Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I welcome this opportunity to table petitions signed by 736 petitioners residing in the riding of Verchères, and in ridings in the greater Outaouais region, the greater Montreal region and in Quebec generally.
Your petitioners call upon Parliament to initiate proceedings to abolish the Senate, in spite of the fact that a motion to that effect has already been rejected by this House. Your petitioners argue as follows: they consider that the Senate consists of non-elected individuals who are not accountable for their actions; that the Senate's operating budget is $43 million annually; that the Senate refuses to account for these votes to committees of the House of Commons; that the Senate does not fulfil its mandate for regional representation; that the Senate duplicates the work done by members of the House of Commons; and that there is an urgent need for modern parliamentary institutions.