Mr. Speaker, I begin today with a quote from Preston Manning:
To be able to petition one's elected representatives...is one of the oldest and most basic of democratic rights. Affirming and re-establishing this right in the 21st century through electronic petitioning is an idea well worth pursuing.
Mr. Manning provided this quote when he endorsed my private member's motion on e-petitions. Motion No. 428 requests that the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs undertake a study on how we might best establish a system for accepting petitions signed electronically.
My motion comes up for vote early next year, and I am currently seeking support from all members.
I close with another supportive quote, this one from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation:
When taxpayers get the opportunity to go online and sign an official petition...they'll be able to get the attention of Ottawa politicians in a hurry....This would help restore some grassroots democracy and accountability on Parliament Hill.