A country’s national anthem is arguably one of the most important aspects of its history, and a symbol of its patriotism. Our anthem, ‘O Canada,’ evokes and praises our history, traditions, and struggles.

Bill C-210, An Act to amend the National Anthem Act, is currently being debated in the Senate. It would have Parliament change the lyrics of our national anthem, replacing “in all thy sons command” with “in all of us command.”

Tradition is important to me and to all Canadians. It’s something that has been fought for, fought over, and has passed the test of time—from generation to generation.

No matter how hard the winds of change blow on the surface, they cannot move the underlying foundations on which we stand.

Traditions remind us of who we are, and where we come from; they are the very fabric of our country. We can change a lot of things about ourselves, but we cannot change our traditions because then we would lose something: a vital part of ourselves and our history.

In this new era of new political correctness, some have decided that they would change our traditions, such as our national anthem.

They want to retell our story. They want to rewrite our history as a country and as a people. For the sake of what they believe, they are willing to take away a piece of our past just to suit their political beliefs.

But they are not the majority of Canadians. Their voices cannot be allowed to drown out the choirs of Canadians who have sung ‘O Canada’ in both official languages, for generations.

Changing the words is a token of placation, and it’s a slippery slope. It will inevitably inspire other demands for further change. We would be tossing away an important piece of our history and tradition all in the name of political correctness.

That’s a dangerous precedent we should not set. What’s next? Removing God from the anthem? Removing the term “native land” as, strictly speaking, this may only refer to Canada’s indigenous peoples?

A collection of paintings known as The War Paintings adorn the walls of the Senate. All of these paintings are scenes from the First World War that pay homage to the sacrifice of Canadian troops during the Great War. No one would ever dream of asking that they be removed or altered because they refer to war—a defining period at the heart of our history. No one would ever suggest we airbrush them to make them politically correct. Equally, we should not airbrush our anthem.

The change that this proposed legislation offers is neither sought after by Canadians, nor required in order to make our country more free and more fair.

Let me share some experiences from my home province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

The ‘Ode to Newfoundland’ is the official provincial anthem of Newfoundland and Labrador, composed by Sir Cavendish Boyle in 1902. In 1949, when our province joined Canada, we adopted the Canadian national anthem, and we proudly sing it at all official functions.

But we have also maintained the ‘Ode to Newfoundland,’ and in 1980, Newfoundland and Labrador re-adopted the Ode as our official provincial anthem—the first province to do so. It is a beautiful anthem that stirs the soul of all of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Without hesitation, I know that the people of my home province would never tolerate changing the words of an anthem many believe is their sacred duty to uphold, despite not all of the words of the Ode being politically correct.

I know this because the people of my home province, like most Canadians, favour and support maintaining our traditions.

In the words of Agnes MacPhail, the first woman elected as a Member of Parliament:

“Canadians can be radical, but they must be radical in their own peculiar way, and that way must be in harmony with our national traditions and ideals.”

And so I ask that Canadians stand with me to support our anthem and our traditions.

Political correctness may be the passing fashion of today, but it will never pass the test of time next to our traditions—which have proven to be rock solid.