Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to present a petition yet again, as I have been endeavouring to do at every opportunity this fall. This petition is signed primarily by citizens from Toronto, Brampton, Scarborough, Etobicoke and Mississauga, Ontario. The petitioners note that, on average, about 2,000 children are adopted from other countries and brought to Canada by adopting families, and that, unlike other countries, the United States and Great Britain, these children are not granted automatic citizenship. These petitioners feel that they should be. Therefore, they call upon Parliament to immediately enact legislation to grant automatic citizenship to these minors adopted from other countries by Canadian citizens, with this citizenship being immediately granted upon the finalization of the adoption.
I have literally dozens of other petitions on the same subject, but unfortunately, as well-intentioned as they were, the people did not have the opportunity to put them into an acceptable form. I seek unanimous consent of the members present this afternoon to add these to this petition.