Debates of the Senate 1st SESSION . 42nd PARLIAMENT . VOLUME 150 . NUMBER 76 OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Thursday, November 24, 2016 The Honourable GEORGE J. FUREY Speaker CONTENTS (Daily index of proceedings appears at back of this issue). Debates Services: D'Arcy McPherson, National Press Building, Room 906, Tel. 613-995-5756 Publications Centre: Kim Laughren, National Press Building, Room 926, Tel. 613-947-0609 Published by the Senate Available on the Internet: http://www.parl.gc.ca 1804 THE SENATE Thursday, November 24, 2016 The Senate met at 1:30, the Speaker in the chair. so, they will realize that the French Canadians have always been a great people. Not a greater people than any other, Prayers. but not a lesser one either. A people that, given its small size and the trying circumstances it has faced, has made a [Translation] remarkable contribution to the building of North America. [English] SENATORS' STATEMENTS Senator Pratte has written many books on politics, history and the media. I also invite you to read his biography on Wilfrid HONOURABLE ANDRÉ PRATTE Laurier, part of the Extraordinary Canadians series. CONGRATULATIONS ON THE PUBLICATION OF [Translation] LEGACY: HOW FRENCH CANADIANS SHAPED NORTH AMERICA Please accept my warmest congratulations, Senator Pratte. Hon. Diane Bellemare (Legislative Deputy to the Government Hon. Senators: Hear, hear! Representative in the Senate): Honourable senators, during the last break week, I was in my kitchen having a coffee, listening to QUEBEC Radio-Canada, when I was surprised to hear our colleague, Senator Pratte, talking about his new book. I went to my local SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY bookstore and got a copy of his latest publication. Hon. Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu: Honourable senators, on Friday, This 400-page book gives an account of 13 French Canadians November 18, André Spénard and Nathalie Roy, members of who shaped North American history before the Quiet Revolution. Coalition Avenir Québec, introduced, for the first time, in the Senator André Pratt is the co-editor, in collaboration with Quebec National Assembly, a motion calling on the Government Jonathan Kay. The book includes contributions from many of Quebec to implement a provincial dangerous sex offender well-known authors, including Lucien Bouchard, Margaret registry in order to better protect women and children. Atwood, one of our former colleagues, Senator Roméo Dallaire, Chrystine Brouillet, former Quebec premier Jean It is important to remember that in 2006 the Supreme Court of Charest, Ken Dryden and others. Canada recognized that information on freed dangerous sexual predators is public in nature and can be made available if it serves [English] to protect the public. Since then, almost all of Canada's provinces have adopted different ways of making that information public, This unique biographical book, written by many of English and except one: Quebec, the province that has the unenviable title of French Canada's best-known writers and thinkers, tells the story ``champion'' of women and especially children. of the extraordinary legacy of the French contribution to our very way of life. [English] Great news: It is possible to buy the English version, and the In 2015, the Conservative government passed legislation that English version is called Legacy: How French Canadians Shaped recognized the importance of making public specific information North America. The book includes chapters on Jacques Plante, about freed sexual predators. Gabrielle Roy and many other prominent francophones. [Translation] [Translation] We also know that implementing an IT infrastructure to keep Legacy allows us to draw lessons from these pioneers that can the public better informed about these dangerous criminals would help us face today's challenges. It also reminds us of our roots. cost very little because the RCMP already compiles this sort of Think about the immense contribution Jehane Benoît made to information in the National DNA Data Bank. gastronomy in Quebec with her Encyclopédie de la cuisine, which [English] was full of recipes I remember from my childhood. Think about Thérèse Casgrain, who was appointed to the Senate in 1970, where she sat as an independent and fought for the rights of To my surprise, as well as that of thousands of victims of sexual women in Quebec and across Canada. assault, the motion introduced by CAQ was denied by the Leader of the Government of Quebec, Mr. Jean-Marc Fournier. As Senator Pratte says in his preface, and I quote: [Translation] Having discovered the life stories of these important but This is a very troubling situation for our province. The relatively unsung French Canadians, our readers may want majority of sexual offences against children in the country — to delve deeper into the history of their ancestors. In doing 55 per cent — occur in Quebec. By way of comparison, the November 24, 2016 SENATE DEBATES 1805 annual rate of recorded sexual offences against children is two all children in this country. Notably, Aboriginal children continue times lower in Ontario than in Quebec, even though Ontario's to lag their peers by virtually every measure of well-being: family population is 30 per cent larger. There are only 800 recorded income, housing, access to clean drinking water, educational offences per year in Ontario compared to 1,500 in Quebec. The attainment and mental health. same is true for the monitoring of released high-risk sexual predators in the two provinces. Ontario loses track of Article 6 of the convention guarantees a child's right to life: four per cent of these offenders while Quebec is unable to Governments must ensure that children survive and enjoy a locate 26 per cent. healthy development. That is not happening for Aboriginal children in Canada. I encourage you to read the report by Quebec's Auditor General, which was tabled on Tuesday and identifies a number of National Child Day reminds us not only of what has been very troubling gaps in the protection of women and children in accomplished with respect to children's rights but also the work Quebec. that remains to be done — particularly when it comes to those who are more vulnerable, like Aboriginal children or those with a Honourable senators, it is a first, but I am nevertheless very physical or intellectual disability. disappointed that Quebec is hesitating to create the registry that tens of thousands of people who signed petitions are calling for Honourable senators, tomorrow morning, the chairs on which alongside parents such as those of little Cédrika Provencher, you are now seated, and those in the galleries above, will be filled whose kidnapping and murder had a profound impact on the with children from across the National Capital Region. They will annals of Canadian law and Quebec law in particular. be joining Senator Martin, Senator Mercer and I for our annual celebration in honour of National Child Day. I hope next year [English] that we have an independent within our group so that we can continue in an equitable manner with this important day. As you all know, I am very engaged with the victims of crimes and their families in the province of Quebec, as I have been for over 15 years. It is important to point out that this registry is We follow in the footsteps of the great children's rights activist, requested not only by the victims of crime but by over 80 per cent former Senator Landon Pearson, who created this event even of Quebec's population. before we were appointed to the Senate. [Translation] Every year we craft a program that embraces the values embodied by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and Honourable senators, in closing, I want to draw your attention showcases the tremendous potential and accomplishments of to the work of Sophie Dupont, who has been fighting for this Canadian youth. cause for many years. She volunteers her time and her resources to mobilize people and convince Quebec politicians that it is Honourable senators, if you are in Ottawa tomorrow morning, important to protect the most vulnerable members of society. As join us here in the Senate Chamber at 10:00 a.m. to witness this is the eve of the International Day for the Elimination of first-hand the incredible excitement and energy of this event. If Violence against Women — you are not able to attend, I encourage you to add next week's networking breakfast with local and national children's groups to The Hon. the Speaker: I'm sorry, senator, but your time is up. your calendars. That event will be held from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. just outside, in the Senate foyer. I look forward to seeing you there. [English] Honourable senators, it has been said you can seek the wisdom We have a full list of senators for Senators' Statements today, of the ages, but always look at the world through the eyes of a so please stay within your three minutes, senators. child. Thank you. (1340) . ENERGY PROSPERITY NATIONAL CHILD DAY Hon. Douglas Black: Honourable senators, I view part of my role to be to keep this chamber updated on developments in the Hon. Jim Munson: Honourable senators, every November 20, energy industry and their impact on all regions of Canada. Universal Children's Day — National Child Day in Canada — recognizes the 1989 unanimous adoption of the Convention on Today I rise to share with my colleagues the key milestone dates the Rights of the Child by the United Nations General Assembly. that are upon us regarding two pipeline approvals in Canada, and to summarize what I believe to be the three immediate issues that The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child outlines the now need to be addressed to allow Canada to maintain energy framework for enabling children to flourish and advocates for prosperity.