OTTAWA - Fear not, flag-waving Canadians -- a Tory backbencher is unfurling a law to entrench your right to fly the red and white banner.
"Canadians love and cherish their flag," Don Valley West MP John Carmichael during a press conference Wednesday. He tabled the National Flag of Canada Act in the House of Commons Tuesday.
Heritage Minister James Moore said the proposed legislation would stop patriotic Canadians from being "stepped on" by overzealous housing authorities and condo boards that try to force them to remove the Maple Leaf decorating their homes.
Offenders could face a fine or up to two years in jail.
Ottawa resident Guy 'Vache' Vachon, a Korean War vet who fought to keep flying the flag in 2009 after his landlord ordered him to take it down, is all for Carmichael's proposed bill.
The 77-year-old retired master corporal never did have to take down his Maple Leaf after he received 500 supportive calls and e-mails, two lawyers offered to represent him pro bono, and former Korean War colleagues threatened to parade in front of his building until the landlord backed down.
"We should fly our flag," he said. "I earned that right, I served 27 years in the armed forces."
For Gary McHale, the Conservative's endorsement of the proposed bill is hypocrisy in action.
McHale has repeatedly clashed with Assistant Defence Minister Julian Fantino, an animosity that stems from Fantino's time as head of the Ontario Provincial Police.
McHale said Fantino had him arrested for raising the flag - calling it a breach of peace during the tense Caledonia, Ont., stand-off between police and First Nations protestors.
"I was arrested, handcuffed, put in a paddy wagon and sent to jail," he said.
Fantino's spokesperson said the minister would back the proposed bill.
"The minister has always been strongly supportive of demonstrative patriotism, which our flag represents," Chris McCluskey said.
Meanwhile, interim Liberal leader Bob Rae said the proposed bill is in line with the basic Charter right of freedom of expression.
"I don't think anybody would have a problem with that," he said, but accused Carmichael and Moore of "changing the channel."
"Canadians are worried about the economy, the United States economy is flatter than a pancake right now, the Euro zone is in real trouble, and these guys are talking about flags and symbols."
Mark Murray -- who in 2008 was almost forced to remove the banner from the balcony of his Cardinal, Ont., home by housing authorities -- disagreed with Rae's stance.
"Everybody sees something different in the flag," Murray said.
"If there's something wrong in the country, maybe it'll remind them they have to fix it."