Minister, after six weeks of fighting with parliamentarians from all parties over their rights and privileges, your government finally provided MPs with an unredacted copy of its funding agreement with Stellantis, yet you still refuse to make it publicly available for all Canadians. If your government really believes that this deal served Canadians’ interests, why has it fought so hard to keep its details hidden from the public?

Thank you, Your Honour. I cannot speak to that contract or that piece of work. That is under the purview of my colleague the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.

I will add that this seems to be part of a troubling pattern. Your government did not disclose its prior knowledge of Algoma Steel’s planned layoffs before approving a $500-million financing agreement. Then they tried to hide the contract with Stellantis that cost Canadians 3,000 jobs. Now your government seeks to grant cabinet ministers broad powers to exempt companies from federal laws in the name of innovation and economic growth. I question, again, the confidence that Canadians should have in your government.

Yes, doesn’t it go through cabinet?

Thank you, Your Honour. I would imagine senators know that what goes through cabinet is subject to cabinet confidence in this place. I suspect that all senators know that.

I will say this, though: Canadians do have confidence. In fact, they elected us just a few months ago. We sit on the side of the government, and that is because Canadians have extraordinary confidence in the experience of our Prime Minister, and they know that this government will be there for them in good times and bad.

Week after week, in the other place, we field questions about all the ways that Conservatives would cut the very programs that senators in this room today are speaking about with great pride and encouragement to do more. In fact, that is what Canadians think. Canadians think that we should have a robust early learning and child care system, that Canadians who are struggling should not go without supports and that we should make sure that children in schools are fed.