Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I have the pleasure of submitting two petitions which bear 400 signatures from citizens of the Outaouais region, in the federal riding of Verchères, within the greater Montreal region in Quebec.
The petitioners call on the Parliament to take all the necessary measures in order to abolish the Senate. This request is supported by several arguments such as the fact the Senate members are not elected and are not accountable for their actions; the operating budget of the Senate of $43 million a year; its refusal to account to the House of Commons committee for the funds it receives; the Senate's failure to fulfil its mandate as far as regional representation is concerned; its duplication of the work of elected members of the House of Commons and finally, the need to modernize the parliamentary institutions.