Senator Klyne: I look forward to the additional information.

Hon. Marty Klyne: Honourable senators, I rise today to pay tribute to our remarkable colleague Senator Patricia Bovey. The extent of Senator Bovey’s passion for advancing the arts and advocating for social justice issues is matched only by her generous heart. Senator Bovey has devoted her life to championing the arts, having had a long career in the visual arts as a curator and director of the Winnipeg Art Gallery, a board member of the Canada Council for the Arts, art historian, professor, author and, for many years, a management consultant in the arts and not-for-profit sector.

Senator Bovey has been a dynamic presence in the Senate since her appointment in 2016. In addition to the arts, her work has included a focus on Canada’s Arctic, oceans and fisheries and Indigenous and foreign affairs. As acting Senate Speaker, she represented the Speaker at international meetings. As a member of the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade, she initiated the Cultural Diplomacy at the Front Stage of Canada’s Foreign Policy study. She also served as a deputy chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications and the Special Senate Committee on the Arctic. Fittingly, she chaired the Senate’s Artwork and Heritage Advisory Working Group, which installed the first works of Black Canadian artists in the Senate of Canada since 1867.

She served as an executive member of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology and as a member of the Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages and the Standing Senate Committee on Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament.

Senator Bovey sponsored bills to expand marine protected areas, establish a parliamentary visual artist laureate and highlight the essential role of artists. She has been a valuable and energetic member of the Progressive Senate Group since 2020, having served as a liaison.

I trust I speak for all of us, colleagues, when I say that Senator Bovey has been a beacon of inspiration for all those who have had the privilege of working with her. As she steps down from her position in the Senate, we can all take comfort in the knowledge that Senator Bovey’s legacy will endure, and we look forward to her continuing contributions to Canada.

Thank you. Hiy kitatamihin.

Hon. Marty Klyne: Senator Gold, as you know, Jordan’s Principle requires governments to ensure that First Nations children can, without discrimination or hesitancy, be on the same level as other Canadians and access the same products, services and supports they need when they need them. The aim is to meet the needs of First Nations children, regardless of whether it is for speech therapy, educational support, medical equipment, mental health service and many more. The aim is to meet the needs of these children regardless of their position or the region in which they live.

Although the federal government has made important improvements in the last 15 years, First Nations children continue to experience gaps, delays and denials. According to Indigenous Services Canada, denial rates on applications for funding and service access for First Nations children varied drastically across the country during the pandemic. In 2021, the government denied just over 70% of all group requests from British Columbia, along with nearly 55% from Alberta. In Manitoba and Quebec, meanwhile, it denied only about 5%.

What is the government doing to ensure Jordan’s Principle is upheld across Canada, regardless of regional differences?