The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Alanis Obomsawin, Suzanne Guèvremont and Charles Bender. They are the guests of the Honourable Senators Audette, Cardozo, Francis, Greenwood, Klyne and McPhedran.

On behalf of all honourable senators, I welcome you to the Senate of Canada.

Senator Gold: Unfortunately, I am not.

Honourable senators can be assured that the process is a serious and ongoing one. It is being treated with dispatch, and I look forward to the announcement at the time that it is made.

[Translation]

Senator Gold: I don’t have that information. I’ll try to find it and get back to you later with an answer. The Green family have been friends with the Trudeau family for a very long time, going back to the late Pierre Elliott Trudeau. I’ll look into it further with the government.

[English]

Senator Carignan: Leader, can you tell the Prime Minister that if he wants a vacation, he just has to call an election, and we’ll give him a vacation?

Did the Prime Minister have a view of the sea? How much did he pay for the rooms in the villas where his family stayed? Yes, we all have the right to take a vacation. As you can see from my tan, I took a vacation and I paid for it. Did the Prime Minister pay for his vacation and the villas in which he stayed with the Green family?

Senator Gold: Well, Jewish people have a tradition of answering a question with a question. You will properly consider this is out of order, but let me ask you a question. As a member of the Senate for 15 years and as a former Speaker, surely you are aware that the question at this stage of the process has to refer to amendments that were either accepted or rejected and not to the bill as a whole.

Senator Housakos: Government leader, you’re giving the impression to this chamber that there is somehow a tradition in this place at message point of legislation that we’re just a rubber stamp, and that’s not the case.

It’s in the Constitution that this chamber has a right and a responsibility at message stage to refuse a bill as well, which you did not highlight, and to send it back along with many other options that this chamber has. Yes, there has been a tradition to bow to the wishes of the elected chamber, but there is also something the forefathers had established when they created this chamber — that when a government does something so egregious that a large number of Canadians find it offensive, we have the right to exercise our constitutional authority. I just want to put that on the record as well, government leader.

Senator Pate: Yes.

Hon. Senators: Question.

An Hon. Senator: Good idea.

Senator Tannas: Your thoughts?

The Hon. the Speaker pro tempore: Are senators ready for the question?

The Hon. the Speaker pro tempore: It is moved by the Honourable Senator Housakos, seconded by the Honourable Senator Martin, that further debate be adjourned until the next sitting of the Senate. Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?

The Hon. the Speaker pro tempore: Do you have a question, Senator Boisvenu?

The Hon. the Speaker pro tempore: Is leave given for five more minutes?

An Hon. Senator: On division.

(Motion agreed to and bill read second time, on division.)

Some Hon. Senators: No.

[English]

Senator MacDonald: Honourable senators, I know I speak for my Conservative colleagues in regards to this bill because I know there is no support for this bill in our caucus. However, all bills deserve a chance to go to committee. I think that the light of day will expose the weaknesses in this bill. I suggest that the Senate send it to committee. Thank you.

The Hon. the Speaker pro tempore: Are senators ready for the question?

Senator Dupuis: If I understood correctly, I have 20 seconds to ask my question.