Madam Speaker, it is with great interest that I take part in the debate on Bill C-284.
Let me say from the outset that this bill should get the unanimous support of the House, on behalf of all the children in this country.
I would first like to praise the member for Calgary Centre for tabling such a pertinent piece of legislation. Bill C-284 which proposes to amend the Criminal Records Act and the Canadian Human Rights Act with respect to sexual offences against children is important in the sense that it focuses on one of the highest priorities this assembly should have: the protection of children from abuse.
Indeed, as parliamentarians we have the responsibility to fulfil the fundamental role of government to ensure the protection of our citizens. This is especially true for the most innocent in society, our children.
Millions of them, throughout the country, are counting on us to find the path that will safely lead them to the adult world.
With the innocence and the openness that are their trademarks, children successfully meet sports, recreational and educational challenges; they take part in community activities with enthusiasm and creativity; they fill us with joy and contentment and give meaning to the role of guide and protector that society has bestowed on us, today's adults.
We must not betray the trust that children put in us. Better still, we must earn that trust. To this end, it is imperative that we shield their efforts and their valuable contribution to the building of tomorrow's society.
Unfortunately, children are all too often the victims of the trust and the authority they bestow upon us with such spontaneity and candour.
As a mother, I am always disturbed by statistics such as those telling us that one girl out of three is the victim of a sexual assault before reaching the age of 18, and that one out of every six boys suffers the same fate before the age of 16.
This is even worse when you consider that we, in this country, have the means to deal with sex offenders who, as you know, have one of the highest recidivism rate among criminal offenders.
These statistics suggest that we are sorely failing as legislators. The bill proposes a way to increase our vigilance by creating a fair balance between the right of offenders to return to society, and the right of our children to remain full members of our society and to be safe.
Some may wonder about the right to privacy. As the sponsor of this bill explained when he introduced his legislation in the House, the privacy commissioner has already ruled that the act he administers does not prevent the disclosure of personal information when this is done in the public interest.
It is without a doubt in the public interest for children not to be exposed to those who have abused them in the past and who are likely to do so again in the future as the relevant statistics so clearly show.
Who is targeted by this initiative? Any adult convicted of a sexual offence against a child who applies for a new job and could again be tempted to use a position of trust and authority to abuse, once too often, young victims placed under his care.
That is the only purpose of this bill. The proposed changes are explicitly aimed at people applying for a position of trust and authority with respect to children.
Who among us has never had to put a loved one under the supervision of a day care centre, a sports monitor or a recreation leader? Beforehand, we enquire about the reputation of the agency or the group in question.
This reputation, which is crucial to the survival of any organization dealing with children, can easily be tarnished by unscrupulous individuals who readily take advantage, to commit more offences, of the position of trust the organization or group put so much energy and patience into building up.
Make no mistake about it: when such a crime occurs, it is as much a tragedy for the organization as it is for the actual victims. Therefore, we have to provide these organizations with the tools they need to maintain a flawless reputation and significantly contribute to the harmonious development of the Canadian society.
We all know that Canadians need to believe that organizations in which they entrust their children's safety have taken all the necessary actions to protect them.
The bill would enable those responsible for children to make fully informed decisions about whom they hire by having the capacity to identify and eventually keep out those who present more of a risk when in a position of trust.
Let us be clear. Bill C-284 does not propose that sex offences against children can never be pardoned. It does not propose either that if one makes a mistake such as this it should be forever on one's criminal record. What the bill proposes is that if one sexually abuses children the person could effectively be prevented from holding a position of care or authority over children again.
Children must remain our absolute priority. They are the ones that will have to deal throughout their entire lives with the often painful and sometimes disastrous effects of an experience they should have and could have been spared.
Permit me, if you will, to point out the government's position in this regard: “The experiences of Canada's children, especially in the early years, influence their health, their well-being, and their ability to learn and adapt throughout their entire lives”.
This quote from the speech from the throne brings us back to the point and encourages us to assume our responsibilities towards those who represent our nation's future. I therefore encourage the government to support this bill, which invites us to assume our responsibility as lawmakers and to help all victims according to the widely shared principle of prevention.
In this regard, we will recall that the government made a commitment to provide an additional $850 million annually to improve the Canadian child tax benefit. I congratulate it on this, although I maintain that the benefit should be indexed.
That said, would it not be ironic to hear our leaders say, on one hand, that they want to invest in our children while, on the other, refusing to take the measures necessary to protect this investment.
Yet there is no point in hoping that the government can successfully build a true partnership with the private and volunteer sectors for the development of our children, if it does not first and foremost take the necessary steps to protect both the organizations in question and the young people they serve.
I would like to point out, if I may, that this bill dovetails perfectly with the youth justice strategy announced by the Minister of Justice this past May.
At that time, one of the recommendations she made was publication of the names of all young offenders convicted of serious sexual assault charges.
What is being proposed here is merely an extension of that measure to adults, along with a framework for doing so. People must not draw the conclusion that what is involved is a blanket disclosure. On the contrary, these amendments would apply only within the context of an offender's applying for a position of trust with respect to children. As well, disclosure would not be done without his knowledge, because the bill stipulates that applicants are to be informed.
In closing, I am calling on all members of this House for unconditional support of Bill C-284, hoping that we can place the interests of our children foremost, before any partisan differences.
