QUESTION PERIOD — Justice
Bill C-7--Message from Commons
March 16, 2021
Honourable senators, my question today is for the Government Representative in the Senate. Senator Gold, we are fast approaching in this chamber whether or not to support a message from the House of Commons on Bill C-7. Leader, did the Minister of Justice or any other minister or representative of the Trudeau government contact, call or lobby honourable senators to accept the message from the other place on Bill C-7? If so, were any promises made by the Trudeau government in order to get the support of senators? And if so, what were those promises?
Thank you for your question, senator. I’m not aware of any such calls nor any such promises.
Well, I guess I’m asking you to find out and give us that information. I am not asking you for privileged information. If your government made promises to some senators about Bill C-7, I would like to know what they are. All honourable senators should know, and indeed all Canadians should know, what those promises are, quite frankly, before we vote.
I’ll ask you again, could you get the information on whether the Trudeau government contacted senators to get them to accept the House message, and were any promises made to get that support?
Thank you for your question. I will endeavour to make some inquiries, but I can assure you that this government has been transparent, both in committee and in the public sphere, with its belief that Bill C-7, as amended by this chamber and as modified in the message, is in the best interests of Canadians, and in particular, Canadians whose constitutional rights will now be respected.
That is not the question.
