Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise in the House pursuant to Standing Order 36 to present a petition with several hundred names on it.
The undersigned citizens of Canada draw the attention of the House to the following: that because the inclusion of sexual orientation in the Canadian Human Rights Act will provide certain groups with special status, rights and privileges; that because these special rights and privileges would be granted solely on the basis of sexual behaviour; that because inclusion will infringe on the historic rights of Canadians such as freedom of religion, conscience, expression and association; therefore the petitioners call upon Parliament to oppose any amendments to the Canadian Human Rights Act or the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms which provide for the inclusion of the phrase sexual orientation.
I support the petition.