The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, when shall this bill be read the second time?

(On motion of Senator Omidvar, bill placed on the Orders of the Day for second reading two days hence.)

Hon. Ratna Omidvar introduced Bill S-279, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (data on registered charities).

(Bill read first time.)

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to remind you that yesterday the Senate adopted an order to govern the times for questions and responses during Question Period. Pursuant to the order, when we do not have a minister with us, a senator’s initial question is limited to one minute, and the answer to another minute. The senator can then ask one supplementary question of at most 30 seconds, with the answer limited to the same duration.

The reading clerk will stand 10 seconds before the expiry of these times.

Is it also agreed that, if a senator has started a question, they be allowed to continue with their supplementary question and to receive the answer without being interrupted by the expiration of the time for Question Period?

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Senator Gold, last night the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry admitted the Trudeau government has frozen the work of Sustainable Development Technology Canada. This is a federal foundation, Senator Gold, that the Trudeau government has given $1 billion — over five years — to distribute to green technology firms.

According to external investigators, in 2020 and 2021, this foundation gave $38 million in emergency relief COVID payments to companies it had dealt with previously without proper eligibility monitoring or reporting.

Leader, this is yet another example of waste and incompetence on the part of the Trudeau government. No one was giving this foundation proper oversight. Senator Gold, is anything being done to recoup these taxpayers’ dollars?

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of members of the Korean-Canadian community of British Columbia. They are the guests of the Honourable Senator Martin.

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

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Ms. Crescence Ottou, Mayor of Bikok, Cameroon. She is the guest of the Honourable Senator Gerba.

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

Hon. Yonah Martin (Deputy Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, I rise today in the presence of fellow Korean Canadians Ann Woo, Myung Shin An, Soon Hee Oh and Ho Sook Kwon to recognize an important day for us and the national Korean-Canadian community and people of Korean descent around the world. October 3 is Gaecheonjeol, National Foundation Day, a day that celebrates the legendary origin and ancient history of the Korean people.

Gaecheonjeol, meaning “the day when the heavens opened,” is a day to commemorate the founding of Gojoseon, the first nation of the Korean people formed in 2333 BC, according to the Dangun myth.

Gaecheonjeol has been designated as a national holiday in Korea since 1909 and is currently a public holiday that is celebrated in various ways. According to the long-standing tradition, on October 3, communities gather at official ceremonies to mark this important day. Families visit ancestral burial sites or gather to honour their ancestors. They enjoy traditional foods and play games. In towns and cities, there may be parades or festivals to bring people together to enjoy traditional performances and entertainment in celebration of the shared culture and thousands of years of history.

In celebration of Gaecheonjeol here in Ottawa, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea will be hosting an event tomorrow evening at the Fairmont Château Laurier.

This year, 2023, is indeed a historic year. It marks the sixtieth anniversary of diplomatic relations between Canada and Korea and the seventieth anniversary of the Korean War armistice.

Korea has a proud history of overcoming Japanese colonial rule and the devastating Korean War and achieving today’s prosperity as the twelfth-largest economy in the world.

The Korean people also remember the courageous patriots of the independence movement from the Japanese colonialism and the Korean War veterans, whose efforts and sacrifices have built the foundation upon which Korea has flourished and become a G20 nation.

Honourable senators, please join me in recognizing Gaecheonjeol and what this day means to the more than quarter‑million members of the Korean-Canadian communities across Canada.

Thank you. Gamsahamnida.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of David Brazil, Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and Labrador. He is the guest of the Honourable Senator Wells.

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

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Honourable senators, as soon as the government learned of the alleged wrongdoing, it engaged a third party expert to conduct a review. The government has received the report. The government takes these findings seriously; that’s why it’s taking immediate, corrective action, including implementing the action plan by December.

As this process continues, the government will monitor the situation. It expects all organizations funded by the government to adhere to the highest standards.

Hon. Leo Housakos: Senator Gold, your government repeatedly said that user-generated content would not be regulated by Bill C-11. You explicitly ruled out the regulation of podcasts.

On May 12 of this year, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, or CRTC, released a myths and facts communiqué stating that concerns over the regulation of podcasts were a myth, and that anyone who creates a podcast isn’t a broadcaster under this law.

Quietly, last Friday, the very same regulator announced that podcasts must be registered with your government. Senator Gold, for a government supposedly consumed with misinformation and disinformation, this government continues to engage in it. Why were Canadians lied to in this manner by the Trudeau government and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, or CRTC?

Hon. Robert Black: Honourable senators, I rise today in the Senate Chamber to speak about a rising concern for us all — food security. In the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, supply chain management difficulties and climate change, which have been challenging our crucial agricultural and food sectors, many Canadians and people throughout the world have become food insecure. While the government develops many programs, benefits and policies to correct this, it will take efforts from all aspects of society to improve Canadian food systems. That is why, today, I want to recognize a particular organization working to grow and foster food security both domestically and internationally.

The Hunger Project, as it is known, works towards ending hunger and poverty by pioneering sustainable strategies and advocating for widespread practice adoption in countries throughout the world. According to The Hunger Project, up to 811 million people around the world live in chronic hunger, of which 60% are women.

In Canada, individuals like Matt Bunch, from my hometown of Fergus, continue to advocate for Canadians facing food insecurity. As the Co-Country Director, Matt continues to engage with community leaders, stakeholders and agencies to connect and improve to adapt local and regional supports to ongoing challenges.

The Hunger Project is a success story, fellow senators. Since its founding 20 years ago, it has successfully reached over 1.6 million people, helping to pull them out of food poverty, generating sustainability and a future for communities throughout the world.

It’s important, colleagues, that we in the Red Chamber continue to focus on food security and address the long-term challenges to continue supporting Canadians and people throughout the world. Advocating and supporting groups like The Hunger Project will do just that. I take pride in standing here today celebrating their continued success. Thank you. Meegwetch.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Michel Patrice, Deputy Clerk, Administration of the House of Commons since August 2017. As many honourable senators will recall, prior to his taking on that role, he served this institution for many years, beginning as a committee clerk, and then taking on a number of roles within the Office of the Law Clerk, culminating in his own appointment as Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel, and a member of our Executive Committee.

Throughout his time in both chambers, he has been known for his calm demeanour and his wise counsel, and has been a trusted source of advice for senators and staff alike.

Next week, Michel will be retiring, and I would ask honourable colleagues to join me in expressing our appreciation for his long service to Parliament in general, and the Senate in particular.

Hon. Pierre J. Dalphond: Honourable senators, I rise to congratulate Manitobans and, more specifically, their newly elected premier, Wab Kinew, on his inspiring and historic victory in yesterday’s election. In forming a majority government, Mr. Kinew has become the first Indigenous premier of a province in the Canadian federation. This is a great day for reconciliation and Canadian democracy.

[English]

In the words of Mr. Kinew, “Manitoba did something more progressive than any of those big cities ever did.” He added, “Seek your vision. Dreams come true.”

Mr. Kinew’s victory was especially beautiful following the outgoing governing party’s negative and divisive campaign with overtones of racism. As Michelle Obama says, “When they go low, we go high.”

Yesterday, our Parliament was also the site of a historic election. Greg Fergus, MP from my province, became the first Black Speaker of the House of Commons. Congratulations to Speaker Fergus! I know this chamber wishes him all success in his new role.

In addressing the other place, he said:

. . . respect is a fundamental part of what we do here. We need to make sure that we treat each other with respect and that we show Canadians an example, because there can be no dialogue unless there is a mutual understanding of respect. There can be no ability to pursue arguments, to make points be heard, unless we all agree to extend to each other that sense of respect and decorum.

Colleagues, these messages are as important in the Senate as in other debating places in this country. Canada must guard against the regression threatening American democracy through the falsehoods and divisive rhetoric against diversity, minorities and newcomers.

[Translation]

On behalf of the Progressive Senate Group, but also on behalf of progressives across Canada, I extend my congratulations to the new premier, Mr. Kinew, and to Speaker Fergus. Through them, Canada has demonstrated that it remains a wonderfully progressive country.

Thank you. Meegwetch.

[English]

Hon. Patti LaBoucane-Benson (Legislative Deputy to the Government Representative in the Senate): Honourable senators, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government response to the fourth report of the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights, entitled Human Rights of Federally-Sentenced Persons, tabled in the Senate on June 16, 2021, during the Second Session of the Forty-third Parliament.

(Pursuant to rule 12-23(4), this response and the original report are deemed referred to the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights.)

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question.

First of all, Canada’s support for Ukraine is necessary to fight Russia’s invasion of Ukrainian territory. The battle is being fought not only for Ukrainians and their territory, but also for democracy and a society founded on the rule of law.

Second, the government needs to save money, and the National Defence budget is not excluded. In the current economy, however, this will be done carefully and responsibly.

Hon. Julie Miville-Dechêne: Senator Gold, the Iranian regime’s repression has forced many women to flee, including Nahid Modaressi, a member of Iran’s LGBTQ+ community who is particularly at risk.

In 2018, Ms. Modaressi fled Iran and obtained refugee status in Turkey. However, because of an agreement between Iran and Turkey, her status was not renewed and she is now facing deportation. A group of Canadians is prepared to welcome her here. She applied for a visa to enter Canada, but her application was denied. Urgent action is needed.

Senator Gold, can Canada do more to help Nahid Modaressi and other exiled women in the same situation?

Hon. Donna Dasko: Senator Gold, Bill C-18, the Online News Act, received Royal Assent on June 22 of this year, and regulations were gazetted on September 2, with consultations closed on October 2.

Canadians are no longer able to view or share news content on Facebook and Instagram, including news articles and audiovisual content that parent company Meta has blocked. Search engine Google has threatened to do the same, and a report yesterday in The Globe and Mail suggests this may happen soon.

My first questions concern Google. Has the government engaged with Google, including at the ministerial or departmental level, regarding Bill C-18? Did Google participate in the consultations? Most importantly, is the government contemplating changes to the legislation or other responses to deal with these latest developments?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question. As has been reported publicly, the Minister of Canadian Heritage has met with Google and Facebook, among other stakeholders, since she became minister. This continues ongoing discussions between the government and tech giants, news organizations, experts and Canadians throughout the initial consultations and the parliamentary process and then leading into the regulatory process that has not yet been finalized. I’m advised this dialogue has been under way throughout.

Colleagues, I also understand that Google has stated in the media that they have submitted comments as part of this regulatory process, and the government looks forward to reviewing the submissions made while working collaboratively with the tech platforms, news organizations and Canadians before finalizing the regulations.

Hon. Jean-Guy Dagenais: My question is for the Representative of the Government in the Senate.

Barely 10 days ago, the Prime Minister announced an additional $650 million in aid to help Ukraine in the war against Russia. That brings Canada’s assistance to Ukraine to $9.8 billion in less than two years.

My question relates to economics and is very specific. Does Canada have an unlimited budget for assisting Ukraine? Giving $10 billion to Ukraine, when the new President of the Treasury Board Secretariat is asking your government to trim its spending by $15 billion, is not inconsequential for anyone who knows how to count.

How can we ensure that Canadians are not ultimately deprived of government services because the Prime Minister wants to help Ukraine?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Canadians were not lied to by the government or the CRTC. My understanding is that this is the first stage within the regulatory process, and the criteria that will ultimately develop, as I understand it, will include — as colleagues would recall from our debates — the extent or degree to which initiatives on platforms can be considered properly broadcasters, and that also includes the extent of their reach and of their revenues. Therefore, it is simply not correct to attribute this stage of the regulatory process as a lie.