Senator Lankin: Thank you very much. I’m sorry, colleagues, it appears I have my voice back in this place. Senator Plett’s not clapping. I just want that noted on the record.

Senator Patterson, I was away when this report was tabled. I know of the work that the committee was doing and the general reputation that this report has as being thorough and very good. Recently, I had an opportunity to have a number of conversations with Senator Duncan, who, like you, shares these concerns around Arctic security. We did, in fact, speak about the matters that you’ve raised, so I’m going to refer to that broadly as capital infrastructure required at this point in time.

With the reports that we have seen about foreign investment in the North in resource extraction as well as post-extraction manufacturing, and with the intersection with First Nations governments and the concerns that First Nations have about not having all of the information about these investment approaches, did your committee look at that? Are the recommendations with respect to that contained in this report? If not, is that something that the committee might consider continuing, given the timeliness of these concerns of foreign investment and the risks to national security but placed within the Arctic situation?

Senator D. Patterson: I don’t have the privilege of being a member of this committee, although as a senator, I’m resident in the largest region in the Arctic. Today, I wanted to fully endorse the report.

Yes, it is clear that the committee did speak of the threats to North America from not-so-friendly nations. China considers itself a near-Arctic state, absurdly. Chinese vessels have sailed in our Northwest Passage. Russia is monitoring and threatening our airspace and, as I said, has developed weapons such as over‑the‑horizon supersonic missiles and torpedoes that threaten our current surveillance capabilities. I am keenly aware of these threats.

I had a chance to speak briefly to President Biden about our concern in the North about these threats not only to Canada but also to North America. So yes, the report addresses this in a timely fashion. It builds on work that has been previously done by Senate committees, including a previous report of the Senate Defence Committee and a report of the Special Senate Committee on the Arctic, which also deals with these security threats. Yes, these are issues that have been addressed in a timely manner by the committee.

I urge the Senate to adopt the report so that we can get the government response. Thank you for the questions.

(On motion of Senator Housakos, debate adjourned.)

On the Order:

Resuming debate on the inquiry of the Honourable Senator Boyer, calling the attention of the Senate to the positive contributions and impacts that Métis, Inuit, and First Nations have made to Canada, and the world.

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Senator Gold, on Tuesday, news outlets worldwide repeated a claim by Hamas that Israel had attacked a hospital in Gaza, killing innocent civilians. The rush to judgment that followed the CBC included Prime Minister Trudeau. He said both in the House and outside to reporters that the strike was unacceptable, illegal and international law must be upheld.

The timing of these comments implied he believed Israel was responsible, a story spread by a group our country officially recognizes as terrorists.

Prime Minister Trudeau is simply not worth the cost to Canada’s reputation. Is it too much to expect him to show common sense, leader, and speak with sober second thought, especially at such a dangerous time as this?

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): I’ll start, but first of all, let me echo Senator Dasko’s invitation. Although it may be her hometown, she fled Winnipeg — I’m not sure why.

I am still there, but I would also encourage you to come and visit the wonderful Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

Thank you, Senator Kutcher, for your speech — I agree with all aspects of it. I’m not Ukrainian; I’m Mennonite. But, of course, after the Mennonites left Holland, they went to Poland. They fled communism there and went to Ukraine, and many of them suffered and died during the Holodomor as well.

There are many similarities between Mennonites and Ukrainians — certainly varenyky being one of them.

Senator Kutcher, thank you; I do want to speak to this. I appreciate what you have said.

Your Honour, with that in mind, I will prepare my notes, and I would like to adjourn for the balance of my time.

(On motion of Senator Plett, debate adjourned.)