Mr. Speaker, I rise to day to express the outrage and concern of my constituents, my community and all peace loving Canadians.
On the morning of March 15, residents of the Thornhill Jewish community awoke to find swastikas and other hateful graffiti on their front doors, cars and garages. Nearby, at the cemetery where my late father is buried, headstones were desecrated. Synagogues were defaced with messages of hate. These are cowardly acts of anti-Semitism.
Canadians share the values of tolerance and respect. They are the cornerstone of our country and we have enshrined them in our charter, which guarantees equality for all.
Canada strives to ensure that we can live in peace and security. We must send a message, loud and clear, that Canada does not and will not tolerate these incidents of racial hatred. They are hate crimes. Our silence will signal acceptance of these acts and this is unacceptable to all Canadians.
Therefore, I stand here today sending a message expressing my personal outrage at these--