Mr. Speaker, I want to speak briefly on this issue. It is unfortunate that members opposite would not agree to make it a votable item because it would be extremely interesting to see how most of the members feel about this topic. Arguments can be made on either side.
Our flag is one of our most prized possessions. It is a symbol of our country which we see most often. It is one that we revere. It is one of which we are very proud. It is one that leads to an awful lot of concern and anger by people who watch such desecrations, as we have seen occasionally in the past.
Whether it is the flag of our country or someone else's country, that flag symbolizes a country. Whether we agree with the policies of that country, or the government of that country, or the issues put forth by that country or how they treat us on the world scene, does not make a difference. It is their flag of which undoubtedly all of them are as proud as we are. When flags are desecrated, it shows a complete lack of respect for governance in the countries concerned and a complete lack of respect for civilized people throughout the world.
However, should we make it a criminal offence? That is why I say it is unfortunate it was not a votable motion because we would have got a much better idea of how people felt generally rather than just the three or four of us who speak to the issue.
This is a question to be asked? What is desecration? A number of people would be very concerned if a person decided to burn an old flag because that person thought it was getting old and dilapidated and a neighbour seeing that accused the individual of desecrating it. That is stretching it but if the legislation is not properly presented that individual could be in trouble. However I am sure that is certainly not the intent of the legislation. Again, legislation can be written to ensure that only those who are guilty of an offence are punished.
The flag, especially our Canadian flag, the red maple leaf which flies across our country, is one for which all Canadians have great respect. I remember when it was brought in. I was interviewed on television the day the flag was first flown. I think that was the first time I was ever on television, although I have made it a couple of times since. I was asked what I thought of it. I still remember my response which was “It's worth waiting for”. Until then, we were under the Union Jack. Many older Canadians in particular have a tremendous amount of pride in that flag, as we all do, because most of them fought under it during the wars. It exemplified our country as part of the Commonwealth of nations and it tied us very closely to Great Britain, much more so than expressing a clear identity of our own.
The day the first new Canadian flag was shown, with the red stripes and the red maple leaf, younger Canadians thought that this was our identity because the maple leaf represented Canada more than anything else.
In the earlier days of my teaching profession, I was responsible for looking after different concerts and fundraisers in our area. I remember having one such concert on November 11, which is Remembrance Day. It had a war theme. We played many of the songs about the early war days and common war songs.
One of the songs sung that night was by a young woman with a great voice. She sang a Canadian song entitled, I Wouldn't Trade a Million Dollars For A Single Maple Leaf . Listening to her sing it in practice, some of us got the idea that perhaps as she sang we should have a Canadian flag in the background so we tried it the following night. Somebody else had the idea that if we turned on a fan the flag could blow in the wind. This was back in the days when we did not have a lot of technology. As we got into our final night's practice we put an individual spotlight on the singer. As she finished singing the song the light shifted to the Canadian flag. The song itself talked about values and how one would not trade a million dollars for a single maple leaf and then the spotlight shifted from the singer, who had done a tremendous job, to the flag blowing in the wind.
Of all the things in my life that made an impact on me, I do not think anything hit me more in a patriotic sense than watching that flag that particular night where we were paying tribute to the war dead, the people who were still living and who had been involved in the wars, and all those who fought to give us the freedom and to give us the type of country that lies under this great flag. To see the flag just blowing in the wind we realized that this was our country and this was the flag we were proud of. It certainly gave me the type of feeling I had never had before.
A flag can do that for any of us. It is the flag we see carried by our athletes and our Olympic champions. How proud were we when the Canadian hockey teams held up the flag? It just goes on and on. It is something that we should not desecrate nor let people desecrate without some retribution.
It is unfortunate that this is not a votable item but I am quite sure we would be willing to support legislation to that degree provided that it would be directed at those who are committing what we would call an unpardonable offence rather than some accidental happening that might be termed desecration.
It is disappointing that it was not up for a vote so we could get a true impression of how Canadian representatives in the House feel about it. However that is how the government can keep people from expressing their true feeling, it makes sure we do not get the opportunity, and it has been doing a good job of it.