Senator Plett: These three MPs from New Brunswick yesterday had a chance to show some backbone and vote against the Prime Minister’s carbon tax in the other place, but they failed to do so. Were they whipped, leader? Is this typical of Liberal behaviour, say one thing and vote another way?

Senator Plett: The Prime Minister continues to live far outside of the real world. A record number of Canadians cannot feed themselves, yet his government continues to implement policies that make groceries more expensive. Three weeks ago, the Prime Minister promised food prices would be stabilized — and ideally lowered — by Thanksgiving.

Senator Gold, does your government honestly believe that telling Canadians more coupons and flyers are coming fulfills that promise?

Senator Plett: Today is the Senate’s ninth sitting day this fall. As of this moment, not a single delayed answer has been tabled in this chamber from the Trudeau government — not yet, Senator LaBoucane-Benson — not just for any of my questions, but for any other senator’s questions either. Why is that, leader? Why are we getting only a handful of written answers today? We’re getting them today. I have 128 questions on the Order Paper.

How many more years will I have to wait to have them answered? I’m retiring in 2025.

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Senator Gold, although Canadians have much to be grateful for, this Thanksgiving, there are too many people in our country struggling to survive. We should never forget that.

On Tuesday, a food bank in Montreal said they’re unable to keep up with demand. For the first time in 37 years, they have had to turn people away. Their executive director calls this a disaster, Senator Gold, saying:

We see more people who have jobs, we see more students who can’t make ends meet, families, everyone is knocking on our door.

The Prime Minister is a Montreal member of Parliament, Senator Gold. It’s hard for him to relate to suffering in his own backyard when his Easter vacation cost taxpayers $230,000. Isn’t that right, leader?

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Senator Gold, three New Brunswick Liberal members of Parliament, or MPs, are calling on their own Trudeau government to axe the tax on home heating fuel. These three MPs also want their Trudeau government to undertake a study to measure the impact of carbon taxes in New Brunswick and in rural Canada.

Minister Guilbeault promised to give this very information to the four Atlantic premiers back in May. He failed to do so, Senator Gold, and the premiers have been asking for it ever since. Leader, now that their backbench MPs are asking for this information, will the Trudeau government finally relent and hand it over or will they continue to hide it even from their own MPs?

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): CBC has 144 corporate directors, paid six-figure salaries and their average is over $135,000. I find it interesting. There are 144 well-paid directors at CBC, including ten who work in legal services. Yet none of them have found the time to answer a question I have had on the Order Paper for two-and-a-half years. The Trudeau government will not say how much the CBC spent on its failed lawsuit against the Conservative Party of Canada, which it launched during the 2019 election, Senator Gold.

Leader, in February, you said the delay in answering my question is not contempt.

If it’s not contempt, what is it? When can we get an answer to a question that’s been there for two-and-a-half years?