Tory MP Karen Vecchio says bid to change O Canada lyrics 'opens up a can of worms'
A renewed attempt to make the lyrics of O Canada more gender-neutral won't be supported by a newly elected Conservative MP in southwestern Ontario.
Karen Vecchio, who became the MP for Elgin-Middlesex-London last October, said she will oppose Liberal MP Mauril Bélanger's second attempt to change some of the words in the national anthem.
"I think it just opens up a can of worms that we can look at each and every line of that national anthem," Vecchio said in an interview with CBC News.
"We will be changing the entire national anthem into something that we don't even recognize," said Vecchio.
In the previous Parliament, Bélanger put forth a private member's bill seeking to change the words "in all thy sons command" to "in all of us command."
The bill was defeated at that time, but it was then supported by opposition MPs. The Liberals now have a majority government, which Bélanger is a part of.
Earlier this week, Bélanger said he would reintroduce that bill this month. He did so on Wednesday afternoon.
Vecchio said she views the anthem as a tradition that should be maintained.
"This is our national anthem, this is something that we've had for decades," she said.
With files from the CBC's Gary Ennett