Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Bala, you made quite clear the importance of making sure that the child has a voice in the divorce process and that it is heard. In your brief, in fact, you make that point saying, and I quote:
…the importance of taking account of the perspectives and preferences of children who are the subject of parental disputes, as this promotes better outcomes for children, respects their rights, and often facilitates settlement.
I agree with you, and I wonder whether we shouldn't take it further by providing for a third party to represent the child, in the same way that parents are represented by legal counsel. The third party would listen to and understand the child's views and be responsible for conveying those views and always ensuring they were at the heart of the discussion. The idea would be to really make sure the child's interests came first and foremost in the divorce process, which is the primary goal of this legislation.
A number of witnesses have called it a good idea, which has the support of numerous specialists, psychologists and legal experts. Some even said that judges were not the best people to interview the child.
I'd like to hear your thoughts on that. I see people nodding their heads, so I'd like to give the other witnesses a chance to comment afterwards.