moved for leave to introduce Bill C-404, an act respecting conscientious objection to the use of taxes for military purposes.
Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to introduce this private member's bill known as the Conscientious Objection Act. The purpose of the bill is to permit individuals who object on conscientious grounds to paying taxes that might be used for military purposes to direct an amount equivalent to a prescribed percentage of the income tax they pay in a year be diverted to a special account established by this bill.
The bill would not constrain in any way the ability of government to spend tax dollars as it sees fit.
In introducing this bill I would like to pay special tribute to Conscience Canada Inc., particularly Orion Smith and Kate Penner, to the Canadian Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends or Quakers, the Mennonite Central Committee and the Conference of Mennonites, et aussi, Nos impôts pour la paix.
A great deal of work and thought has been put into this bill. I hope it will commend itself to members of the House and that it will be adopted in this Parliament.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.)