Senator Rose-May Poirier

Thank you, minister, for being here today. Minister, the families of those who were on board Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 were understandably shocked when they learned of a so-called friendly soccer game between Canada and Iran originally planned to take place earlier this month. The families continue to seek justice for their loved ones, and your government hasn’t given them much support over the past two and a half years. On May 17, when the Prime Minister was asked by a repo…

Senator Gold, on Friday, the federal government appealed the decision recognizing that the position of Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick must be held by a person “capable of executing all tasks required of the Role of Lieutenant-Governor in both the English and the French Languages.” Despite the government’s fine words, its intentions are now clear. The Prime Minister wants to retain the privilege of appointing lieutenant-governors who can’t communicate in French. Senator Gold, why is the…

Honourable senators, I rise today on third reading of Bill S-209, An Act respecting Pandemic Observance Day. I thank Senator Mégie for bringing this initiative forward. It has been 792 days since COVID-19 officially became a pandemic, and 792 days since our lives were turned upside down. Streets were empty. Stores were closed. We had to isolate from each other. In the obscurity of the pandemic, the only lights in our society that were left on were those of our essential workers: all health care…

Good afternoon minister, and thank you for being with us. On April 14, 2022, the Court of Queen’s Bench of New Brunswick ruled that the Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick must be bilingual and be able to perform all of the duties of that role in both French and English. The last time French-speaking minorities won a case, which was last January with regard to Part VII of the Official Languages Act, your government was going to appeal. Could you tell us today whether the federal governme…

Honourable senators, I rise today at third reading of Bill S-227, An Act to establish Food Day in Canada. I thank the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry for their due diligence on this very important bill. As I said in my second reading speech, I fully support Senator Black’s bill in establishing a food day in Canada. It is a great opportunity to share with Canadians the crucial role our local food sector plays in our everyday life. Whether it be fisheries, blueberries, apples…

Honourable senators, I rise today at second reading of Bill S-236, An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act and the Employment Insurance Regulations, sponsored by Senator Diane Griffin. Colleagues, please allow me a few moments to pay tribute to our former colleague Senator Griffin before I speak more to Bill S-236. Although Senator Griffin served with us for a little over five years, she has left a lasting impression in the Senate. She fought for what she believed was right and defended th…

Benefits Delivery Modernization Hon. Rose-May Poirier: Thank you, minister, for being with us today. Last year, the federal budget included $648 million over seven years to upgrade Service Canada’s information technology system to modernize the delivery of benefits, such as Employment Insurance. At the time, your colleague Minister Qualtrough stated that the IT system needed to be upgraded before major changes to the IT system could take effect. As you know, she’s still consulting on those…

Support for Veterans Hon. Rose-May Poirier: Honourable senators, my question is for the government leader in the Senate. According to the information that predates the pandemic, the number of homeless veterans across Canada is estimated to be about 3,000. Last year’s federal budget promised $45 million over two years on a pilot project aimed at reducing homelessness amongst veterans, beginning with the 2022-23 fiscal year. A recent answer to a Senate Order Paper question revealed that Inf…

Closure of Fisheries Hon. Rose-May Poirier: Honourable senators, my question is for the Government Representative in the Senate. Senator Gold, yesterday the government announced the closure of Atlantic mackerel and commercial bait fisheries without any consultation with the fishermen. Weeks before the fishing season is about to begin, the government blindsided fishermen. As the Maritime Fishermen’s Union said, this announcement illustrates a lack of respect for the expertise of the inshore…

Firearms Buyback Program Hon. Rose-May Poirier: Minister, my question for you concerns your government’s firearm buyback program. Almost a year ago the Parliamentary Budget Officer, or PBO, reported this program will cost up to $756 million to buy back close to 518,000 firearms, three times the amount your government had estimated. In addition, the PBO figure did not include the cost to administer the program due to a lack of details about this program from your government. Minister, do yo…