NDP votes against flag freedom bill

By ,QMI Agency
First posted: | Updated:


7 ways Mulcair day 1
New Democratic Party Leader Thomas Mulcair (C) receives a standing ovation from his caucus during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa March 26, 2012. REUTERS/Chris Wattie
OTTAWA - One of the first acts of the NDP under newly elected leader Thomas Mulcair was to vote against a bill encouraging Canadians to "proudly display the National Flag of Canada."
The Conservatives and Liberals voted in favour of Bill C-288, the National Flag of Canada Act, sponsored by Tory MP John Carmichael and Heritage Minister James Moore. A previous version, introduced last year, included fines and up to two years in jail for condo boards or housing authorities that try to prevent Canadians from flying the flag.
The new version contains no such penalties.
The NDP faced some criticism for not displaying enough Canadian flags during last weekend's leadership convention. An NDP spokesman couldn't immediately explain the party's position