Mr. Speaker,
[Member spoke in Punjabi as follows:]
Wahe Guru Ka Khalsa waheguru ji ki fateh.
[English]
We live in a great nation where we can all stand in the House to share our own cultural values, religions, and beliefs but still remain united as one country.
It was made possible because of our Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which was signed into law on April 17, 1982, by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second.
The charter is one of the most enduring legacies of the Liberal Party under the Right Honourable Pierre Trudeau.
It is the charter that continues to make our nation the envy of the world. It guarantees Canadians the following, regardless of gender or ethnicity: the right to free speech; the right to vote and serve as members of a legislature; the right to life, liberty, and security of the person.
It is the spirit of the charter that has made celebrations like Vaisakhi possible in this great nation of ours. Every Canadian should be proud of the charter, because it reminds our children and families that in Canada, better is always possible.