Appropriation Bill No. 2, 2022-23
Second Reading
June 14, 2022
, moved second reading of Bill C-24, An Act for granting to Her Majesty certain sums of money for the federal public administration for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2023.
She said: Honourable senators, I rise today in support of the appropriation bill for the Main Estimates 2022-23.
This appropriation bill would authorize payments to be made out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund for government programs and services. Through this bill, the government requests Parliament’s approval of the planned spending proposals that are detailed in the Main Estimates 2022-23.
You will recall that the President of the Treasury Board presented the Main Estimates in the House of Commons on March 1, 2022.
These Main Estimates reflect the government’s ongoing commitment to addressing Canadians’ priorities, especially through investments in infrastructure, benefits for seniors and students, provincial transfers for health care and child care, and measures to reduce emissions and green our economy.
As you will see, the government is committed to maintaining economic support for individuals and businesses in order to help our economy recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The majority of expenditures in the Main Estimates are transfer payments made to other levels of government, other organizations and individuals. Transfer payments make up approximately 61% of expenditures, or $243.1 billion.
Significant changes in transfers to individuals are primarily related to elderly benefits, the payments for Old Age Security and the Guaranteed Income Supplement and assistance to students through the Canada Student Grants.
Through transfer payments, the government also provides significant financial support to provincial and territorial governments to assist them in the provision of programs and services, principally health care, as well as funding related to local infrastructure priorities, home care, mental health, early learning and child care.
The Main Estimates provide information on $397.6 billion in proposed spending for 126 organizations, including $190.3 billion in voted expenditures, and presented for information only, $207.3 billion in statutory expenditures. The voted amounts, I should also mention, represent maximum “up to” ceilings or estimates and, therefore, may not be fully spent during the year.
I want to remind colleagues that the actual expenditures will be included in the public accounts after the end of the fiscal year.
With respect to the statutory budgetary spending, it’s $7 billion higher in these Main Estimates than it was in the Main Estimates for 2021-22. Some of the significant changes in statutory spending are due to increases in major transfer payments, most notably elderly benefits, which increased by $5.9 billion; the Canada Health Transfer, which increased by $2.1 billion; and fiscal equalization, which was up $1 billion over last year.
Also affecting statutory spending is an increase in Canada Student Grants of $1.5 billion, an increase in climate action incentive payments of $1.2 billion and a winding down of benefit payments to individuals under the Canada Recovery Benefits Act, which accounts for a decrease of $9.9 billion over last year.
Let me now review the overall planned spending for each government agency.
Honourable senators, of the 126 departments and agencies presenting funding requirements, 10 of them are seeking more than $5 billion in voted budgetary expenditures. They are the Department of Indigenous Services, which is requesting $39.5 billion; the Department of National Defence, which is requesting $24.3 billion; the Department of Employment and Social Development, which is requesting $11.4 billion; the Public Health Agency of Canada, which is requesting $8.4 billion; the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, which is requesting $7.8 billion; the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, which is requesting $7.1 billion; the Office of Infrastructure of Canada, which is requesting $7.1 billion; the Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs, which is requesting $5.8 billion; the Department of Innovation, Science and Industry, which is requesting $5.5 billion; and the Department of Veterans Affairs, which is requesting $5.5 billion.
Colleagues, allow me to also highlight four organizations with the largest increases in voted expenditures. The first is a $26.1 billion increase for the Department of Indigenous Services Canada. As part of our country’s ongoing journey toward reconciliation, the Government of Canada is committed to making the necessary investments to settle claims and support the infrastructure and services that are vital to Indigenous communities’ physical, mental, social and economic health and well-being. The funding for the Department of Indigenous Services Canada includes an increase in funding for out-of-court settlements, an increase in funding for infrastructure in Indigenous communities and improvements for access to safe, clean drinking water in First Nations communities.
Honourable senators, while most Canadians have access to clean and reliable drinking water, many First Nation communities still face pressing water issues — something that has been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The legacy of colonial policies and consistent underfunding of water-related services and systems have affected overall quality of life, widened socio-economic gaps and reduced First Nations’ participation in the economy. This needs to be corrected. Stronger and healthier communities with better community infrastructure lead to more prosperous communities.
That is why continued investments to lift all long-term drinking water advisories on reserves and to support daily operations and maintenance for water infrastructure on reserves are so important.
This funding will support First Nations in their work to provide reliable and secure access to clean water in their communities. It will also offer stable and long-term funding for the cost of operations and maintenance in an area that has been underfunded for far too long, yet is critical to ensuring the lasting impacts of these investments. The Government of Canada will continue to work in partnership with First Nations on long-term and sustainable solutions so that communities have access to safe drinking water for generations to come.
The second organization with the largest increase in voted expenditures is the Department of Employment and Social Development, with a $7.2-billion increase. That includes $5 billion in payments to the provinces and territories for the purpose of early learning and child care.
The Government of Canada has now signed agreements with every province and territory to deliver on its promise to build a Canada-wide affordable, inclusive, and high-quality early learning and child care system. This program is already making life more affordable for families. It is creating new jobs, getting parents back into the workforce, and growing the middle class while giving every child a real and fair chance at success.
More than half of Canada’s provinces and territories have already seen reductions in child care fees and, by the end of 2022, average fees for regulated early learning and child care spaces will be cut in half across the country.
These agreements will improve access to early learning and child care programs and services and grow a strong and skilled workforce of early childhood educators, including through better wages and greater opportunities for professional development. They will also support a child care system that is inclusive of vulnerable children and children from diverse populations, including children with disabilities and children needing enhanced or individual supports.
Building a child care system that works for Canadians in every region of the country is a key part of the government’s plan to make life more affordable for families while creating good jobs and growing the economy.
Through these signed agreements, the Government of Canada aims to create 250,000 new child care spaces across the country by March 2026 to give families affordable child care options, no matter where they live.
The third organization with the largest increase in voted expenditures is Infrastructure Canada, with a $2.5-billion increase. This funding will support targeted infrastructure programs such as those for affordable housing, green and inclusive buildings as well as wide-ranging programs such as the Investing in Canada Plan.
The Investing in Canada Plan is taking concrete action across five streams. First, it is building new urban transit networks and service extensions that will transform the way Canadians live, move and work. It is ensuring access to safe water, clean air and greener communities where Canadians can watch their children play and grow. It is providing adequate and affordable housing and child care, as well as cultural and recreational centres that will ensure Canada’s communities continue to be great places to call home. It is providing safe, sustainable and efficient transportation systems that will bring global markets closer to Canada to help Canadian businesses compete, grow and create more middle-class jobs. And it is growing local economies, improving social inclusiveness and better safeguarding the health and environment of rural and northern communities.
The fourth organization with the largest increase in voted expenditures is the Department of Innovation, Science and Industry, with a $2.1-billion increase. This increase is almost entirely allocated to grants and contributions, in particular those to promote innovation, digital adoption and universal access to high-speed internet.
Honourable senators, Canadians’ lives are moving more and more online. This is a challenge for communities without access to high-speed internet. These government investments will allow for increased access to education, health care, business opportunities and social connections. Communities will have the tools to more fully participate in social programs and economic opportunities, improving the health and well-being of their residents.
Turning now to the government’s ongoing response to COVID-19, the planned spending for COVID-19 measures, including the Economic Response Plan, is $9.7 billion in 2022-23 — a decrease of $12.4 billion compared to the 2021-22 Main Estimates.
Funding for COVID-19-related measures includes a $3.3‑billion increase for procurement and management of COVID-19 vaccines and supplies, $2.2 billion for further support for medical research and vaccine developments and $1 billion for additional COVID-19 therapeutics procurement.
The overall reduction of $12.4 billion in COVID-19 spending is largely attributable to the winding down of benefit payments to individuals under the Canada Recovery Benefits Act. These include a $4.2-billion decrease for the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit, a $2.3-billion decrease for the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit and a $3.4-billion decrease for the Canada Recovery Benefit.
In addition, for the 2022-23 fiscal year, major economic response programs were enacted or amended by Bill C-2, An Act to provide further support in response to COVID-19, with benefits programs extending into the current fiscal year.
Bill C-2 extended wage and rent subsidies, increased the maximum number of weeks and extended the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit and the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit and enacted the Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit Act to authorize the payment of the Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit in regions where a lockdown is imposed for reasons related to COVID-19. Such measures will continue to be guided by science and will evolve as needed.
Of course, in light of this spending, we need to ask ourselves serious questions about the viability of the federal public purse and our ability to pay for it all. The government assures us that everything looks good. The Canadian economy grew at an annualized rate of 3.1% in the first quarter of 2022, which raised the real GDP growth rate by 0.8% compared to its pre-pandemic level.
According to Budget 2022, GDP growth is one percentage point higher than projected in the fall economic and fiscal update. Canada went into the pandemic with the lowest net debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7, and we increased our relative advantage throughout the pandemic. Standard & Poor recently reaffirmed Canada’s AAA credit rating, with a stable outlook. Even if the cost of servicing the public debt rises modestly in the coming years, it will remain well below what it was before the 2008 financial crisis.
Now, honourable senators, I’d like to talk about another key aspect of the history of the estimates, namely their significance in terms of transparency and accountability within our parliamentary democracy.
Each year, the Main Estimates and related documents provide a clear indication of how the government intends to allocate taxpayers’ money and help ensure that spending is transparent and accountable. Budget cycle documents include the Main Estimates, supplementary estimates, departmental plans and departmental results reports. All of these documents, in conjunction with the public accounts, help parliamentarians scrutinize government spending.
Esteemed colleagues, as I do with every supply bill, I invite you to consult the Government of Canada’s InfoBase, an interactive online tool that contains a wealth of federal data that can be useful in holding the government to account.
Honourable senators, the appropriation bill before us today is crucial to the government’s ability to not only deal with the impact of the pandemic but also to provide support for Canadians and their businesses as the economy continues to recover and grow.
Before concluding, I want again to thank the members of the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance and its chair, Senator Mockler, for their usual diligence. Thank you to Senator Marshall also as critic of the bill. As we all know, as of late they have managed a heavy workload with the customary excellence with which we are all familiar. Thank you.
Honourable senators, I invite you to support this bill. Thank you. Meegwetch.
Thank you, Senator Gagné, for your comments on Bill C-24.
I would like to make a few comments as critic. Just to start off, I want to make the point that Bill C-24 is supported by the Main Estimates. The Main Estimates for this year outlines almost $400 billion in budgetary spending authorities. Of that spending, $190 billion requires approval by Parliament, while $207 billion — or more than 50% — has already received parliamentary approval by legislation other than appropriation bills.
I’m going to comment on that later.
These Main Estimates also support the interim supply bill, Bill C-16, which we approved on March 31. The interim supply bill is actually an advance of the Main Estimates, which will allow the government to operate until June 30 when the main supply bill is expected to be approved by Parliament. Of the $190 billion, $75 billion outlined in the Main Estimates has already been approved by Appropriation Bill No. 1, and this bill, Bill C-24, requests approval of the remaining $115 billion.
Since the budget was tabled on April 7, these Main Estimates do not include any of the new budget initiatives. As senators are aware, these two spending documents, the Main Estimates and the budget, outline two different spending plans by the government. This mismatch or misalignment of the Main Estimates and the budget has been a problem for many years, yet the government is taking no action to align their two spending plans.
The problem is further compounded by the 2022-23 Departmental Plans, which were tabled March 2, because they do not include any information on the new budget initiatives. Readers and parliamentarians are left with the question of what the performance indicators are for the new budget initiatives. In other words, we’re expected to approve the funding for new budget initiatives even though they do not know what the funding is supposed to achieve.
The $190 billion being requested in these Main Estimates is 50% higher than the $126 billion requested in 2019-20, the last fiscal year preceding the pandemic. The increase of $64 billion represents an increase of 50% compared to 2019-20, which clearly indicates that government spending has not returned to pre-pandemic levels.
I remain concerned that there is no process for the systematic review of statutory expenditures. Over 50% of the expenditures outlined in the Main Estimates are already approved by existing legislation. While officials testifying at the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance are sometimes questioned on statutory expenditures, a systematic review would be beneficial. I have written the steering committee of the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance, requesting that we initiate a special project to study statutory expenditures. I am hopeful that, with the support of my colleagues on the committee, we can make recommendations to correct this problem.
In addition to statutory expenditures, there are other items that fall outside of the voted and statutory expenditures. Last year, these other “items not included in the estimates” — that’s the name they are given — totalled $100 billion and were not subjected to review by the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance. Parliamentarians would also benefit from a review of these other “items not included in the estimates.”
The Parliamentary Budget Officer, in testimony before the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance, expressed his concern that, contrary to a government statement, the Main Estimates do not represent the government’s spending plan as it fails to include any of the new measures outlined in the budget — nor do the Departmental Plans include any budget initiatives. He said that the Main Estimates hinder our ability to understand and scrutinize the government’s funding requests, to track new policy initiatives announced in the budget or to identify the expected results of new budget initiatives.
I agree with his concerns.
Because the Main Estimates do not include any new budget initiatives, we have to search Supplementary Estimates (A), (B) and (C), trying to identify which new budget initiatives are being funded. If Supplementary Estimates (A), (B) and (C) do not identify the budget initiatives as such, it is simply not possible to track these items.
For example, last year, Budget 2021 identified over 200 budget initiatives for the 2021-22 fiscal year at a cost of $49 billion. However, by the end of last year, we were told by Treasury Board in the final estimates document that $36 billion of the $49 billion had been funded, leaving us to wonder what happened to the remaining $13 billion.
The Parliamentary Budget Officer indicated that he supports the all-party recommendations of the House of Commons Government Operations and Estimates Committee to remedy the mismatch of the budget and the Main Estimates.
The recommendations include the following: First of all, Parliament should establish a fixed tabling date for the budget, and the tabling date should be early enough to ensure that the budget measures are included and incorporated in the Main Estimates. Also, the Departmental Plans should be tabled at the same time as the Main Estimates.
These changes would be consistent with the recommendations the Parliamentary Budget Officer made earlier this year, which include moving the publication date of the Public Accounts to no later than September 30. Last year, we didn’t get the Public Accounts until about December 20, just before we adjourned for Christmas. So we waited nine months for the Public Accounts. We really need to have that document.
What I find in the Senate — I guess with all of government — is that there is a lot of attention given to the estimates and the budget. However, those are just plans. When the Public Accounts are released and provide the actual numbers, nobody looks at them. So we concentrate on all the planning documents to talk about how wonderful they are, but nobody ever looks at the Public Accounts to ask what exactly was spent or look at the Departmental Performance Reports and ask what exactly the money achieved. So we really should have those Public Accounts earlier in the year — September 30 would be good — and then we could use them when we do our review of Supplementary Estimates (B).
The other recommendation that the Parliamentary Budget Officer made was to require that the Departmental Results Reports be published at the same time. This year, I was asking where they were right up until we adjourned for Christmas. I think they were tabled probably February 2, so we waited quite a while for the Departmental Results Reports. But this is the information we need in order to do a good review of the Main Estimates and all the supplementary estimates when we conduct our review.
Overall, the Parliamentary Budget Officer is of the view that these changes would create a cohesive, intuitive and critically transparent financial decision-making process for legislators.
In his report on this year’s Main Estimates, the Parliamentary Budget Officer highlighted the cost of three federal programs. Senator Gagné already mentioned them, but I wanted to mention them again because of the amount of money involved.
First, federal spending on elderly benefits, including Old Age Security, Guaranteed Income Supplement and other allowance payments, are expected to increase over the next four years from $68 billion in this fiscal year to $86 billion in 2026-27. Those elderly benefits are statutory payments, and given the significant cost of the programs and the projected increase over the next four years, it supports my opinion that more time should be spent studying statutory payments.
The second area highlighted by the Parliamentary Budget Officer is federal spending on health. The Canada Health Transfer is the largest federal transfer to provinces and territories, and it provides financial assistance to help pay for health care. It’s calculated to automatically grow in line with the three-year moving average of nominal gross domestic product growth, with a minimum annual growth rate set at 3%. The Canada Health Transfer is also allocated to all provinces and territories on a per-capita basis.
The Canada Health Transfer is set to increase from $45 billion in 2022-23 to $56 billion in 2026-27. Those payments are also statutory.
Earlier this year, Canada’s premiers asked the federal government for a $28 billion increase in federal transfers, which is significantly more than the $11 billion increase projected over the next four years.
The third area highlighted by the Parliamentary Budget Officer is Indigenous spending. Indigenous-related spending in 2017-18, before the creation of the two new departments, was $14.5 billion. These Main Estimates are proposing Indigenous-related spending of $45 billion: $6 billion for Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada and $39 billion for Indigenous Services Canada. Of the $39 billion for Indigenous Services Canada, $22 billion is for out-of-court settlements, while $20 billion of the $22 billion is for compensation for First Nations children.
While the Main Estimates indicate that $45 billion is requested, the recently tabled Supplementary Estimates (A) indicate that these two departments are requesting an additional $3.5 billion. In its study of the Main Estimates, which supports Bill C-24 and the first appropriation bill, Bill C-16, the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance received testimony from 11 departments and organizations, as well as the Parliamentary Budget Officer and the minister responsible for the Treasury Board.
I’m going to go through some of the departments. I know Senator Gagné mentioned some of them, but I wanted to mention a couple just to highlight a few issues that are important to me and that I hope would be important to the committee.
Infrastructure Canada is requesting $7 billion compared to $4.5 billion requested last year. That is a significant increase of $2.5 billion, or 56%. The $2.5 billion increase is primarily attributed to an increase in grants and contributions for public infrastructure and communities investment oversight and delivery.
I’m going to mention a few dollar amounts because the dollar amounts that we see in the Main Estimates in the budget are so big that I think we have become desensitized to their size.
There is $51 million in grant funding being requested for the Green and Inclusive Buildings program. There is $40 million in grant funding being requested for a number of programs, including the Natural Infrastructure Fund, Canada’s Homelessness Strategy and the Smart Cities Challenge.
In addition, $2.5 billion is being requested for the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. I want to give a few comments on that particular program. The Investing in Canada Plan spans 21 federal organizations that include 13 federal departments, 2 Crown corporations and 6 regional development agencies. It’s a very significant plan.
Infrastructure Canada is the lead department for the Investing in Canada Plan and is responsible for meeting reporting requirements and overseeing the plan’s implementation. It also houses the Investing in Canada Plan Secretariat, which is the central point for coordination of the plan. It has a big role to play.
Also being requested is $1.5 billion in the New Building Canada Fund and $468 million for the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund.
Given the significant spending and investments in infrastructure, there have been a number of studies undertaken in recent years. In 2017, the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance release two reports on the government’s multi-billion infrastructure funding program. At that time, the government had planned to spend $186 billion on infrastructure over a 12-year period from 2016 to 2028. That’s $186 billion.
The Finance Committee in its study identified significant problems in obtaining data on projects as well as results data on the infrastructure projects and programs. Last year, the Auditor General of Canada undertook an audit of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, which was in response to a motion passed by the other place asking the Auditor General to audit the Investing in Canada Plan. They had very significant concerns about that infrastructure plan.
She concluded, among other things, that Infrastructure Canada, as the lead department, was unable to provide meaningful public reporting on the plan’s overall progress toward its expected results.
I must say that we did a lot of work on Infrastructure Canada and the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. One of the things we noted was that the department has a big map on its website. You could click on certain areas, find out what projects were under way and identify exactly what was going on. But when you clicked on the icons, what you got was incomplete and dated information going back to maybe 2018 or 2017. I don’t know why the map is even on the website.
When we received the Main Estimates, I was surprised by the increase in the funding request given that the department had received a very critical report from the Auditor General and has met only 16 of its 51 performance indicators. Both the Privy Council Office and Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat provide guidance and support regarding programs that cross several organizations. This would be one such program. I had expected that the significant increase in funding would be subject to improvements in program reporting and performance results by the department.
The next department I wanted to provide a comment on is Employment and Social Development Canada. They are requesting $11 billion in the Main Estimates this year compared to $4 billion requested last year. Senator Gagné also mentioned this because included in this $11 billion is $5 billion being requested for the new child care strategy. As of March, all 13 of the Canada-wide early learning and child care agreements have been negotiated and signed with the provinces and territories. As Senator Gagné said, they have included some objectives for the program, including a 50% reduction in fees, on average, to families by the end of 2022, a $10-a-day average fee by 2025-26 for all regulated child care spaces in Canada, the creation of about 250,000 new child care spaces by 2025-26 and the creation of between 52,000 and 62,000 new early childhood educator positions.
But most of the objectives are linked with the year 2025-26. Honourable senators may recall that I asked the minister responsible for the national child care program how many of those spaces and positions would be created each fiscal year to 2025-26. After all, the new spaces and positions will not suddenly be created at the end of 2025-26, but rather throughout the five years to 2025-26. While the minister indicated that this information is included in each jurisdiction’s agreement, the information is actually not provided.
Given the estimated cost of that program over the five-year period, which is $27 billion, the government should disclose — and we should be told — how many spaces and positions should be created each year so that progress can be monitored annually and compared to the number of spaces and positions actually created. In addition, the departmental plan does not provide any targets for the creation of new child care spaces or child care positions. The Parliamentary Budget Officer also released a report on the daycare program and has indicated that he will be releasing additional reports in the future.
The Department of the Environment is requesting $1.9 billion in this year’s Main Estimates, compared to $1.7 billion last year. They have allocated that $1.9 billion into five lines of business. Three of these indicate some increase, while one, conserving nature, is requesting a significant increase of $283 million, going from $325 million last year to $609 million this year. Grants and contributions also show a significant increase from $623 million last year to $770 million this year. Within the grants is the establishment of Canada’s international climate finance program, which is requesting $10 million in grants funding and $16 million in contributions. This is part of a $5.3-billion program announced in June of last year to help developing countries transition to low-carbon, sustainable development.
The department has indicated in its departmental plan for this year that it will continue to collaborate with its partners to establish proper governance. It’s not established yet, they’re working on it. But it was also confirmed by officials from Global Affairs Canada, who indicated that performance indicators will be developed separately for this $5.3-billion program.
The problem is that the department’s results report for 2020-21 indicated that it has only met 8 of its 56 performance targets. Of the 86 organizations reporting on their performance targets, the Department of the Environment was one of the organizations with the lowest numbers of performance targets being achieved. The department needs to review its departmental plan, establish realistic performance targets and achieve results that would instill confidence that the money it is spending is actually achieving meaningful results.
The last department I wanted to mention is the Department of Veterans Affairs because they’re requesting $5.4 billion in the Main Estimates, compared to $6.2 billion requested last year. Last month, the Auditor General released a report on the processing of disability benefits for veterans. Delays in the processing of disability benefits have been a long-standing problem that is yet to be resolved in the department. The report indicated that as of March 31, 2021, over 43,000 disability benefit applications were awaiting a decision, including first applications, reassessments and departmental reviews. While the department’s service standard is to process 80% of their cases within 16 weeks, veterans applying for disability benefits for the first time waited a median of 39 weeks for a decision. RCMP veterans had to wait even longer for benefit decisions for first applications, which was 51 weeks.
Last month, the Minister of Veterans Affairs provided an update indicating that as of April 29 of this year, there were 11,000 applications of the 30,000 waiting to be processed that exceeded the 16-week processing standard, which was an improvement on the 23,000 from two years ago. This was consistent with information provided to our committee by officials. Department officials told the committee that their objective is to further reduce the backlog next year. So while there has been some improvement in processing times, the current statistics indicate that one in every three of the applications in the queue still exceed the department’s service standard. Given the resources available to the government and provided to government departments, I fail to understand why veterans are still waiting so long to have their applications processed.
Honourable senators, before I conclude, I just want to go back and mention a couple of areas where, if the government could improve those areas, it would greatly assist parliamentarians and others in their review of the Main Estimates. If we could have a budget and a Main Estimates that includes all the budget initiatives, we wouldn’t have to be going back and forth between all the supplementary estimates, trying to track and see if those specific budget initiatives have been implemented. If we could get the departmental plans at the same time we get the Main Estimates, if we could get the public accounts by September 30, that would be great. And if we could get the departmental results reports to be published at the same time as the public accounts, that would be a big step forward.
This concludes my comments on Bill C-24 and the Main Estimates for 2022-23. I will wrap up by extending my appreciation to all of my committee colleagues for their enthusiasm and excellent questions in committee. I would also thank our chair, Senator Mockler, our committee clerk, our analysts and all of the staff who make our meetings productive. Thank you very much.
Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Some Hon. Senators: Agreed.
An Hon. Senator: On division.
(Motion agreed to and bill read second time, on division.)
Honourable senators, when shall this bill be read the third time?
(On motion of Senator Gagné, bill placed on the Orders of the Day for third reading at the next sitting of the Senate.)
