Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36 it is my pleasure to present a petition on behalf of constituents of Regina-Lumsden as well as individuals living in Edenwold, Milestone, Silton and other parts of the province of Saskatchewan.
The petitioners are concerned about the application of the GST to reading materials. They believe it is unfair and wrong. Education and literacy are critical to the development of our country and a regressive tax on reading hampers that development.
They call upon Parliament and the Government of Canada to demonstrate their commitment to education and literacy by eliminating sales tax on reading materials. They ask Parliament to zero rate books, magazines and newspapers under the GST and to zero rate reading materials under the proposed harmonized sales tax.
They also ask the Prime Minister and the Government of Canada to carry out his party's repeated and unequivocal promise, which he has broken, to remove federal sales tax from books, magazines and newspapers.