Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Once again, the suspension proved worthwhile for trying to come to a consensus.
I am proposing a substantial amendment. The effect of the amendment would be essentially threefold.
First, there is pending litigation on this matter. A change to the wording that I propose in my amendment is designed so as not to thrust ourselves into the middle of a court case. That's the first thing.
The second thing the amendment does is include direct reference to female soldiers and female veterans in the French version.
The third is that the apology being offered by the amendment is an apology for the harms that have been caused without assuming responsibility, which goes back to the litigation point.
All of those things are embodied in the amendment. I propose to read what the amended motion would look like. If it's the preference of the clerk that I indicate which words I want taken out and which words I want added in, I can do that. Once all of that's done, the motion as amended would read as follows:
That the committee concur with the Ontario Legislature and Canadian veterans, and that the Government of Canada acknowledges mistakes were made in the “Presence in Absence” memorial that caused emotional and psychological hurt and harm, and apologizes to the living veterans who were wrongly identified as fallen soldiers and to the families of deceased soldiers whose names were left off the monument.
That's the impact of the amendments I'm proposing.
If it is of assistance to the clerk, I have another formal document that says exactly the words that I'm seeking to take out and the words I'm seeking to put in, but this is the end result.
Thank you.