Mr. Speaker, there is a movement that plays on people's fears and promotes intolerance, and that movement was introduced by a concept called reasonable accommodation. This debate is based on the false premise that when people are allowed to be unique, it somehow encourages segregation of communities and risks the growth of fundamentalism or some other un-Canadian value.
Nothing could be further from the truth. I know this because I have experienced it first hand. I grew up immersed in the Canadian mosaic. However, growing up under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms means much more than just understanding it. It also means appreciating our differences that enrich our society and make us stronger.
That is why I find the flawed debate surrounding reasonable accommodation so insulting. I find it offensive because I know that it is an unnecessary distraction fanned by unfounded fears. It is just an attempt to make intolerance acceptable.
As Canadians, we should all stand up to this attempt to water down the very rights and freedoms that have become part and parcel of our Canadian identity. In the debate between the charter and intolerance, and the charter must prevail.