Thank you, Madam Chair.
I move that Bill S‑245 be amended by adding after line 18 on page 1 the following new clause:
1.4 Section 24 of the Act is amended by adding the following: Respecting holidays and days of significance to promote Canada's multicultural identity 24.1 (4) Citizenship ceremonies may not be scheduled during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
This is a fairly important holiday. The mid-autumn festival is also called the moon festival or the mooncake festival. If you haven't had mooncake, Madam Chair, I highly recommend it. I've had it many times before with my family. The festival “is a celebration of the rice harvest and many fruits [that go along with it]. Ceremonies are held both to give thanks for the harvest and to encourage the harvest-giving light to return again in the coming year. It is also a reunion time for families”.
Families would be unable to attend should they have a family member who is about to take the oath of citizenship. Therefore, it should not be scheduled on that day so that they can spend time with family. The citizenship ceremony should happen on a different day.
Thank you, Madam Chair.