.

The Hon. the Speaker: Senator Yussuff, I see a couple of senators have raised their hands, presumably to ask a question. Will you take a couple of questions?

Senator Yussuff: Yes.

Hon. Marilou McPhedran: Honourable senators, my question is for Senator Yussuff. Would you accept it?

Senator Yussuff: Yes, I will.

Senator Gold: Thank you for your question. I will speak to government officials and get back to you as soon as possible.

[English]

Hon. Stan Kutcher: Yes I do. Would Senator Campbell take a question?

The Hon. the Speaker: Senator Quinn, did you have a question?