Mr. Speaker, I stand today to speak in favour of Motion No. 315, an important motion expressing the support of the House of Commons to entrench property rights in the Canadian Constitution. This is a motion concerning our supreme and fundamental rights as Canadians and as such, I proudly rise to support it.
Canada was founded on the principle of the rule of law, and as Canadians, we respect fundamental rights and express those values in our Constitution. Indeed, the Supreme Court of Canada, the highest court in our land, has stated that one of the fundamental principles animating the whole of the Canadian Constitution is constitutionalism and the rule of law.
Our Constitution reflects the highest values of our society. Today it includes important guarantees such as the freedom of religion, expression, assembly and association. It protects our democracy through the right to vote and the right to equality before the law. We have included these and other rights in our Constitution because they express the basic rights of all Canadians. As such, Canadians can be confident that these rights and freedoms will be respected by government.
It is with this in mind that we turn our attention today to a motion concerning the importance of entrenching property rights in the Canadian Constitution. This motion is part of a broader movement to guarantee property rights as a fundamental right in Canadian law.
Throughout the long sweep of Canadian history, many have expressed the need to protect property rights as one of our basic rights. The deep appeal of this principle continues to resonate with the majority of Canadians today. In fact, a recent Globe and Mail/CTV poll found that 73% of Canadians support having the right to own and protect property included in our Constitution through the charter. Clearly, Canadians have said to us that they want property rights protected and as parliamentarians, we would be wise to listen.
The House of Commons has already expressed the importance of property rights in the past. In 1960 this House passed the Canadian Bill of Rights, following the lead of the great Progressive Conservative prime minister, the Right Hon. John George Diefenbaker. Indeed, many of the rights guaranteed in the Canadian Bill of Rights were later included in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982. However, the right to property remains absent.
Prime Minister John Diefenbaker emphasized the underlying importance of the Canadian Bill of Rights as a first step in guaranteeing the rights of Canadians. In an address to our nation prior to the introduction of the Canadian Bill of Rights, he said:
...few Canadians will deny that this is not only a first step in the right direction, but a very important first step and one that will take its place among the outstanding achievements for the maintenance and preservation of human liberty in Canada.
Protecting property rights in the Canadian Bill of Rights was only the first step. Motion No. 315 is another important step. By voting in favour of this motion, all of us in this House will heed the call of many Canadians who ask us to stand up and support the rights of Canadians to their hard-earned property. We will demonstrate to Canadians that we in Parliament are attuned to the values of the majority of the citizens of this country and that we will work as hard as they do to ensure that their rights are protected.
I urge all members of this House to stand up for Canada and stand up in support of Motion No. 315.
