Mr. Speaker, next I am tabling a petition that raises concerns about a 2021 election platform commitment from the Liberal Party to politicize charitable status.
In that election platform, the Liberals proposed to apply political criteria to the charitable status definition and to deny charitable status to organizations that disagree with the Liberal Party's position with respect to abortion.
The petitioners note that this would jeopardize the charitable status of hospitals, houses of worship, schools, homeless shelters and other charitable organizations that, for reasons of conscience, take the position they do on this issue. They note as well that this would be similar to the values test previously applied by the government to worthy applicants under the Canada summer jobs program. They note that charitable status determinations should be made in a politically neutral way that reflects an evaluation of the charitable activities of the organization, not of the personal convictions or values of those who run the organization.
The petitioners therefore want to see the House protect and preserve the application of charitable status rules on a politically and ideologically neutral basis, without discrimination, and to affirm the right of Canadians to freedom of expression.