Thank you, Madam Chair.
Amendment CPC 40 should be distributed, and I'll just hold off until it is.
Amendment CPC-40 is 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 (26) Citizenship ceremonies may not be scheduled on Onam.
Onam is an annual harvest festival celebrated predominantly by the people of Kerala. The purpose of the festival is to commemorate the mythical King Mahabali, celebrate the end of the monsoon season and welcome the harvest.
Again, Madam Chair, I believe it's important that we avoid such important cultural holidays when setting days for citizenship ceremonies so that persons don't need to choose between spending the day with their families and taking their oath of citizenship to become new Canadians.