Madam Speaker, I applaud the member for Guelph—Wellington on her private member's bill, Bill C-451, an act to establish an oath of allegiance to the flag of Canada.
I will begin by saying that I do support the bill. As Canadians we are all proud to live in this great country, a place where everyone from around the globe wants to come. Our flag is a national symbol, as are our institutions. The very parliament buildings that we are in today rival any in the world. Canadians who visit Ottawa always return home feeling more patriotic than when they first came.
National symbols are very important. Our national flag is respected around the world. As members of parliament, the lapel flag pins are in great demand by our constituents, especially to those Canadians who wish to travel abroad. They come back with stories telling us that wherever they travel this little flag gives them an identity. They are welcomed and very well treated when they are away from Canada.
Our exercise of patriotism in my opinion has certainly declined over the years. As a former school teacher for 26 years, I have seen many of these changes, certainly in the classroom. The House sings O Canada once a week. It is unfortunate that this practice has not been around very long. It is also sad that Canadians do not take more pride in the singing of our national anthem.
It is even more amazing that we do not begin each day in the House, the House that belongs to the people of Canada, by the singing of O Canada. Yes, we in the House are the model for this country. If we expect Canadians to be more expressive in their nationalism, we can certainly lead by example. If we do not wish to sing the anthem, perhaps we could invite Canadians from across the country to come here and sing our national anthem.
Today we are talking about an oath of allegiance to our flag. I find it rather ironic that since I have been here we have had a debate about displaying flags in this very room which was voted down. Again, this House is a model of behaviour for Canadians to follow. I believe Canadians want to show allegiance to this country by both song and word. That is why I support the bill.
Another issue that needs to be addressed is the desecration of our national flag. At this time the criminal code does not protect our flag. I know that the Canadian Legion is leading the charge to put more teeth into the law on the desecration of our national symbol, our flag. Government officials at this time, however, state that such legislation would contravene the charter of rights and freedoms and, in particular, section 2 which guarantees freedom of expression.
Research completed by the Library of Parliament indicates that the United States is the only country that has an oath of allegiance to the flag. Although its oath is official in law, the United States supreme court ruled that the oath is voluntary only. Countries like Japan, Germany, Italy, Russia, Great Britain and the European union do not have oaths of allegiance to the flag. Many have other oaths of allegiance, such as the oath of citizenship. In Canada, we also have such oaths for members of parliament upon taking office, privy councillors, senators and Canadian citizenship.
By definition, an oath of allegiance is a declaration of loyalty to a country that a citizen makes to safeguard the country's interest. There is a bond, whether it be emotional, coercive or legal, that binds the subject to the nation's sovereignty. Bill C-451 calls on the parliamentary committee to draft an oath to the flag of Canada. Oaths are not pious statements of goodwill. They are legally binding commitments with punishment for failure to live up to them. As a critic for the Canadian Alliance, I will support the bill.
In closing, our flag is a symbol of our great country. An oath of allegiance to the flag is just another way of showing our respect for our great country.