Senator Gold, as the Trudeau government Senate leader, one of your most important duties is shepherding government legislation through the Senate for sober second thought. In that role, you negotiate legislative timelines with the other Senate leaders.

You told me last week that you have not recused yourself from any of those negotiations, despite your incomplete financial disclosure and divestment process with the Ethics Commissioner.

In the five months you have been government Senate leader, the Trudeau government spending has been fast and furious. On March 13 alone, the new NAFTA bill passed the Senate after only 24 minutes of debate. A $3.8-billion supply bill passed all legislative stages in 90 seconds. Bill C-11, a $44-billion supply bill, whipped through here in 46 seconds. That’s almost a billion dollars per second, Senator Gold. Meanwhile, Bill C-12, the special warrant bill, also passed that day and sailed through the Senate in 50 seconds. It was a blank cheque the Trudeau cabinet later filled in, authorizing themselves to borrow $350 billion.

My goodness, Senator Gold. That was not much sober second thought, was it?

Given you were still working with the Ethics Commissioner to handle your potential conflicts of interest, why didn’t you recuse yourself from negotiations to push through this multi-billion dollar legislation at unprecedented breakneck speed?

Senator Gold, as the Trudeau government Senate leader, you were sworn into the Privy Council. The Prime Minister’s website states that you will be invited to attend meetings of the cabinet committee on operations, one of the most important cabinet committees. Yet you told me last week that during your five months as Senate government leader you have not recused yourself from any of those cabinet deliberations, despite your incomplete financial disclosure and divestment process with the Ethics Commissioner.

Senator Gold, either you took part in cabinet meetings where the design and legislation to implement multi-billion dollar programs were decided, despite your potential conflicts of interest, or the Trudeau government has not invited you to any cabinet meetings in the last five months, thus neutering the role of the government Senate leader. It is one or the other. Which is it?