Hon. Wanda Thomas Bernard: My question is for the Government Representative in the Senate.

Yesterday, Senator Senior raised a question regarding the lack of Black representation within the Ministerial Advisory Council on Rights, Equality and Inclusion. Today, The Honourable Jean Augustine, the first Black Canadian woman to be elected to the House of Commons, was joined by national leaders in a press conference. She expressed deep concerns over the council’s exclusion of Black voices and its failure to explicitly include anti-Black racism within its mandate.

At that press conference, Jean Augustine stated:

We cannot fight anti-Black racism unless we are able to name anti-Black racism.

Senator Moreau, anti-Black racism is an undeniable form of terror, even in 2026. Since 2020 —

The Hon. the Speaker: Senator, your time is up.

Hon. Pierre Moreau (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for the important question you are raising. As I mentioned yesterday to your colleague Senator Senior, it is a very important question.

As soon as Question Period was over, I went to the Prime Minister’s Office to mention Senator Senior’s question about the fact that there is no Black representation on the committee. The Prime Minister’s Office is taking that question very seriously, and we will probably have more to say in the near future.

Senator Bernard: Thank you for following up with Senator Senior’s question.

I just want to note, Senator Moreau — and maybe this could be included in further conversations about this issue — to not be invited to join the council is a form of exclusion. Exclusion is a form of trauma when linked to the reality of rights, equality and inclusion.

Senator Moreau: I will take your remarks to the Prime Minister’s Office, as well, and I can assure you that this was not the intention of the Prime Minister.