Senator Gold: That is an excellent question, senator.

As everyone knows, our Minister of Immigration and his team, as well as his counterpart and his team, have been looking for quite some time at the details of this protocol that was signed a year ago.

I am not aware of all the details of their conversations, far from it, but I’m sure and I know that this is one of the issues on the table, and it will remain there because the governments of Canada and the United States understand full well the humane issues involved and the importance of managing this file compassionately and responsibly.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): It is misleading, with all respect, to attribute the challenges of food prices to the carbon tax, to the price on pollution. Most reputable economists understand that this is the most effective market-driven policy tool to reduce and incentivize pollution reduction. Capital markets are telling our oil patch and our creative producers in your province and in others to do so.

This government is committed to the path of continuing to address climate change through a suite of tools, of which the price on pollution is one, while investing in our companies and in our human capital to make sure that Canadians benefit from the transition to the economy of tomorrow.

Senator Gold: Thank you for the question. I will have to ask the government some questions in order to respond to yours, and I undertake to do that.

[English]

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

The Government of Canada is deeply concerned about the legislation approved by the Ugandan parliament last week.

As you know, both the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs strongly and immediately condemned this bill on March 22. The bill seeks to broadly violate the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Uganda’s LGBTQ2+ community. That is unacceptable.

The government stands with the LGBTQ+ community in Uganda and around the world and is calling on the government of Uganda to repeal that law. I would like to add that Canada unequivocally opposes the use of the death penalty in all cases, everywhere. This form of punishment is inconsistent with human rights and human dignity.

[English]

Senator Gold: I believe this is a responsible budget. I believe that this budget invests in our future as we transition to clean energy, as the world transitions to clean energy, as our major economic partner transitions to a cleaner, more sustainable environment. It provides investments to our companies, whether in the oil patch, in Hibernia and across the country to take advantage of Canadians’ expertise to profit and benefit from the changes that are upon us and that no government that is responsible or prudent would dare ignore.

It also invests in Canadians, who continue to have the challenge of living through uncertain economic times. That’s why the targeted, focused help that this budget provides to Canadians will assist them as they move forward.

Again, this government’s record over the last three or four challenging years demonstrates that it is possible to invest in Canadians, support our economy, do the right thing and still maintain a high credit rating and the strongest growth in the G7.

Senator Gold: Thank you for your question. This government is very well aware of the rising and sustained high cost of groceries, and that is why it has targeted relief to more than 10 million to 11 million households that need it the most.

It is simply not correct, although perhaps ideologically comforting, to wrap every increase in prices to the price on pollution. We know that supply chains are disrupted by the pandemic. We know that supply chains are disrupted because of the war in Ukraine. We know this is a worldwide phenomenon. We know that grocery chains are being seriously questioned by members in the other place as to what role they may be playing in terms of food prices.

The government’s position is that the price on carbon is an important policy tool to benefit Canadians, not only now but later for our children and our grandchildren.

[Translation]

Senator Gold: The funds that the RCMP is receiving are funds that are necessary to protect Canadians, and allow the RCMP to do its job — as they are faced with increasingly intensive attempts by many state parties and non-state actors to interfere in our institutions, and to sow chaos and mistrust amongst Canadians in the faith of those institutions. That’s the reason why the additional resources are made available to the RCMP, and we have every confidence that they will do their job.

Senator Gold: Thank you.

Canadian foreign policy has always been — from the very early days — one that promotes human rights. Indeed, the formation of the Charter — a universal human rights charter — was, importantly, a product of many, but also of John Humphrey, an eminent Canadian. It remains a cornerstone of Canadian foreign policy, and our government will continue to speak up loudly and proudly on behalf of all those who are oppressed.

[Translation]

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for the question and for once again pointing out the importance of victims’ rights and continuing to look into that issue in our provincial and federal systems. I commend you for it.

As you know, the government has made a lot of progress and a lot of investments to help front-line organizations that provide essential services to survivors of sexual violence. Over 1,200 organizations receive government support. What is more, the government has implemented a national action plan that will inform the next steps. The government is working with its provincial and territorial counterparts to address this critically important issue.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Honourable senators, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the Budget 2023 entitled A Made-in-Canada Plan: Strong Middle Class, Affordable Economy, Healthy Future.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Honourable senators, I give notice that, two days hence:

I will call the attention of the Senate to the budget entitled A Made-in-Canada Plan: Strong Middle Class, Affordable Economy, Healthy Future, tabled in the House of Commons on March 28, 2023, by the Minister of Finance, the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, P.C., M.P., and in the Senate on March 29, 2023.

[English]

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

The current government has the confidence of the House, and I am convinced that it will continue to have the confidence of the House. The reason it does is because it has delivered and will continue to deliver results for Canadians.

You asked a question about confidence in the fiscal management of the government. This government has overseen strong economic growth — the strongest in the G7 — strong job growth, wherein 830,000 more Canadians are now employed than before the pandemic. Inflation has fallen and has remained flat for the last eight months in a row. Our unemployment rate is near a record low, and the labour force participation rate for women aged 25 to 54 reached a record high of over 85% in February.

This government has demonstrated through difficult times and despite regular challenges from the opposition that it knows how to manage in a time of difficulty, and it knows how to invest in the future of Canadians, which is exactly what this budget does.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for the question. It’s important to note the significant challenges and the issues involved in the decisions to renew the agreement with the U.S. We need to ensure that this can be applied to the entire border, and not just official border crossings.

Canada has definitely done its part, as it always has, by welcoming those seeking asylum through official channels. As you know, Quebec alone has accepted more than 40,000 migrants who tried their luck and managed to get to Canada by irregular means.

We have a 9,000-kilometre border, more or less, and we have to admit that it would be impossible for officers to monitor it. We do not have the resources and neither does the United States. The government is aware of the existing issues and knows that would be even more difficult come winter. The government is working with the provinces and our American counterparts to ensure that we can manage the situation in a compassionate and responsible manner.

What the government wants from this agreement is to enable those wishing to come to Canada to do so through recognized and official channels, because that is how they can access services we can manage and monitor. They have the right to remain in Canada by making an application. Otherwise, they must return to the United States, as required by the rules.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for the question, senator, and thank you for reminding us of the situation. As you said so well, unfortunately we cannot change the past.

I will take this message and the request of those who experienced this tragedy and contact the government. I will do everything I can to get a response.

[English]

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

Tragically, and regrettably, Canada has seen an alarming increase in hate crimes and other examples of Islamophobia. In this country, it is the position of the government, which it has stated publicly, that Islamophobia is real and is a troubling fact that needs to be addressed.

To address it, the government has taken very concrete actions. They include the hosting of a National Summit on Islamophobia, the appointment of Canada’s first ever Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia, officially recognizing January 29 as a National Day of Remembrance of the Québec City Mosque Attack and Action against Islamophobia and, in concrete terms, investing $5.6 million over five years with $1.2 million ongoing to support the new Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia.

The government will continue to support organizations and community organizations that work in this area, and we’ll work closely with the many Muslim communities in the country to end — as is our hope — Islamophobia in this country.

[Translation]