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 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 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?

Hon. Victor Oh: I want to congratulate you, Your Honour, on your second day.

Honourable senators, I rise today to highlight the efforts and contributions of the Asian-Canadian community to the prosperity of Canada. As I have mentioned in my previous statements, Asian Heritage Month is the perfect opportunity to acknowledge those of Asian descent who have made a difference in our communities, and today, I would like to focus on the business pioneers who have taken the risk of entrepreneurship.

Recently, I had the privilege to meet with a few Asian-Canadian entrepreneurs, including John Lee, and discuss their turbulent journey to success. They are a true Canadian immigrant success story as their business began in their basement and has grown to be internationally recognized. Such experiences truly highlight Canada’s value of multiculturalism.

As we all know, entrepreneurship is the keystone of innovation and progress. It is the force that drives our economy forward and creates new job opportunities.

Being an entrepreneur is not only about starting a new business but also about identifying the needs of society and creating a solution. It’s about taking risks, creativity and persistence. It takes courage to step out of your comfort zone, start something new and risk failure but still persevere through the journey. It’s also about creating jobs and improving people’s lives.

Canada’s success is founded on hard work and innovative business ideas. Many Asian Canadians have contributed to our economic growth and created numerous jobs through their tenacity and perseverance.

Thankfully, many organizations in our country foster this journey. I believe Export Development Canada is worth mentioning. Through their support, knowledge and guidance, many businessmen and women are guided with tools for success, growth and trade opportunities that may open doors for these businesses and put them on the world stage.

So, this month, ensure that you show your support to our entrepreneurs and local businesses.

Thank you. Xie xie.

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. René Cormier: Esteemed colleagues, the rise in anti-2SLGBTQI+ hatred in North America and around the world is real and is happening here in Canada. Although we have made significant advances in legal equality in our country, we are still a long way from achieving social equality.

[English]

This hatred, fomented by an excessive and unreasonable fear of something that presents no danger, is called a phobia. On this International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, it is important to remember that these phobias are irrational; that 2SLGBTQI+ people have always existed and do not represent any danger; and that being a 2SLGBTQI+ person is not a disease nor an ideology — it is a human identity.

[Translation]

The stigmatization of 2SLGBTQI+ individuals is caused in part by these irrational fears, but it is also fuelled by discriminatory policies and practices that are unfortunately still prevalent in Canada. Take, for example, the challenges gay men face when it comes to organ and sperm donation, the criminalization of HIV non-disclosure, the purely cosmetic surgeries on intersex people’s genitalia, the glaring lack of access to health care for trans people and the HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP. These are intolerable forms of discrimination that we all need to work on.

However, we can celebrate the significant progress that has been made in our country in recent years and proudly say that Canada’s Parliament has a record number of parliamentarians who are members of the 2SLGBTQI+ community, as well as many parliamentarians who are allies of the community. I thank them for their support.

It is in that context that the Canadian Pride Caucus was formed a few months ago. It consists of senators and MPs who are part of the 2SLGBTQI+ community. The main objective of this caucus is to work in a non-partisan manner to advance the rights of 2SLGBTQI+ individuals in Canada and elsewhere, while maintaining an active dialogue with civil society organizations.

[English]

Colleagues, if Canada is at the forefront in terms of human rights within its borders, it must show generosity and solidarity with communities abroad such as those in Uganda and Nigeria who are facing extreme discrimination and are working hard to advance LGBTQI+ rights, risking their own lives.

[Translation]

Our struggle will continue until full equality is achieved in terms of equal rights for all human beings.

I proudly salute all civil society organizations and individuals who are working hard to improve the rights of these communities. Working to support 2SLGBTQI+ rights is working to support all human rights.

Colleagues, let’s take a step forward. Let’s celebrate our progress, of course, but more importantly, let’s commit to ending LGBTQphobia for good.

Thank you.

[English]

Hon. Senators: Hear, hear!

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

Hon. Robert Black: Honourable senators, today I rise to speak about an incredibly important organization in my home community of Centre Wellington. Portage Ontario is a leader in mental health and addiction rehabilitation. I continue to receive updates about their invaluable work, and am happy to speak again today to commend them on their successes.

In April, I received another update on their work and heard stories from a few of their clients, Reegan and Siv. I stand here today in the Senate to applaud these two young people and their hard work and dedication to their health and well-being, and I will continue to cheer them on.

As the chamber of sober second thought, it is our duty, colleagues, to give independent consideration to not just the bills put before us, but also to the problems ongoing outside this chamber. Mental health and drug addiction concerns are on the rise. There is a considerable lack of access to facilities for mental health and addiction rehabilitation.

According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, 21% of Canadians — 6 million people — will meet the criteria for addiction in their lifetime. Organizations like Portage in Centre Wellington, and elsewhere, work diligently to address this issue.

Now, almost 50 years in, they have supported thousands of Ontarians in their paths to wellness. This non-profit has directly impacted the lives of many young people in a positive way, and I’m proud to have met individuals like Reegan and Siv who have grown to be productive, polite and considerate adults, having gained the tools needed to handle life’s challenges during their time at Portage.

I thank Portage for their continued work, and I hope today that all of my honourable colleagues can take the time to consider how they can support Canadians dealing with mental health and addiction issues, and what we as a collective body can continue to do to advocate for improvement of access to these services. Thank you, meegwetch.

[Translation]

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.

Senator Housakos: Government leader, on a number of occasions, I brought my preoccupation to you on this very floor while this injustice was happening to Canadians. This has nothing to do with protecting Canadians from COVID; this was just a messed up, inappropriate process — that the government put into place — that unfairly persecuted Canadians. Canadians who were exercising their legitimate right to return home were slapped with fines of as much as $8,500, despite showing proof of vaccination. They were then threatened with more fines of as much as $750,000 if caught breaking quarantine — quarantine was used as a punitive measure rather than a medical one.

Was it to pay for your government’s total failure on that ill‑conceived, terrible and costly app? You saw the bill going up and up. I asked you about that in the middle of COVID on this very floor.

Is this just another revenue grab? Is that why innocent, law‑abiding citizens were wrongfully ordered to quarantine: to pay for this government’s failure in regard to this app? Why this injustice?

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 Gold: Thank you for the questions.

First of all, honourable colleagues, the assertion and attribution of motivations to any government, or member of the government, that they didn’t take action because it benefited them is unfounded in fact and is inappropriate, as we have been reminded by the previous Speaker in his rulings.

With regard to your question, again, this is Question Period. You can ask questions about classified information that might be available from security and intelligence forces, but it is not — and will never be — appropriate for the representative of the government, or the government leader, or however you want to style me or my successor, to reveal intelligence information in this place.

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 Seidman: Yes.

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 Coyle: Senator Gold, I now have a question about the upside of AI.

The growth of AI start-ups has been nothing short of remarkable, accelerating fourteenfold since 2000 and showing no signs of slowing down. The global AI market is booming and is projected to reach a value of $190 billion by 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of 36.62%. By 2030, the impact of AI on the world’s GDP is expected to be substantial, adding a remarkable $15.7 trillion and boosting the global economy by 14%.

Senator Gold, while I believe it’s crucial that federal legislation be in place to govern the development, deployment and ethical use of AI, given our country’s established presence in the global technology sector, Canada has an opportunity to position itself as a leader in the field of AI technology.

Senator Gold, we know competition in the field is accelerating. Could you tell us what steps are being taken by the federal government to firmly and quickly position Canada to be a global leader in artificial intelligence, or AI?

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.