Mr. Speaker, I have a second petition which is signed by residents of British Columbia and Alberta on the issue of Conscience Canada. It notes that the Constitution Act of 1982 guarantees freedom of conscience and religion in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It points out that the rights of conscientious objection have long existed in Canada and urges parliament to establish peace tax legislation by passing into law my private member's bill, the conscientious objection act, which would recognize the right of conscientious objectors to not pay for the military and within which the government would declare its commitment to apply that portion of their taxes to be used for military purposes toward peaceful purposes such as peace education, war relief, humanitarian and environmental aid and housing.
In the House of Commons on March 1st, 2002. See this statement in context.