Elizabeth May presents petition in House of Commons, calling for review of 9/11 events
Posted December 4, 2014 12:40 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
OTTAWA (NEWS1130) – Green Party leader Elizabeth May has raised a few eyebrows after presenting a petition in the House of Commons that calls for a parliamentary review of the events of September 11th.
It happened yesterday in the House but wasn’t noticed until today. The petition was signed by people from BC, Alberta, and Ontario.
May’s office was quick to respond to questions from reporters, saying the Green Party leader does not endorse the petition in any way.
MPs do not have an obligation to table petitions given to them by constituents.
But May’s office says there are many different view points in our country about a variety of issues, and she doesn’t want to silence the voices of her constituents, even if she disagrees with them.
“I regard it as part of my responsibilities as a member to present petitions on many different issues. The rules of the House are clear that presenting a petition does not convey support for the petition. Often, I present petitions that I do support, and I make that clear when I’m presenting them,” she tells News1130.
“In this case, I don’t support the petition. But I understand the petitioners are frustrated; they feel people don’t listen to them,” she adds. “I don’t think there’s any purpose in a Canadian inquiry into 9/11.”
She says she doesn’t believe she had an option over whether to present the petition. “If you believe in democracy, you present the petitions that you’re given by citizens. It’s not for members of parliament to decide whether the voices of Canadians should be silenced.”
