Hon. Brian Francis: Welcome, minister.

A report from November 2022 by the Correctional Investigator of Canada found that the federal government has made little progress to address the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the last decade, with some facing even worse conditions today. The report also highlighted that healing lodges, which help support successful rehabilitation and reintegration, continue to be underfunded and underused across the country. In Atlantic Canada, for instance, there continue to be no beds available at healing lodges, although the incarcerated Indigenous population in our region has increased by nearly 90% in the last 10 years.

Has the number of Indigenous people, particularly women, decreased at all in the last year? What are the current occupancy rates in the existing 10 healing lodges funded and/or operated by the Correctional Service Canada, or CSC? Are there any plans to build Indigenous-run healing lodges in Atlantic Canada or elsewhere? If so, where and when?

Hon. Brian Francis: Honourable senators, I give notice that, at the next sitting of the Senate, I will move:

That, notwithstanding any provision of the Rules or previous order, the Honourable Senator Gagné be replaced as a member of the Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages by the Honourable Senator Audette.