moved for leave to introduce Bill C-420, An Act to establish the Office of the Commissioner for Children and Young Persons in Canada.
Mr. Speaker, today, I am pleased to introduce a bill to establish the Office of the Commissioner for Children and Young Persons. The true measure of a nation’s standing is how well it attends to its children, including their health, safety, material security, education and socialization.
As we know, Canada ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child on December 13, 1991.
The purpose of my bill is to establish an independent statutory officer, office of a commissioner of children and young persons, to advocate at a national level for the needs, views and rights of children and young persons, and to promote, monitor and report on the effective implementation of Canada's obligations under the convention.
I believe very strongly that the creation of the position of commissioner will affirm clearly the importance that Canada accords the youngest and most vulnerable segment of our society. I hope that I can count on the support of the House for the passage of this bill.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)