Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by acknowledging the hard work done by many people on this issue. I do not want to take up much time by adding to what has been said by my colleagues who are very knowledgeable on the facts and history of the Canadian horse. I would simply add my voice of support to the debate.
I have something I would like to read into the record from a constituent of mine who was in contact with me on this issue.
I also want to acknowledge that we have heard support from all parties in this debate so far. That is something we do not see happen very often and it is refreshing. It is always good when we can work together in a non-partisan way because that sets the tone for other things we can do together as colleagues, regardless of which party we represent.
A constituent of mine, Roxanna Salinas from my hometown of Mission in Dewdney--Alouette wrote to me. She was very pleased that we were moving forward on this debate. She said:
Personally, I too feel that Private Members' business is important. We need some “grass roots” democracy in Canada. All too often, people give up and choose not to exercise their voice as they feel they will not be listened to, and don't exercise their vote as they feel it won't make a difference. Then we end up with a government that does not represent the people.
Aside from recognizing the horses, Bill S-22 has brought people together from across the country. People from Quebec and B.C. were able to work together to focus on one objective, and there was agreement from all provinces on the use of BOTH official languages. This, in itself, is significant.
I want to congratulate my colleague from Dufferin--Peel--Wellington--Grey for his hard work on this issue. Also, I congratulate Senator Murray in the other place. I had a chance to work with him on a task force, and I know he is a hardworking senator. I appreciate his efforts not only on the task force, but also on this issue. He has worked very hard with the member and with others to bring this issue forward. I also congratulate him for his effort to shepherd this through in the Senate. Not only having the different parties in this House working together, but also having both houses working together, which we do not see happen very often either, is also an important accomplishment.
Some might wonder why we are debating this topic in the House. However this is important because it is a symbol for our country. We have heard a lot about the importance of this breed of horse and its significance to our history. We acknowledge that. In another sense, we are always looking for ways to bring people together from all parts of the country. Having the Canadian horse recognized as the national horse of Canada is a perfect opportunity to do that.
I fully and wholeheartedly support the bill, as I think most of my colleagues from the Progressive Conservative Democratic Representative Coalition would.