Senator Martin: Leader, as I have raised with you before, this is a significant discrepancy between what your government says this program will cost versus the Parliamentary Budget Officer’s estimate. The PBO’s cost estimate was $5.94 billion: That is almost twice the amount the government put forward in 2019 of $3.16 billion. Yesterday’s program update from Minister Wilkinson used the figure $3.2 billion.

Leader, has your government revised its cost estimate for this program? If so, what is it?

Senator Martin: Thank you for that. Leader, in addition to refusing to provide information on how the initial $16 million will be allocated, the three departments I just mentioned also refused to provide the PBO with information on the ongoing tasks, staffing and costs associated with the implementation of Bill C-13.

The NDP-Liberal government clearly believes that it can limit debate, and it can brush off an officer of Parliament’s request for information, but this is ultimately taxpayers’ money.

Leader, why is your government being so secretive with this information? Will the NDP-Liberal government instruct these three departments to provide the PBO’s Office with the information needed to do their job?