Mr. Speaker, I have a petition to table from my constituents calling upon Parliament to reinstate funding to literacy programs cut by the Conservative government.
The petitioners note the importance of literacy for social and economic development. They emphasize the need to help the 38% of Canadians who have difficulties reading and writing. They also recognize that illiteracy costs Canadian society $10 billion a year and that eliminating illiteracy is a key component to ensuring Canadian competitiveness.
Together with my constituents of Etobicoke—Lakeshore, I call upon the government to reinstate literacy funding and to undertake a national literacy strategy to ensure that all Canadians have the opportunity to acquire the critical life skills of reading and writing.