Mr. Speaker, the third fourth and final petitions, containing 72, 25, and 462 signatures respectively, deal with the issue of sexual orientation.
They state that one of the core values of Canadian society is the strong belief in equality, that equality for all Canadians includes freedom from hatred, harassment and discrimination, that all Canadians regardless of race, religion, gender or sexual orientation must be treated equitably under the same circumstances and that great misunderstandings still exist in Canada resulting in discrimination.
The final petition also requests that Parliament amend the Canadian Human Rights Act to include sexual orientation as a basis for protection against discrimination.