Senator Plett: Well, leader, both comments cannot be true. CSIS said that they brief the government on specific threats against parliamentarians by foreign governments, but you and the Prime Minister say that they don’t. I don’t know how anyone can square those answers. You are saying one thing; they are saying something else.

Leader, yesterday I asked you if any other parliamentarians or their families were subject to threats. This same question was posed by members of every other party during the House of Commons Question Period yesterday, and they received no answer.

Leader, you may not like the questions. You might even think it is beneath you to answer them, but it is, in fact, my job to hold the government to account, and it is your job to find answers to our questions.

Threats made by agents of foreign governments against parliamentarians and their families is a very serious matter, government leader, and if the Trudeau government cannot answer this question by now, it is, indeed, truly incompetent.

Once again, are there any other parliamentarians or their families under threat — yes or no?

Senator Plett: Well, of course, then they could come back with a written answer saying, “We can’t answer your question.” Two and a half years, and I have no response, Senator Gold. Yesterday again you indicated we didn’t have respect for this institution. How is it showing respect to this institution when, for two and a half years, I have a written question, and you stand here and explain what the government is doing? Why is it so difficult to get an answer?

I also have a written question on the Order Paper regarding the former chief justice of the Supreme Court of Canada Beverley McLachlin’s role as an overseas non-permanent member of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal. My question asks if the Trudeau government believes former Chief Justice McLachlin’s membership on this court lends legitimacy to Beijing’s interference in Hong Kong’s legal system. Over a year ago, two British judges stepped down from this court. The U.K. government welcomed this decision, saying it was no longer appropriate for British judges to sit on this court, as their presence risked legitimizing oppression. My question, Senator Gold, has been on the Order Paper since last June.

Leader, you recently indicated that your problem with providing answers back to this chamber was not related to lack of resources. So what is the cause? Why won’t your government — why won’t you — answer simple questions rather than just defending their actions in here? Why can’t we not get questions answered, written questions, in over two and a half years?

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Government leader, today I’m going to return to your response yesterday about foreign interference, as well as your comments about respect.

The official opposition has nothing but respect for this institution. It’s the Prime Minister and his incompetent government that we don’t have respect for. We have the highest respect for this institution.

When we asked the government questions regarding what even Liberal Warren Kinsella says is the biggest scandal in the Trudeau era, and you, leader, refuse to answer the questions because you don’t like them, that is a lack of respect for this institution.

Cherie Henderson, a Canadian Security Intelligence Service, or CSIS, assistant director, told the House of Commons Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs on February 9, 2023:

I can say that we definitely have seen specific cases of hostile activities of states against politicians. In those specific cases, we definitely brief our government on the challenges that are being faced.

Leader, this is the opposite of what the Prime Minister said and, indeed, what you said yesterday. Who, leader, is telling the truth?

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Leader, many incidents have occurred under the Trudeau government that underscored the Prime Minister’s shockingly poor judgment and lack of leadership in regard to the dictatorship in Beijing. One of those was his government’s reluctance, for years, to ban Huawei from our 5G infrastructure.

Senator Gold, for over two years — since March 30, 2021 — I’ve had a written question on the Senate’s Order Paper asking for information about the contracts given by the Trudeau government to Huawei since 2016.

For over two and a half years — since October 2020 — I’ve had a question on the Order Paper asking for details about the government’s 5G security review.

Leader, why doesn’t the Trudeau government want to answer my questions? What are you trying to keep from us?