Mr. Speaker, I pay tribute to the day observed around the world as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
I stand as a Canadian aware of my own cultural origins that makes me unique and distinct and, at the same time, an integral part of the greatest nation in the world.
As a country, we have come a long way in our journey toward respect for diversity but we still have a distance to go. There are still racial tensions in our schools, some of our communities ghettoize themselves because of anxiety.
As a model to the world, we must remember to look closely in the mirror. As a society, we have a role to play in effecting change, to bring people together to talk about hopes, aspirations, challenges and fears and to find Canadian solutions to eliminate racism.