Hon. Scott Tannas: Honourable senators, former Senator Carney was a journalist, an author, an economic consultant, a member of Parliament and a senator. She was a parliamentarian for over 25 years, here and in the House of Commons.

With the passing of the Honourable Patricia Carney, as Senator Martin said, Canada has lost a trailblazer and an agent for change. To describe her as a trailblazer is not hyperbole but a statement that speaks to her abilities and all of her firsts. She is famous for a lot of firsts. Let me list them, some of which have been listed previously.

She was the first female business columnist to write for a major daily newspaper in Canada. She was the first female Conservative politician elected to Parliament from British Columbia. She was the first woman to serve as Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources, as Minister of International Trade and later as president of the Treasury Board. She was the first woman to be appointed from B.C. to the Senate.

As an Alberta senator, I honour her as the chief architect of the dismantling of the National Energy Program. She provided leadership for the development of a new approach to energy development and production during the Mulroney government, which ended the regressive policy affecting Western Canada. The National Energy Program was replaced by the Western Accord, which was supported by the energy-producing provinces and fostered new cooperation in the industry between the federal and provincial governments and industry.

Pat Carney later used her talents and in-depth policy knowledge to find common ground in Eastern Canada with the Atlantic Accord, which put in place a market-governed system for offshore energy resources for the benefit of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Her next challenge was trade. As Minister of International Trade, she took on the challenge of free trade negotiations with the United States. She steered the good ship Canada during these difficult trade talks. Her role was described by our former colleague the late Hugh Segal as “. . . seminal, clear cut and demanding.” Her efforts, despite her herculean task, were — as we know — greatly successful.

Another of Pat Carney’s important achievements was her support for the protection of our maritime heritage, especially lighthouses. She introduced a bill in this place to protect heritage lighthouses seven times, but her tenacity finally paid off with the adoption of Bill S-215 in 2008.

To my colleagues who have introduced bills during the session, you can take heart from former Senator Carney’s example that, while it may take time, you can eventually cross the finish line.

Honourable senators, all Canadians owe a great debt of gratitude to our former colleague Senator Carney.

We offer our sincere sympathies to her family and we honour and celebrate her accomplishments.

Senator Cormier: Thank you for the answer, Senator Gold.

I applaud the partnership announced by the Government of Canada last June with the Rainbow Railroad organization to protect LGBTQI+ refugees and welcome them to Canada.

What observable results has this partnership achieved to date? Is the government consulting this organization to improve the LGBTQI+ refugee intake process in Canada?

Senator Klyne: Senator Gold, one of Saskatchewan’s three coal plants was equipped with a carbon capture system in 2014 at a cost of $1.35 billion, and I note it’s the first of its kind in the world. By the end of 2029, Saskatchewan’s two other coal plants must be closed or converted to natural gas or equipped with carbon capture systems. Will the government step up in a substantial and meaningful way to resolve the unique challenges and dilemmas Saskatchewan faces?

Hon. Jane Cordy: Honourable senators, I rise today to pay tribute to former senator Pat Carney, who passed away on July 25 at the age of 88. Senator Carney served in the Senate from her appointment in 1990 until her retirement in 2008. A remarkable public servant, her journey to politics began in her early working years with a deep-seated sense of duty.

Before making a foray into politics, Pat had a background in journalism, municipal planning and economic consulting — skills she took with her into her political career. As a journalist, she was the first woman business columnist writing for a major daily newspaper in Canada.

As Senator Martin and Senator Tannas stated, Pat Carney was a trailblazer. She first ran for a seat in the House of Commons as a Progressive Conservative candidate in 1979. Defeated in that election, she ran again in 1980 and was elected the Member of Parliament for Vancouver Centre. After the 1984 election, she was appointed to the cabinet of then-prime minister Brian Mulroney as the Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources. In 1986, she was named the Minister of International Trade, and she was at the forefront of the negotiation of the Canada-U.S. free trade agreement for which she received an award for outstanding achievement in the field of international law and affairs from the New York Bar Association. She retired from the other place in 1988, after having served for two terms. Senator Carney blazed a trail for women in Canadian politics. She was the first woman Conservative member of parliament elected in British Columbia, and was the first woman from British Columbia to be appointed to the Senate.

Senator Carney’s impact extends beyond the legislative sphere. She has been a mentor and role model for aspiring politicians, particularly women, inspiring them to break barriers and pursue careers in public service. Her dedication to mentoring the next generation of leaders is a testament to her belief in the importance of nurturing talent and ensuring a diverse and vibrant political landscape.

Honourable senators, on behalf of the Progressive Senate Group, I wish to extend my condolences to the family of the late Pat Carney.

Thank you.

Senator Forest: Indeed, the immigration process is difficult for the individuals involved, and it is especially difficult emotionally. It seems cruel to make things even harder by increasing the amount of red tape and reducing the support services offered to applicants.

Will the government recognize that immigrants aren’t being offered adequate support and welcome services and that a drastic overhaul is needed? After all, we’re talking about human beings here, not objects. What happened to our Canadian values of solidarity and respect?

Senator Martin: In the previous economic downturn, Canada fared better than the G7 nations, and that’s because of how the government managed its affairs. After eight years of Justin Trudeau, more and more Canadians are struggling to make ends meet. Food banks are sounding alarm bells that their shelves are empty, especially ahead of Thanksgiving weekend where many Canadians will gather with family and friends to share meals and traditions.

Senator Gold, when will the Trudeau government stop the deficits that fuel inflation, as Minister Freeland herself has said?

Senator Omidvar: Senator Gold, would you also convey to the minister that one of the largest stakeholders, the March of Dimes, has raised this question with us? They have also raised the issue that there will be no money flowing to the disability community without an allocation somewhere.

Will the government table their financial allocation soon to assure the disability community that benefits will be flowing sooner rather than later? They really are concerned.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I received a notice from the Leader of the Opposition who requests, pursuant to rule 4-3(1), that the time provided for the consideration of Senators’ Statements be extended today for the purpose of paying tribute to the Honourable Pat Carney who passed away on July 25, 2023.

I remind senators that pursuant to our Rules each senator will be allowed only 3 minutes and they may speak only once and the time for Tributes shall not exceed 15 minutes.

Hon. Senators: Hear, hear.

[Translation]

On the Order:

Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator LaBoucane-Benson, seconded by the Honourable Senator Duncan:

That, notwithstanding any provision of the Rules, previous order, or usual practice, until the end of the day on June 30, 2024, any joint committee be authorized to hold hybrid meetings, with the provisions of the order of February 10, 2022, concerning such meetings, having effect; and

That a message be sent to the House of Commons to acquaint that house accordingly.

On the Order:

Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator LaBoucane-Benson, seconded by the Honourable Senator Duncan:

That, notwithstanding any provision of the Rules, previous order, or usual practice, until the end of the day on June 30, 2024, any joint committee be authorized to hold hybrid meetings, with the provisions of the order of February 10, 2022, concerning such meetings, having effect; and

That a message be sent to the House of Commons to acquaint that house accordingly.

Senator Housakos: The only assurance that this chamber and taxpayers have is that the RCMP is looking into it. Hopefully, they’ll get to the bottom of which pockets got lined.

Senator Gold, given the latest news regarding it, will your government finally do the right thing and cancel the outstanding fines that were issued as a result of this deeply flawed and — as we now know — fraudulent app? Will you apologize to Canadians who were unlawfully ordered into quarantine despite having done nothing wrong — Canadians such as Joe Walsh and thousands of others who have been fined?

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?

On the Order:

Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator LaBoucane-Benson, seconded by the Honourable Senator Duncan:

That, notwithstanding any provision of the Rules, previous order, or usual practice, until the end of the day on June 30, 2024, any joint committee be authorized to hold hybrid meetings, with the provisions of the order of February 10, 2022, concerning such meetings, having effect; and

That a message be sent to the House of Commons to acquaint that house accordingly.

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 Gold: As the minister announced today, we are expecting concrete action from the five major chains with proposals to lower the cost of groceries for Canadians. The minister has also been in touch, as he was encouraged to do so by business groups, with other important players in the chain. This is about concrete action with those responsible for food prices, and that’s what the government is doing.

Senator Tannas: Thank you for that answer. I appreciate it.

I’m not suggesting a large study, but I think if the Senate needs to agree to these things, if we have a role in the process, perhaps every once in a while for things like this, we should step back, take a look and call officials in. We ought to understand why this keeps happening.

Senator Gold: I take your suggestion seriously, and we will discuss it quickly.

Hon. Yonah Martin (Deputy Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, I rise today to pay tribute to the late Honourable Senator Patricia Carney, former senator for British Columbia and trailblazer in many ways.

The Honourable Patricia Carney began her professional career first as a journalist in the 1960s. She was the first female business columnist for major papers in our home province of B.C., including the Vancouver Sun and what was then known as the Vancouver Province.

She was also an educator and a Canadian pioneer in the development of distance learning systems. She understood the profound impact that education plays in the lives of our children and youth and the important role that educators have in helping shape their future careers and education.

Former Senator Carney was awarded the British Columbia Institute of Technology award for Innovation in Education for work on the Satellite Tele-Education Program Hermes project — a true testament to her vision, dedication and knowledge.

She was also an avid volunteer, advocate and member of many organizations and boards. She was a published author and held Honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from both the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University.

In the 1980s, she changed careers and began her life in politics. She was the first female Conservative member of Parliament ever elected in B.C., and on August 30, 1990, became the first female Conservative appointed from B.C. to the Senate.

Former Senator Carney retired in March of 2008, just before I began my work in the Senate as a senator for B.C. Although we never crossed paths during our political careers, as a proud B.C. senator and a woman, it is truly an honour to follow in her footsteps and continue to represent the good people of our province.

She led a life dedicated to service, from mentoring her students to serving her community, constituents and Canadians from coast to coast to coast.

Above all, she was a devoted daughter, wife and mother of two wonderful children. On behalf of our Conservative caucus in the Senate, I would like to express my deepest condolences to her family and loved ones. I hope that you can find peace in the memories you shared with her and be assured that her memory lives on in the lives of all those she has touched.

Honourable senators, please join me in saying a final farewell to an esteemed former colleague, the late Honourable Patricia Carney. May she forever rest in peace.