Mr. Speaker, I would like to point out that today is International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and also the start of the Week of Solidarity with the Peoples Struggling against Racism and Racial Discrimination.
Every day, people experience discrimination based on their origins, religion, colour, ethnocultural affiliation or gender. This discrimination is pervasive in Canada and elsewhere, and it is quite simply unacceptable.
We must not tolerate the fact that almost 1,500 hate crimes are committed every year in Canada. We must not tolerate the fact that visible minorities with equal skills have unemployment rates that are 1.7 times greater than the average.
As parliamentarians, and also as Canadians, it is our duty to speak out against this and to oppose acts of discrimination and those who support this discrimination through their actions or their silence.
It is our duty to take action to eliminate all forms of discrimination and to promote equal opportunities for everyone.