Mr. Speaker, it is indeed an honour and a pleasure to once again stand, pursuant to Standing Order 36, to present a petition containing thousands of names from residents of Blue River, Clear Water, Kamloops, Logan Lake, Chase, Savona, Hall Lake, Red Lake and others, who point out that the Senate of Canada is an undemocratic institution, composed of unelected members who are unaccountable to the people, that it costs somewhere in the neighbourhood of $50 million a year, and that it undermines the role of the duly elected representatives of the people of Canada.
There is a need to modernize our parliamentary institutions and these individuals are calling upon parliament to undertake measures aimed at abolishing the Senate.