Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition signed by 1,500 Canadians. The petitioners call upon Parliament to take measures in order to allow a larger number of young people to do volunteer work in Canadian communities or abroad.
Volunteering gives young people an opportunity to engage in a rewarding experience, to acquire useful skills for their future and to contribute to the betterment of society. However, because of the lack of government funding to organizations offering such volunteer programs, the vast majority of young people interested in engaging in such an experience are not given the opportunity to do so.
Canada can hardly use a lack of financial resources as an excuse to justify this situation. This is why people are calling for concrete measures to make it easier for young people to do volunteer work.