moved for leave to introduce Bill C-447, An Act to establish the Department of Peace.
Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to table a private member's bill today that calls for the establishment of a department of peace as a full federal government department.
I would like to thank the member for Scarborough—Agincourt for seconding the bill.
The bill is based on the model developed by the Canadian department of peace initiative. This bill would establish a full, comprehensive department of peace as part of the infrastructure of the Canadian government, with its own minister, department and resources, and put peace at the centre of government rather than on the corner of a desk of another minister or other public servants.
There would be a voice dedicated to the promotion of peace at the cabinet table.
The department's mandate would be to promote a culture of peace and the non-violent resolution of conflict in Canada and around the world and to build institutions for long-term research policy and action for sustainable peace.
The bill would also establish a Canadian civilian peace service to further professionalize peace work by Canadians.
A similar youth peace service is also contemplated by the bill.
As the co-chairs of the Canadian department of peace initiative, Bill Bhaneja and Saul Arbess have noted that this bill is about the need to bring peace through peaceful means.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)