Mr. Speaker, I have a number of petitions. The first is from several hundred parishioners of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Westbank stating that the institution of marriage is between a man and a woman reflecting on the constitutional legal challenge and ask that it remain defined as the union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others.
The petitioners from Penticton and Peachland are making the same request.
I have another petition from several hundred individuals from different parts of British Columbia and Alberta who are also asking that marriage be continued to be defined as between a man and a woman. The only difference in this petition is that they are asking that Parliament use all possible legislative and administrative measures, including invoking section 33 of the charter, the notwithstanding clause, if necessary to preserve and protect the current definition of marriage.