Thank you, Madam Chair.
When I saw that Mr. Garrison had tabled this motion, I looked at it and considered it, but I'm unable to support the motion as it's currently worded.
Some time ago, I looked at how it could be amended so that I would be able to support it. Certainly, I condemn all acts of hate, violence and hate speech, and I understand what Mr. Garrison is getting at. I also know that some of the wording here could unfairly target parents, for example, who simply want to speak up, as it mentions here, at school boards. One person's attempt to disrupt is another person's attempt to participate, and I cannot support that.
I can read in what I would amend:
a. Speak out strongly in favour of Canadian values of equality and inclusion of all Canadians;
b. Reiterate the right of all Canadians to assemble peacefully—including for Pride events, sports events, educational activities, religious activities in places of worship, etc.; and
c. Reaffirm that democratic institutions including school boards are free to debate matters openly and freely, including matters of equality and inclusion.
This amendment gets to what we're trying to say with Mr. Garrison's motion without limiting the ability of Canadians to participate fully in discussions on these important matters.
Thank you, Madam Chair.