His Holiness the Dalai Lama
The motion was put forward by the Canadian Conservative Party.
Following is the text of a Canadian Press report on the motion.
House of Commons grants Dalai Lama honorary Canadian citizenship
June 22, 2006
Ottawa (CP) – The Dalai Lama has been given honorary Canadian citizenship.
Members of Parliament agreed unanimously today to a Conservative motion to grant the Tibetan spiritual leader the honour. It’s the third time Parliament has approved such a measure. The only other honorary citizenships were bestowed on iconic South African leader Nelson Mandela, and on Raoul Wallenberg, credited with saving the lives of thousands of Hungarian Jews during the Second World War.
The Dalai Lama is scheduled to visit Vancouver in September – his second visit to Canada in as many years.
Following is the transcript of the proceedings during the passage of the motion as released by the House of Commons
39th Parliament, 1st Session
Edited Hansard o Number 046
Thursday, June 22, 2006
The Speaker: [English]
We have a request from the hon. member for Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet
Mr. David Sweet (Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale, CPC): Mr. Speaker, there have been consultations among the various parties and I believe that if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent for the following motion:
That, whereas Tenzin Gyatso, the fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibet, has been recognized with the Nobel Peace Prize as one of the world’s leading champions of peace and non-violence; and
Whereas His Holiness the Dalai Lama will visit Canada from September 9th to the 11th of this year; and
Whereas this House has previously acknowledged historic visits to Canada by other leading champions of human dignity, such as Raoul Wallenberg and Nelson Mandela, by adopting motions granting them “honorary Canadian citizenship”;
Therefore, this House resolves to bestow the title “honorary Canadian citizen” on His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet.
The Speaker: Does the hon. member for Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale have the unanimous consent of the House to propose this motion?
Some hon. members: Agreed.
(Motion agreed to)