Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): It’s good to be back in the chamber, leader, holding this continuously incompetent government to account.

The emergency in B.C. caused by unprecedented flooding has been heartbreaking for all Canadians to witness. I know every honourable senator joins me in sending condolences to the families of those who have died.

My question relates to the situation being faced by farmers in British Columbia. Livestock producers who were able to evacuate with their animals had to leave behind the feed for their herds. As the Canadian Federation of Agriculture has stated, the crisis in the region could have long-term consequences for animal welfare and our food supply.

Leader, what is the Government of Canada doing right now to provide emergency support to British Columbia farmers, especially livestock producers?

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, it seems like only a short time ago that we welcomed Senator Judith Keating into the Senate of Canada; yet today, it is our sad duty to say goodbye to our colleague. Her passing in July was a terrible loss for her family, friends and staff, and for the people of her province of New Brunswick.

The passing of Senator Keating and, indeed, of Senator Forest-Niesing this past weekend, has cast a shadow over our return to the chamber. They will both be sorely missed by colleagues on all sides.

Senator Keating was a member of the Senate of Canada for just under a year and a half before she passed away. Pandemic restrictions kept us apart from each other for much of that time and as a result, we did not have many opportunities to work together with Senator Keating. However, it was evident that she always approached her work as a senator with dedication and conviction. Those are admirable traits for anyone to have, and for a parliamentarian they’re essential.

Judith Keating’s lifetime of experience in the Government of New Brunswick was the foundation for the work she did in the Senate. She was the first woman to serve as Deputy Minister of Justice and Deputy Attorney General of New Brunswick, and she worked to promote the equal status of the English and French languages in her province. She was an advocate and a mentor for women in the legal profession in her province and worked to advance Indigenous reconciliation. Those remarkable skills and her unique perspective served Judith Keating well as she took on her duties as a senator for, sadly, too short a period of time.

On behalf of the entire Conservative caucus, and on behalf of all honourable senators, I offer sincere condolences to Senator Keating’s husband, Michael, their two children and four grandchildren. In her obituary, Senator Keating’s family stated that the titles of “mother” and “grandmother” were more important to her than any of the honours bestowed upon her. I know that my wife would second that sentiment.

May her loved ones find comfort in knowing that their loss is felt by all honourable senators and that they remain in our thoughts and prayers. Thank you.

Senator Plett: I hope that report will come sooner rather than later, leader. This is devastating, and continues to be so, for British Columbia.

This year, leader, British Columbia farmers have been challenged by the pandemic, wildfires, drought and now catastrophic flooding and mudslides. While yesterday’s Speech from the Throne contained a vague assurance that the Trudeau government will be there for the province, it barely mentioned our farmers from B.C. or, indeed, anywhere else in Canada.

Farm families need assurances from the Trudeau government that they will not be an afterthought once British Columbia begins its recovery process. Yesterday’s Throne Speech would have been a good time, leader, to offer that support, but instead it was nowhere to be found.

Leader, I appreciate that you’ll probably have to get back to us on this, but what long-term assistance is your government offering farmers and livestock producers who have had their operations destroyed by the floods in B.C.?

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): I will break slightly from protocol, if I could, Your Honour. We just got a text from our good friend and colleague Senator Seidman that her husband suddenly passed away this afternoon — complications with cancer — so our thoughts and prayers are with another colleague.