Private Members’ Business

Elizabeth May: Mr. Speaker, I would also like to wish everyone a merry Christmas and a happy new year. All members of the Green Party would like to thank the MPs and the entire parliamentary team.

We are all very grateful for the hard work of those who have been mentioned by my colleagues.

I know this is not a moment for partisan comments, but I just want to trespass on a matter of some controversy and try to clear it up before we break for the holidays, and that is the citizenship of Santa Claus. I know it came up a few times today. I want to make it clear that on behalf of the Green Party, we are happy to join in claiming the North Pole. However, it is important to say that Santa Claus does not carry a passport, that Santa Claus is beyond citizenship and lives in the hearts of children all around the world, regardless of citizenship.

In the real spirit of Christmas, we celebrate Christmas with a lot of shopping and we mark it with a lot of parties. Forgive me for saying for those who are atheists and of other religions, but I think they will allow me to say on this occasion of the expectation of the birth of our Lord, that we await His coming and we celebrate Christmas in the spirit of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ.

For those of us who are Christians, it is a very important occasion and we are happy to share it and happy to be able to say merry Christmas. For everyone else who is not following this observance as a religious event, happy holidays. May everyone have a wonderful time with family.

Thank you very much. Merry Christmas.