A new petition is urging the Canadian government to establish a national task force and standardized protocols for UAP investigations, advocating transparency, public trust, and international collaboration.
Conservative party member Larry Maguire is no stranger to actively petitioning the Canadian government for UAP transparency. Recently, Maguire published a petition on the Canadian Parliament of Canada House of Commons Chamber website, asking Canadians to sign a UAP transparency petition before Jan 19 at 2:17 p.m. EST.
Labeled as e-5178 (National defence and military operations) and initiated by Benjamin Bruce Schofield from Winnipeg, Manitoba, the petition sponsored by Maguire establishes the grounds for why they are asking Canadians to take action. These include recent discussions about Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) highlight the need for a coordinated and transparent approach in Canada, and how UAP-related information is scattered across departments, leading to inconsistent responses.
“I was approached by Benjamin Schofield who initiated the petition and I agreed to act as its official parliamentary sponsor,” Maguire told The Debrief. “It’s great to see some grassroots advocacy on this topic and it ultimately aligns well with my long-standing efforts to push for UAP transparency.”
The petition also argues that Canadian allies, like the United States, have made significant strides with dedicated offices and public reporting mechanisms, and Canada could benefit from similar efforts to enhance national security, public safety, and scientific understanding.
Both Maguire and Schofield advise that the citizens of Canada should call on the government to take action regarding UAP, urging the establishment of a National Task Force on UAPs, comprising representatives from the Department of National Defence, Transport Canada, Public Safety Canada, and scientific experts, to investigate, analyze, and publicly report UAP activities. They also request the development of standardized protocols for UAP reporting and investigation to ensure timely information sharing across government and scientific bodies for consistent and effective responses, and advocate for creating a secure, centralized public reporting system for UAPs that is accessible to all Canadians and has regular updates to promote transparency and public trust.
“In general, Canadians want their government to be transparent, and this extends to UAP,” Maguire said. “I’ve heard from folks across the country who want some forward momentum on determining the origin and intent of UAP. In order to achieve this, we need the coordinated and transparent approach this petition calls for.”
The petition also calls for active engagement in international collaborations for UAP research and study, leveraging collective expertise and data from allied nations to better understand these phenomena.
“I have always been clear that our current approach to UAP monitoring is haphazard and leaves too much room for speculation,” Maguire said. “At the end of the day, the main call behind this petition is for a coordinated and transparent approach to determine the origin and intent of UAPs.”
Asked whether he was concerned about potential stigma or skepticism surrounding UAP research, and what approaches might be most effective in addressing it, Maguire said that he feels more work is needed to help overcome stigmas that currently still hamper UAP reporting.
“Stigma has always played a role in limiting the advancement of important research on this topic. As more and more reputable individuals come forward and share what they know, such as the recent congressional hearings in the US, the public will have more opportunities to engage with the facts and reconsider how they might view this issue,” Maguire said.
“In Canada, this will hopefully include recommendations from the Chief Science Advisor’s upcoming Sky Canada Project,” he added.
MP Larry Maguire is the second Canadian politician to step forward and actively ask for government UAP transparency since Former Minister of Defense Paul Hellyer went public in 2005 with his positions on the issue, which included his belief that the U.S. government and other world powers have had ongoing interactions with extraterrestrials.
Starting in 2021, Maguire has called for further investigation into UAPs and advocated for an official response from the Canadian government to address the potential national security implications.
“Transparency is important to all of us,” Maguire told The Debrief. “We should expect our public institutions to coordinate with one another and be transparent with the public in general, but especially when we’re talking about UAP reports in our skies.”
“The excessive secrecy is absurd,” Maguire also said. “By making information publicly available, it will help scientists and researchers analyze the data and cross reference it with other opensource material.”
“A scientific plan and adopting best practices within government are important for building public trust,” Maguire said.
This article was updated on 11/23/24 to include statements from MP Larry Maguire.
Chrissy Newton is a PR professional and founder of VOCAB Communications. She currently appears on The Discovery Channel and Max and hosts the Rebelliously Curious podcast, which can be found on The Debrief’s YouTube Channel on all audio podcast streaming platforms. Follow her on X: @ChrissyNewton and at chrissynewton.com.