Mr. Speaker, I have the honour and privilege to present, pursuant to Standing Order 36, petitions with regard to assuring access rights for grandparents to their grandchildren in the case of divorce or separation of the parents.
As the petition states, the relationship that exists between grandparents and grandchildren is a natural and fundamental one. The denial of access can constitute elder abuse and can have a serious and detrimental emotional impact on both the grandparents and the grandchildren.
Therefore the 3,120 people who have signed this petition request that Parliament amend the Divorce Act to allow the courts to grant grandparents access to grandchildren in the case of divorce, and further to amend the act to give a grandparent who is granted access to a child the right to make inquiries and to be given information as to the health, education and welfare of that child.
I support this petition.