The Hon. the Speaker: Is leave granted, honourable senators?

Senator Carignan: Your government has been in power for eight years, but your answer to me today is that the RCMP is calling for bids for language classes. Are you kidding me?

Senator Housakos: Senator Woo, I have two short questions. First, how could you profess that the government — that is, the elected Prime Minister who appoints in this parliamentary chamber and simultaneously appoints the government senators who will also serve in the opposition — could appoint government representatives and opposition representatives simultaneously?

Second, how could this chamber, despite being an appointed body — and there are few left in our modern parliamentary democracies — completely ignore the will of the democratic choice in the other house in choosing the government on one side of this chamber and the opposition on the other, as has been the tradition since 1867?

Senator Woo: I would like to if colleagues agree to grant me more time.

The Hon. the Speaker: Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?

Senator Gold: The information I was given is that the Government of Canada expects the RCMP to take responsibility and meet its obligations under the Official Languages Act. That is what the government expects, and those are the RCMP’s obligations.

[English]

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I have the honour to inform you that I have received the following communication from Government House, which reads as follows:

RIDEAU HALL

October 3, 2023

Madam Speaker:

I have the honour to inform you that Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary May Simon, Governor General of Canada, will proceed to the Senate Chamber today, the 3^rd day of October, 2023, at 2:10 p.m., for the purpose of receiving the newly elected Speaker of the House of Commons.

Yours sincerely,

Maia Welbourne

Acting Secretary to the Governor General

The Honourable

The Speaker of the Senate

Ottawa

[Translation]

Senator Plett: In 2019, the Trudeau government ended the previous federal surplus property program and, instead, created its own Federal Lands Initiative. The website for the Federal Lands Initiative says it’s “. . . a $200-million fund that supports the transfer of surplus federal lands and buildings to eligible proponents” at discounted cost or even at no cost to be developed for use as affordable housing.

If you were to look at this website right now, Senator Gold, you would see that it says in big, bold letters, “There are currently no properties available.”

Leader, how is that possible? The CBC alone owns over $400 million worth of property. How can a $200-million fund not find even one federal property to be turned into housing?

Senator Gold: The availability of properties, whether federally owned or otherwise, is only one element in the process which is sometimes complicated to bring a project to light. I can speak with some experience, having worked for 20 years, in part, in this space.

With regard to your question, again, the federal government is doing its part. More can be done by all levels of government. All levels of government should continue to work together to address this very important crisis and challenge for all Canadians.

The Hon. the Speaker: Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, that the sitting be suspended to await the arrival of Her Excellency the Governor General of Canada?

The Hon. the Speaker: Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?

Senator Gold: No, I’m afraid I cannot accept some of the premises, senator, of your question. First of all, the independent Office of Protocol, in response to my inquiry last week, responded, “The Chief of Protocol does not report to the Prime Minister’s Office.” It is simply incorrect to continue to insist that somehow the terribly unfortunate incident was the responsibility of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister apologized on behalf of Parliament to Canada, and my understanding is that communications have taken place and continue to take place with the Government of Ukraine, of which we are a proud and staunch supporter.

The Hon. the Speaker: Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, that the sitting be suspended to await the arrival of Her Excellency the Governor General of Canada?

Senator Woo: Yes.

Senator Francis: Thank you, Senator Gold. I do not have to remind you or the relevant ministers that time is of the essence. Every single day, we are losing survivors, and they, along with their families and communities, deserve justice as soon as possible.

Senator Gold: I could not agree with you more.

Senator Clement: To the young people, thank you for taking up space in this institution. I can’t wait to see what good you do in this world. Nia:wen.

The Hon. the Speaker: Is leave granted, honourable senators?

Senator Plett: Leader, two weeks ago, the Leader of the Official Opposition, Pierre Poilievre, asked the Prime Minister to provide more facts about the serious allegations he made in the House of Commons against the government of India. Mr. Poilievre said we need to have all the evidence possible so Canadians can make judgments on that allegation.

I agree — given the severe and widespread ramifications of the Prime Minister’s claims — this is a reasonable request, Senator Gold. Yet the Prime Minister and his government have not told Canadians any more than he did in the other place on September 18. Why is that, leader?

Senator Cotter: Given the urgency for so many people, I hope that inquiry is an urgent one, Senator Gold.

I have a brief supplementary question. Part of the government commitment was that the regulations to give effect to that benefit would be developed in a deeply collaborative process with the disability community. The leadership in the disability community advised that, despite earlier commitments to this richly collaborative process, which is unique to this benefits development, the government approach is neither unique nor richly collaborative. It’s more of the same old thing. Can you inform us on this?