The Members convened were:

The Honourable Senators

AdlerAl ZaibakArnoldArnotAtaullahjanAucoinAudetteBattersBlackBoehmBoudreauBrazeauBureyBussonCardozoCarignanClementCormierCoyleCuznerDalphondDaskoDeacon (Nova Scotia)Deacon (Ontario)DeanDhillonDowneDuncanForestFrancisFridhandlerGagnéGalvezGerbaGoldGreenwoodHarderHayHébertHenkelHousakosKaretak-LindellKingstonKlyneLaBoucane-BensonLewisLoffredaMacAdamMacDonaldManningMarshallMartinMassicotteMcBeanMcCallumMcNairMcPhedranMégieMiville-DechêneMohamedMoncionMoodieMoreauMuggliOslerOudarPatePattersonPetitclercPettenPoirierProsperPupatelloQuinnRavaliaRichardsRinguetteRobinsonSaint-GermainSeidmanSeniorSimonsSmithSorensenSuretteTannasVaroneVernerWallinWells (Alberta)Wells (Newfoundland and Labrador)WhiteWilsonWooYouanceYussuff

The Members in attendance to business were:

The Honourable Senators

AdlerAl ZaibakArnoldArnotAtaullahjanAucoinAudetteBattersBlackBoehmBoudreauBrazeauBureyBussonCardozoCarignanClementCormierCoyleCuznerDalphondDaskoDeacon (Nova Scotia)Deacon (Ontario)DeanDhillonDowneDuncanForestFrancisFridhandlerGagnéGalvezGerbaGoldGreenwoodHarderHayHébertHenkelHousakosKaretak-LindellKingstonKlyneLaBoucane-BensonLewisLoffredaMacAdamMacDonaldManningMarshallMartinMassicotteMcBeanMcCallumMcNairMcPhedranMégieMiville-DechêneMohamedMoncionMoodieMoreauMuggliOslerOudarPatePattersonPetitclercPettenPoirierProsperPupatelloQuinnRavaliaRichardsRinguetteRobinsonSaint-GermainSeidmanSeniorSimonsSmithSorensenSuretteTannasVaroneVernerWallinWells (Alberta)Wells (Newfoundland and Labrador)WhiteWilsonWooYouanceYussuff

The first list records senators present in the Senate Chamber during the course of the sitting.

An asterisk in the second list indicates a senator who, while not present during the sitting, was in attendance to business, as defined in subsections 8(2) and (3) of the Senators Attendance Policy.

PRAYERS

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

At 2:03 p.m., pursuant to the order adopted on June 12, 2025, the Senate was suspended during pleasure and resolved into a Committee of the Whole to consider the subject matter of Bill C-5, An Act to enact the Free Trade and Labour Mobility in Canada Act and the Building Canada Act, the Honourable Senator Cormier in the Chair.

—In the Committee—

Pursuant to rule 12-32(4), the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, P.C., M.P., Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs and One Canadian Economy, and the Honourable Rebecca Alty, P.C., M.P., Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, accompanied by Christiane Fox, Deputy Clerk, Privy Council Office, Sarah Jackson, Director, Clean Growth Secretariat, Privy Council Office, Daniel Morin, Senior Policy Advisor, Clean Growth Secretariat, Privy Council Office, Rob Wright, Associate Deputy Minister, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, Georgina Lloyd, Assistant Deputy Minister, Northern Affairs, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, and Bruno Steinke, Senior Director, Consultation and Accommodation Unit, Modern Treaties, Consultation and Intergovernmental Relations Sector, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, were escorted to seats in the Senate Chamber.

Debate.

o o o

At 4:24 p.m., the committee was suspended.

At 4:32 p.m., the committee resumed.

o o o

Pursuant to the order adopted on June 12, 2025, Joshua Ginsberg, Director, EcoJustice, Charlie Hatt, Program Director, Climate, EcoJustice, Sean Southey, Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Wildlife Federation, Nicolas Lapointe, Senior Conservation Biologist, Freshwater Ecology, Canadian Wildlife Federation, and as an individual, Martin Olszynski, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Calgary, were escorted to seats in the Senate Chamber.

Debate.

It was agreed that the chair report to the Senate that the witnesses have been heard.

---

The sitting of the Senate resumed.

The Chair of the Committee stated that the Committee had examined subject matter of Bill C-5, An Act to enact the Free Trade and Labour Mobility in Canada Act and the Building Canada Act and had directed him to report that it has completed its business for today.

Senators’ Statements

Some Honourable Senators made statements.

Tributes

Tribute was paid to the Honourable Senator Mégie, who will retire from the Senate on September 21, 2025.

Senators’ Statements

Some Honourable Senators made statements.

ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS

Tabling of Documents

The Honourable Senator LaBoucane-Benson tabled the following:

Departmental Plans for 2025-26:

Administrative Tribunals Support Service of Canada

Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

Canada Border Services Agency

Canada Revenue Agency

Canada School of Public Service

Canada Water Agency

Canadian Accessibility Standards Development Organization

Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety

Canadian Energy Regulator

Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Canadian Grain Commission

Canadian High Arctic Research Station

Canadian Human Rights Commission

Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat

Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency

Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission

Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission

Canadian Space Agency

Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board

Canadian Transportation Agency

Copyright Board

Correctional Service of Canada

Courts Administration Service

Department for Women and Gender Equality

Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food

Department of Canadian Heritage

Department of Citizenship and Immigration

Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs

Department of Employment and Social Development

Department of Finance

Department of Fisheries and Oceans

Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development

Department of Health

Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

Department of Indigenous Services

Department of Industry

Department of Justice

Department of National Defence

Department of Natural Resources

Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Department of Public Works and Government Services

Department of the Environment

Department of Transport

Department of Veterans Affairs

Department of Western Economic Diversification

Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec

Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario

Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario

Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada

Immigration and Refugee Board

Impact Assessment Agency of Canada

Invest in Canada Hub

Law Commission of Canada

Leaders’ Debates Commission

Library and Archives of Canada

Military Grievances External Review Committee

Military Police Complaints Commission

National Film Board

National Research Council of Canada

National Security and Intelligence Review Agency Secretariat

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council

Northern Pipeline Agency

Office of the Auditor General

Office of the Chief Electoral Officer

Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs

Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying

Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages

Office of the Correctional Investigator of Canada

Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions

Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada

Office of the Intelligence Commissioner

Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Canada

Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada

Parks Canada Agency

Parole Board of Canada

Patented Medicine Prices Review Board

Privy Council Office

Public Health Agency of Canada

Public Service Commission

Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Royal Canadian Mounted Police External Review Committee

Secretariat of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians

Shared Services Canada

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council

Statistics Canada

The National Battlefields Commission

Treasury Board Secretariat

Veterans Review and Appeal Board.—Sessional Paper No. 1/45-170.

Government Notices of Motions

With leave of the Senate,

The Honourable Senator LaBoucane-Benson moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Petten:

That, notwithstanding the provisions of rule 14-1, until June 25, 2025, senators be authorized to table documents relating to the subject matter of Bill C-5, An Act to enact the Free Trade and Labour Mobility in Canada Act and the Building Canada Act, when the Speaker calls for the Tabling of Documents, without requiring leave, provided that any document so tabled be in both official languages.

The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.

Tabling of Reports from Interparliamentary Delegations

The Honourable Senator Moodie tabled the following:

Report of the Canadian Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, 67th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, Sydney, Australia, from November 3 to 8, 2024.—Sessional Paper No. 1/45-171.

Report of the Canadian Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Artificial Intelligence in Security Workshop, London, United Kingdom, from January 27 to 30, 2025.—Sessional Paper No. 1/45-172.

Report of the Canadian Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, 73rd Westminster Seminar on Effective Parliaments, London, United Kingdom, from March 10 to 14, 2025.—Sessional Paper No. 1/45-173.

Notices of Motions

With leave of the Senate,

The Honourable Senator Saint-Germain moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Clement:

That, notwithstanding rule 12-3(1) and the order of June 4, 2025, any committee that, under that provision of the Rules or that order, would have 12 members this session, instead have 13 members for the remainder of the current session;

That, notwithstanding rule 12-3(2)(g), the membership of the Standing Committee on Audit and Oversight be 4 senators for the remainder of the session, without affecting any provision relating to the external members, provided that, for the purposes of rule 12-6(2), the reference to 3 senators be read as reference to 4 senators, and that, for the purposes of rule 12-13(4), the reference to “all three Senators who are members of the committee” be read as if it said “all four Senators who are members of the committee” for the remainder of the session;

That the Committee of Selection be authorized to make recommendations to the Senate on issues relating to the duration of membership on committees;

That, notwithstanding any provision of the Rules or usual practice, the following Senate committees be authorized to elect three deputy chairs: the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration; the Standing Committee on Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament; and the Standing Committee on Audit and Oversight; and

That, if a committee authorized to elect more than one deputy chair does so:

1.the reference to the deputy chair in rule 12-18(2)(c)(ii) be understood as referring to all deputy chairs of the committee acting together;

2.the reference to the deputy chair in rule 12-13(4) be understood as a reference to the number of deputy chairs that the Standing Committee on Audit and Oversight elects; and

3.any reference to the deputy chair of a committee in any policy or guideline be understood as referring to all deputy chairs acting together, until the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration decides otherwise.

The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.

Orders of the Day

Government Business

Bills – Second Reading

Order No. 1 was called and postponed until the next sitting.

Motions

Order No. 1 was called and postponed until the next sitting.

Other Business

Commons Public Bills – Third Reading

Order No. 1 was called and postponed until the next sitting.

Senate Public Bills – Second Reading

Orders No. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27 were called and postponed until the next sitting.

Motions

Order No. 3 was called and postponed until the next sitting.

Inquiries

Order No. 1 was called and postponed until the next sitting.

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

At 7 p.m., pursuant to the order adopted on June 12, 2025, the Senate was suspended during pleasure and resolved into a Committee of the Whole to consider the subject matter of Bill C-4, An Act respecting certain affordability measures for Canadians and another measure, the Honourable Senator Cormier in the Chair.

—In the Committee—

Pursuant to rule 12-32(4), the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, P.C., M.P., Minister of Finance and National Revenue, accompanied by Maude Lavoie, Assistant Deputy Minister, Tax Policy Branch, Finance Canada, Gervais Coulombe, Senior Director, Excise Taxation and Legislation, Tax Policy Branch, Finance Canada, Sarah Stinson, Director of Operations, Democratic Institutions, Privy Council Office, were escorted to seats in the Senate Chamber.

Debate.

It was agreed that the chair report to the Senate that the witnesses have been heard.

---

The sitting of the Senate resumed.

The Chair of the Committee stated that the Committee had examined the subject matter of Bill C-4, An Act respecting certain affordability measures for Canadians and another measure and had directed him to report that it has heard from the witness.

---

Ordered : That Order No. 1, under OTHER BUSINESS, Commons Public Bills – Third Reading, be again called.

Third reading of Bill C-202, An Act to amend the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Act (supply management).

The Honourable Senator Dalphond moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Gerba, that the bill be read for the third time.

After debate,

The question being put on the motion, it was adopted, on division.

The bill was then read for the third time and passed.

Ordered, That a message be sent to the House of Commons to acquaint that House that the Senate has passed this bill, without amendment.

ADJOURNMENT

The Honourable Senator LaBoucane-Benson moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Petten:

That the Senate do now adjourn.

The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.

(Accordingly, at 9:12 p.m., the Senate was continued until tomorrow at 2 p.m.)

DOCUMENTS DEPOSITED WITH THE CLERK OF THE SENATE PURSUANT TO RULE 14-1(7)

Report of the Canadian Tourism Commission, together with the Auditor General’s Report, for the year ended December 31, 2024, pursuant to the Financial Administration Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. F-11, sbs. 150(1).—Sessional Paper No. 1/45-157.

Report of the Canadian Intellectual Property Office for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, pursuant to the Patent Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. P-4, s. 26.—Sessional Paper No. 1/45-158.

Report on activities of the College of Patent Agents and Trademark Agents for the year 2024, pursuant to the College of Patent Agents and Trademark Agents Act, S.C. 2018, c. 27, s. 247 “25(2)”.—Sessional Paper No. 1/45-159.

Summary of the Corporate Plans for 2024-25 to 2028-29 of the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, pursuant to the Financial Administration Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. F-11, sbs. 125(4).—Sessional Paper No. 1/45-160.

Report of the Military Grievances External Review Committee for the year 2024, pursuant to the National Defence Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. N-5, sbs. 29.28(2).—Sessional Paper No. 1/45-161.

Report of the Military Police Complaints Commission for the year 2024, pursuant to the National Defence Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. N-5, s. 250.17.—Sessional Paper No. 1/45-162.

Report of the Chief of Defence Staff on the National Sex Offender Registry for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, pursuant to the National Defence Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. N-5, s. 227.171.—Sessional Paper No. 1/45-163.

Employment Insurance Monitoring and Assessment Report for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, pursuant to the Employment Insurance Act, S.C. 1996, c. 23, sbs. 3(3).—Sessional Paper No. 1/45-164.

Report of the Canadian Accessibility Standards Development Organization for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, pursuant to the Accessible Canada Act, S.C. 2019, c. 10, sbs. 36(2).—Sessional Paper No. 1/45-165.

Progress Report to Parliament on the Canada Disability Benefit, pursuant to the Canada Disability Benefit Act, S.C. 2023, c. 17, sbs. 11.2(2).—Sessional Paper No. 1/45-166.

Annual Report of the Commissioner of Official Languages for the year ended March 31, 2024, pursuant to the Official Languages Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. 31 (4th supp.), s. 66.—Sessional Paper No. 1/45-167.

Annual Report of the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, pursuant to the Lobbying Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. 44 (4th Supp.), s. 11.—Sessional Paper No. 1/45-168.

Annual Report of the Information Commissioner of Canada for the period from April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025, pursuant to the Access to Information Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. A-1, s. 38.—Sessional Paper No. 1/45-169.

Changes in Membership of Committees Pursuant to Rule 12-5

Standing Senate Committee on National Finance

The Honourable Senator Pupatello replaced the Honourable Senator Gignac (June 17, 2025).