Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to have the opportunity today to stand and present a petition on behalf of many of Toronto's Vietnamese community who organize a formal flag raising ceremony at Nathan Phillips Square every year. The ceremony is intended to commemorate and remember those who have given so much in the name of national service by both highlighting the differences that make us unique, and more importantly, by paying tribute to the qualities that cause us to work co-operatively for a better tomorrow.
Despite these laudable objectives, each year a true symbol of these ideas, also known as the flag of South Vietnam, or the freedom flag, is denied the status it rightfully deserves. Thousands of people have signed these petitions asking for some level of recognition of the freedom flag by the Government of Canada that would demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of those who have fought to uphold and protect the virtues of democracy.