The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of the Honourable Martin Cauchon, former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada; John Lee; Judy Niu; Richard Zhong; and Nathan Xie. They are the guests of the Honourable Senator Oh.

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

Senator Moncion: Thank you again for the question. There are a lot of things that are within the rules of the Parliament of Canada Act, and that motion, I don’t think, brings changes to the Parliament of Canada Act on this hiring process.

[Translation]

Senator Carignan: Leader, let me clarify something. It’s not just water leaking; it’s also leachate. Do you know the difference between the two? I would not drink a glass of it, that’s for sure. The government has failed to take any action on this environmental disaster for three years now. The Prime Minister’s Office was apparently informed, 225 government officials were informed. La Presse ran a headline this morning that reads, “Radio silence in Ottawa.” Based on what you’re saying, your government is still talking rather than taking action. How can I reassure the people of my region so they don’t feel abandoned by this government?

Hon. Senators: Hear, hear!

Senator Gold: Thank you for the question. I certainly will bring this question as well to the relevant authorities.

Senator Gold: Thank you for your question and for underlining the exponential — if that word isn’t already outdated — growth of AI research development and interest, and its transformative impact on our society.

Canada is already well positioned. Canada has a robust network of researchers, research centres and talented personnel who are doing cutting-edge work in research. It’s very much the case in my hometown of Montreal and elsewhere, as we all know. This was made possible by government support and investment in research, the research networks and fundamental research, along with our universities, provinces and territories.

Honourable senators, the government remains committed to ensure that Canada is well positioned in this area — as in other areas — to be a leading player for the benefit of Canadians as we continue our passage through this remarkable, transformational information epoch in which we live. The government will be there and continues to be there in that respect.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of the Honourable Martin Cauchon, former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada; John Lee; Judy Niu; Richard Zhong; and Nathan Xie. They are the guests of the Honourable Senator Oh.

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

Senator Omidvar: Senator Coyle, I feel I have to turn my back to look at you. Thank you for your very well-informed speech and your observations on the proceedings at SOCI.

I would like to clarify what I heard from you. What I think I heard you say is that the maximum amount of time that it would take to flow the benefits to the disability community would be two years, but they could start flowing on the day Royal Assent is given; they could start flowing within six months. Did I hear you say that?

Senator Gold: It’s a big question. As I mentioned in my answer to Senator Coyle, there’s no question that if the Industrial Revolution transformed society in past centuries, the Information Revolution — which began many decades ago — is now proving to potentially be an even more dramatic and fast-paced transformation. With transformations, there are dislocations and changes, and we are seeing that not only in this area but in our economy as the world is beginning a shift from heavy reliance on fossil fuels to other forms of energy.

Senator Gold: It’s a big question. As I mentioned in my answer to Senator Coyle, there’s no question that if the Industrial Revolution transformed society in past centuries, the Information Revolution — which began many decades ago — is now proving to potentially be an even more dramatic and fast-paced transformation. With transformations, there are dislocations and changes, and we are seeing that not only in this area but in our economy as the world is beginning a shift from heavy reliance on fossil fuels to other forms of energy.

The government is actively engaged in this issue around the question of risk, and I have every confidence that the government will also respond to the economic implications of transformations that will surely follow from the expansion of AI into all aspects of our lives.

[Translation]

Senator Coyle: Absolutely.

Senator Seidman: Thank you, senator. As you heard from me and Senator Cotter, the committee did pass an amendment for a timeline. The timeline is for the period within which the government has to make the regulations — that is what the timeline establishes.

Senator Wallin: Are you satisfied with that?

Senator Gold: Thank you for the question. As I said, the government is working closely with the leaders in the community and the Province of Quebec to resolve this dangerous, difficult and unacceptable situation.

Senator Seidman: Yes, I certainly am.

I believe I said in my speech that we heard from a lot of stakeholders, specifically with great emphasis from Mr. David Lepofsky: He was clear that we needed a timeline, as we had done with the Accessible Canada Act; we do have it.

And yes, I am satisfied. Thank you.

Senator Cardozo: Let me ask my supplementary question. I will drill down further on one of the issues raised in the paper I mentioned by Shawn Brayman. He points to the estimates that between 400 million and 800 million jobs will be lost across the world in the next short period due to AI. How should we all be preparing for this major change in society? Are you concerned that a massive economic change of this sort can lead to instability and polarization?

Senator Coyle: Thank you for your question, Senator Omidvar. That is exactly what I said. Although I think the overall intention was to have a 12-month or one-year maximum timeline, we actually have a maximum timeline of 24 months, which was also mentioned by the sponsor of the bill. You are absolutely correct, however. I support this and trust that it will be much sooner than that. In fact, it could be at any moment following Royal Assent.

[Translation]

Senator Simons: I have a follow-up question. There are national parks in Alberta that are particularly vulnerable to the potential of wildfire — Banff, Jasper and Wood Buffalo. I would be pleased if, at a future date and maybe by way of a written answer, you could provide to us what the federal government’s plans are for fire mitigation and suppression in our national parks in Western Canada.

Senator Gold: The measures to insist that people without proof of vaccination be quarantined were measures put in place to protect Canadians.

It is not the case, honourable colleague, that this was a revenue grab, and the implications of that are not grounded in fact.

Senator Tannas: I want to be clear. Are you suggesting that in addition to the motion that was passed here in the Senate, that made it clear that the Senate controlled the administrative leadership in the Senate and that we were delegating it as part of tradition to the Clerk, but that we held the option to withdraw it? Are you saying that has not been clear in this process or that we need to change some more rules? Is that what you’re saying? That the motion we made is not valid and that we need to go somewhere further or speak a little louder to make sure we do not find ourselves in a misunderstanding with the person who will be hiring the Clerk of the Senate?

Senator Gold: It’s a big question. As I mentioned in my answer to Senator Coyle, there’s no question that if the Industrial Revolution transformed society in past centuries, the Information Revolution — which began many decades ago — is now proving to potentially be an even more dramatic and fast‑paced transformation. With transformations, there are dislocations and changes, and we are seeing that not only in this area but in our economy as the world is beginning a shift from heavy reliance on fossil fuels to other forms of energy.

The government is actively engaged in this issue around the question of risk, and I have every confidence that the government will also respond to the economic implications of transformations that will surely follow from the expansion of AI into all aspects of our lives.

[Translation]