Senator Rosa Galvez

During my first full year serving as a Senator, I delivered my maiden speech which outlined the priorities of my future Senate work as well as my experience qualifying me to undertake it.

I was proud to act as a witness in committee and play an instrumental role in the advancement in the Senate of Bill S-218, sponsored by the late Senator Tobias Enverga Jr., that would designate the month of October the Latin American Heritage Month.

I also served as critic to Bill S-238 which sought to ban the import and export of shark fins. Despite failing to pass in the House of Commons, the government enacted the ban in 2019 through Bill C-68.

In the Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources, our work included:

• Study and approval of Bill C-17, An Act to amend the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Act and to make a consequential amendment to another Act;
• Study and approval of Bill C-18, relating to the Rouge National Urban Park outside of Toronto, Ontario;
• Study and approval of Bill C-238, requiring the Minister of the Environment to develop a national strategy for the safe and environmentally sound disposal of lamps containing mercury;
• Study and approval of Bill S-229, respecting underground infrastructure safety (did not pass); and
• Continuation of our study on the effects of the transition to a low-carbon economy, resulting in two publications on decarbonization in the electricity and transportation

In November 2017, I was elected Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources, a position I held until September 2019.

In the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications, our work included:

• Study and approval of Bill C-49, the Transportation Modernization Act; and
• Concluding a study on automated vehicles, resulting in the report Driving Change: Technology and the future of the automated vehicle.

As a new parliamentarian, I aimed to create solid bonds with the community while continuing my career’s work of sharing scientific knowledge. In that spirit, I was the guest lecturer for the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering’s National Lecture Tour, an 18-city cross-country tour sharing research and insights on the 2013 Lac-Mégantic explosion. I also hosted or gave conferences on sustainable infrastructure in New York, the protection of the Great Lakes in Detroit, and the conservation of natural habitats.

In total, I had the opportunity to act as a speaker in 28 webinars, panels and events.

For Canada’s 150^th anniversary, I awarded seven Canadian scientists with the commemorative Senate 150^th Anniversary Medal to recognize their contribution to the advancement of innovation and knowledge.

For my contributions to the Latin American Canadian community, I was the recipient of the Peruvian Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s Individual of the Year – Government Representative award. In Peru, I was proud to receive the keys to the city of Chota, my father’ hometown in the peaks of the Andes.

Finally, I attended the 24th Regular Session of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation in Charlottetown. The session focused on accelerating clean growth and promoting trilateral cooperative programs. 

My total office expenses were $17,680.17 for the 2016-17 fiscal year and $122,962.54 for the 2017-18 fiscal year representing 30% and 55% of my total available budget respectively. You can find the quarterly breakdown of my expenses on the Senate proactive disclosure web page.

In 2017, I hired Stéphane Laviolette as an Executive Assistant; he would later become a Political Strategic Advisor and Office Manager.

I also hired Alexandra Hincke, a Ph.D. graduate in climate science, as a Parliamentary Affairs Advisor.

In 2018, the Senate studied several important pieces of legislation. I actively participated in the Chamber on Bill C-74, the Budget Implementation Act, 2018, that enacted the first federal price on carbon emissions. I also devoted great time and resources to the debate on Bill C-45, which legalized and provided a legal framework for the possession and sale of cannabis.

The work of the late Senator Enverga Jr. and myself paid off when the House of Commons adopted Bill S-218, the Latin American Heritage Month Act – a win for the Latin American/Hispanic Canadian community.

I continued my work as critic of Bill S-238, which sought to ban the import and export of shark fins. Despite failing to pass in the House of Commons, the ban was enacted in 2019 under Bill C-68.

Finally, I contributed to the debate on Bill S-243, which would have required the Canada Revenue Agency to report on all convictions for tax evasion and on the tax gap. The bill was adopted by the Senate but was defeated in the House of Commons.

Continuing as chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources, our work included:

• Study and approval of Bill C-57, which sought to increase accountability to Parliament for decision-making regarding sustainable development;
• Study and approval of Bills C-74 and C-86, the budget implementation acts (including implementation of a federal backstop carbon price); and
• Continuation of our study on the effects of the transition to a low-carbon economy, resulting in three publications on decarbonization in the built environment, heavy industry, and oil and gas

In the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications, our work included:

• Study and approval of Bill C-64, which sought to regulate abandoned or hazardous vehicles and wrecks in Canadian waters;
• Study and approval of Bill S-245, which sought – and ultimately failed – to declare the Trans Mountain Pipeline Project in Canada’s national interest;
• Study and approval of Bill C-86, the Budget Implementation Act, 2018;
• A study on modernizing Canada’s communications laws, which did not result in a report; and
• A study on the tax deductibility of foreign Internet advertising, resulting in a report of the same name.

In 2018, I became a member of the newly formed Special Committee on the Arctic, which included:

• Study on the significant and rapid changes to the Arctic, and impacts on original inhabitants resulting in the publication of its report, Northern Lights: A Wake-Up Call for the Future of Canada, in 2019; and
• Study and approval of Arctic-related elements of Bill C-74, the Budget Implementation Act, 2018.

This year, many community engagements involved parliamentary diplomacy, the sharing of knowledge and science, as well as the Latin American community. I had the opportunity to act as a speaker in 35 webinars, panels and events.

With ParlAmericas and the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association, I participated in several parliamentary diplomacy events including the Summit of the Americas in Lima, and sessions of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. I was proud to be elected Vice-Chair of the Canadian section of ParlAmericas, a role that I continue to fulfil to this day.

I was privileged to be awarded the 2018 Meritorious Service Award for Professional Service from Engineers Canada, the Premio Iberoamericano ASICOM at the University of Oviedo in Spain, and to be named in the list of the 10 Most Influential Hispanic Canadians.

I co-hosted the Hispanic Day on the Hill during the first official Latin American Heritage Month, a celebration attended by 800 guests that showcased the vibrant and diverse culture of Latin American Canadians.

To obtain direct input and opinion from my community in Québec City, I co-hosted a panel with Senators Dupuis and Saint-Germain on the legalization of cannabis featuring provincial and federal experts.

Finally, at home as well as abroad, I gave several scientific conferences on the circular economy, climate change and the adaption of infrastructure. My office also participated in the inaugural Science Meets Parliament event which aims to connect scientists with parliamentarians and facilitate exchanges.

In the spirit of open debate and keeping the public informed on current issues, I published 7 articles:

• Senator Rosa Galvez celebrates Latin American Heritage Month in October, Senate of Canada
• Renewable energy, not oil and gas, deserves government support, The Hill Times / Senate of Canada
• Renewable energy an environmental and economic imperative, The Hill Times / Senate of Canada
• Reduce plastic use to bolster environment, and economy, The Hill Times / Senate of Canada
• Trans Mountain pipeline project is good politics, bad policy, The Hill Times
• Légalisation du cannabis: éduquer pour ne pas banaliser, Le Soleil
• Troubled steel, aluminum sectors show need for balance on climate change action, The Hill Times

My total office expenses for the 2018-19 fiscal year were $178,613.82 representing 79% of my total available budget. You can find the quarterly breakdown of my expenses on the Senate proactive disclosure web page.

In 2018, I hired Nick Zrinyi, a talented researcher with an education as an environmental engineer, as a Policy Analyst.

I also hired a summer student to deepen our ties with the Latin American Canadian community and undertake research on sustainable mining.

In 2019, the Senate Chamber was subject to much debate on environmental issues.

Much of my time and resources were devoted to the legislative process surrounding Bill C-69, a bill that sought to modernize the environmental impact assessment process, establish the Canadian Energy Regulator and update the Canadian Navigable Waters Act. This legislation related directly to my field of expertise as an environmental engineer.

I also actively participated in the contentious debate on Bill C-48, the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act which formalized into law the de facto moratorium on transport of oil to or from marine installations located along British Columbia’s north coast to the great relief of coastal B.C. First Nations, municipalities and workers.

I also accepted to sponsor in the Senate Bill C-326, introduced in the House of Commons by Francis Scarpaleggia (MP for Lac-Saint-Louis), which would have required the Minister of Health to identify and report on international standards or guidelines respecting the quality of drinking water that should be compared to those that are being developed in Canada. The Bill did not complete the legislative process before the 2019 election and died on the Order Paper.

Continuing as chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources, our work included:

• Study and approval of Bill C-69, which sought to, among other things, modernize Canada’s impact assessment regime. This study included the holding of public hearings across Canada;
• Study and approval of Bill C-88, which amended the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act;
• Study and approval of Bill C-97, the Budget Implementation Act, 2019; and
• Conclusion of our study on the effects of the transition to a low-carbon economy.

In the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications, our work included:

• Study and approval of Bill C-48, which imposed a moratorium on oil tanker traffic along the northwest coast of British Columbia; and
• Study and approval of Bill C-97, the Budget Implementation Act, 2019.

This year was quite active in the community. I had the opportunity to act as a speaker in 45 webinars, panels and events on a variety of subjects such as gender equality, ecotoxicity, and science and innovation.

I had an incredible opportunity to participate in the National Defense and Canadian Armed Forces Parliamentary Program where I boarded Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship HMCS Ville de Québec from St. John’s, NL, to Nuuk, Greenland. It was an enriching experience to see the Royal Canadian Navy in action, especially in the Arctic region where climate change is affecting our scientific and military presence.

Through the ParlAmericas and the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association, I participated in several parliamentary diplomacy events including a bilateral meeting with Mexican parliamentarians, a conference on open parliaments in Ecuador, COP25 in Madrid, and sessions of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. I also became more involved with the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank & International Monetary Fund, attending its Parliamentary Meeting at the World Bank and IMF Annual Meeting that focused on addressing financial inequalities.

I had the great honour of becoming a Fellow of Engineers Canada and of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering. I was equally honoured to receive the Canadian Hispanic Leaders Award.

In response to the slow process of updating the National Building Code, my office published a white paper analyzing the current practices in the development and implementation of Canada’ building codes and presenting recommendations.

My involvement with the Latin American community was an important part of my parliamentary work. I represented the Government of Canada at the presidential inaugurations of Argentina and Panama, travelled to Peru to exchange on water security and climate change, and participated in several conferences with Latin American Embassies in Canada.

In support of the shipbuilding industry in Quebec, I joined a few Quebec Senators to encourage the federal government to include Davie Shipbuilding in the National Shipbuilding Strategy.

Finally, I published an op-ed in the National Observer: We need visionary leaders ready to face the climate emergency.

My total office expenses for the 2019-20 fiscal year were $198,953.56 representing 86% of my total available budget. You can find the quarterly breakdown of my expenses on the Senate proactive disclosure web page.

In 2019, I hired Karine Péloffy, a talented environmental lawyer, to be my Parliamentary and Legal Affairs Advisor.

I also hired a summer student to design my website.

In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we experienced far-reaching changes to Senate Chamber proceedings. Senate sittings were sparse and occurred on an urgent need basis while legislation mostly focused on COVID-19 emergency measures. In April 2020, recognizing that the pandemic would greatly limit the Senate’s capacity to undertake its democratic duties, I encouraged the Speaker of the Senate to adapt the institution to virtual parliamentary proceedings. In October 2020, the Senate made a historic shift to hybrid virtual sittings, returning to every Senator from across the country their parliamentary privilege to effectively fulfil their functions.

I participated in the vast majority of Senate sittings during the pandemic, either in person or virtually, and intervened in most debates on COVID-19 measures. The main themes of legislation in which I participated were COVID-19 emergency benefits and support for individuals and businesses.

I took the opportunity to address the issue of orphan oil and gas wells and government funding during the debate on Bill C-17, an appropriation act granting money for federal spending.

Following the widespread discussions across Canada and the U.S. on systemic racism, I participated in an emergency debate in the Senate Chamber on systemic racism where I highlighted the little-known issue of environmental racism in Canada.

Through important Senate inquiries, I addressed the pathways to decarbonization in Canada, as well as the gaps in the Senate harassment policy and their impact on our parliamentary duty.

Finally, I gave my support to Bill S-209, which would have lowered the federal voting age to 16 years old. This was not the first attempt to do so in Parliament and was unfortunately not adopted before the end of the parliamentary session.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic restricting the ability of committees to meet in person, the Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources did not undertake any work except for a preparatory meeting for the study of Bill S-3, which sought an extension for the development of offshore oil rig health and safety regulations.

I also became a member of the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance which, in contrast, was empowered to meet and study due to its mandate covering the financial requirements of COVID-19 emergency legislation. My work this year included:

• Study and oversight of the federal government’s initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic through Bills C-13 and C-14, the COVID-19 Emergency Response Acts;
• Routine but important studies of the main and supplementary government spending estimates in its second and third reports; and
• Study and approval of Bill C-9, which implemented the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy and the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted regular activities, community engagements were greatly affected, and most activities were held virtually. Nonetheless, I had the opportunity to act as a speaker in 27 webinars, panels and events on a variety of subjects such as climate risks to infrastructure, the Latin American Canadian community, violence against women, and the post-COVID-19 recovery. Prior to the pandemic lockdowns, I hosted an in-person panel discussion about nature-based solutions to climate change in Canada.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, my office published a white paper discussing the link between pandemics and climate change along with a set of policy recommendations for a clean and just recovery. The publication was accompanied by a webinar series featuring a suite of experts on health, the environment, and economics, including Nobel Prize laureate and former Chief Economist of the World Bank, Joseph Stiglitz.

At my request, the Parliamentary Budget Officer published his report, Cost Estimate of a Hybrid Parliament System, which estimated the costs and savings of the virtual Senate proceedings adopted during the pandemic. The report found that the hybrid system could bring $8.1 million in annual net savings and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 2,972 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent.

I also had the honour of becoming Treasurer of the ParlAmericas Corporation Board, a parliamentary association of the Americas.

Finally, I published the following articles to encourage public debate:

• COVID-19 has Canada in unchartered waters, but fiscal anchors aren't the only way to weather the storm, National Observer
• Face à un tsunami, la sécurité se trouve en eaux profondes, La Presse
• Climate change is here to stay: let’s build forward better and safely sail the storm, The Hill Times
• The Three Es, The Globe and Mail
• Réduire les émissions ou éliminer les énergies fossiles? Comprendre le piège carbone au Canada, Le Climatoscope
• Canada also has an environmental racism problem, National Observer
• Environment is not an externality; it’s the core of human economy, The Hill Times
• COVID-19 recovery must bail out people not corporations, National Observer
• L’heure de la transformation profonde, Le Soleil
• Fear of climate change is normal and requires action, it’s not a sickness to be avoided, Toronto Star

My total office expenses for the 2020-21 fiscal year were $234,899.52 representing 100% of my total available budget. You can find the quarterly breakdown of my expenses on the Senate proactive disclosure web page.

This year I worked with a media and communication strategy consultant in order to optimize my office’s parliamentary work and success.

In 2021, I sponsored government Bill C-12, the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act. This historical legislation created a framework for setting 5-year milestone targets, creating greenhouse gas emissions reductions plans, and assessment reports to achieve net-zero GHG emissions by 2050.

I asked questions in chamber and actively participated in several government bill debates concerning offshore oil rig health and safety regulations, banning harmful conversion therapy practices, and appropriations for federal spending.

I acted as critic of Bill C-204, which would have banned all Canadian exports of plastic waste. This bill was adopted at the House of Commons with the support of every opposition party but died on the Order Paper when the election was called due to insufficient time.

After years of harassment-related scandals, the Senate sought to update its harassment policy. I actively engaged in a debate for better protection for senators and staff alike and while I am not satisfied with the finished product, the Senate now has a better harassment policy.

I spoke in favour of a motion requesting government help to prevent massive cuts at Laurentian University affecting post-secondary education in northern Ontario.

Finally, I introduced in the Senate a motion to declare a national climate emergency following the publication of the first part of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Sixth Assessment Report, the deliberations of COP26, and the violent climate extremes happening across the country in 2021.

In the Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources, our work included:

• Study and approval of Bill S-3, which was amended to speed of the development period for offshore health and safety regulations; and
• Pre-study of Bill C-12, the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act.

In the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance, my work this year yet again focused on the provision of COVID-19 support to the families and businesses of struggling Canadians. We heard from a wide range of stakeholders in our studies of:

• Bill C-14, which enacted some measures within the Fall economic update;
• Bill C-30, the Budget Implementation Act, 2021;
• Routine but important studies of the main and supplementary government spending estimates in its third and sixth reports; and
• Bill S-222, which sought to give more flexibility to charities with their use of resources.

In 2021, community engagements were greatly affected by pandemic measures and most activities were held virtually. However, I had the opportunity to act as a speaker in 38 webinars, panels and events relating to my parliamentary work.

I was extremely proud to be elected President of ParlAmericas’ Parliamentary Network on Climate Change, a network of parliamentarians from across the Americas concerned with climate action, and becoming 2^nd Vice-President of the ParlAmericas Corporation Board.

In early November, the world gathered for COP26 in Glasgow to negotiate further details of the Paris Agreement and more specifically, financing for developing nations to fight against climate change. I had the opportunity to participate and engage with labour, health, parliamentary and non-governmental organizations. Namely, I advocated for aligning financial systems with our climate commitments in speeches at the GLOBE COP26 Legislators Summit and at the parliamentary meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

At my request, the Parliamentary Budget Officer published two reports:

• The first report estimated that resource-specific expense claims by oil, gas and coal mining corporations reduced federal tax revenue by an average of $1.8 billion per year from 2015 to 2019.
• The second report updated the the database of high wealth individuals and is essential for understanding how wealth is concentrated in our country and how that inequality changes over time.

I was also the recipient of the Clean50 award for my work on environmental legislation.

In the spirit of public education, I published a guide to navigating the federal legislative process and a guide to understand the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act. I also published 10 articles:

• Ottawa must address the violence against the Wet’suwet’en people, iPolitics
• Where are the strings attached to the money committed to net-zero transformation?, The Hill Times
• Multiple crises, one stone; give Canadians the break they deserve, National Observer
• We need a revitalized democracy to build back better, Senate of Canada
• We need a clean recovery to reset our economy, Clean50
• Bring governments back better, The Hill Times
• Ready, set, go net zero! Now begins the race of our lives. iPolitics
• Half measures won’t get us off the starting line in global race to net zero, The Hill Times
• Successful federal climate action hinges on reducing the fossil industry’s clout, Senate of Canada
• Forewarned, forearmed: to be prepared is half the victory against the next pandemic, The Hill Times
• Road map to decarbonization: safe bets versus greenwashing, The Hill Times

My total office expenses for the 2021-22 fiscal year (as of December 2021) were $232,354.90 representing 99% of my total available budget. You can find the quarterly breakdown of my expenses on the Senate proactive disclosure web page.