Mr. Speaker, today is the official Anti-Bullying Day, a day celebrated during the last Wednesday of February of each year. I am pleased we are wearing pink carnations today, marking a day of protest against bullying. This action was started by two brave young men in Nova Scotia, David Shepherd and Travis Price, who gave away 50 pink shirts after a Grade 9 student was bullied for wearing a pink shirt to school.

These two young men raised national awareness of a significant societal problem that does not just exist in our schools but is all too common in our society generally. It is a cancer that has spread far and wide and it is up to all of us, not just our teachers in schools, to put a stop to it. Parents, community leaders, co-workers and politicians must stand up for those who get harassed relentlessly, day in and out, for who they are, often just because they are different than the guy next door.

Mr. Speaker, this is not the society Canada is aspiring to be. In fact, Canada is well known for its tolerance and diversity, but if we don’t all protect it, do our part to change attitudes, set clear standards in policy and legislation that bullying is not

acceptable and won’t be tolerated, then we will lose what many before us have fought so hard for and, unfortunately, many have lost their lives over.

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud that our government, with the encouragement of Members across the floor, has begun the work of developing a comprehensive bullying prevention strategy with the assistance of the best expert this country has to offer and the wise counsel of residents and professionals in our communities. The comprehensive plan will be ready for review in a few weeks and I hope it is the start of a new beginning in our schools, which will provide safe places of learning for all of our children and teachers. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.