Mr. Speaker, it is with a great deal of enthusiasm that I join in this debate on the private member's motion first presented to the House by the member for Nepean.
The need for change to the child support system is recognized by Canadians and the government. As many in the House have noted the question of child support touches deeply and in many respects is a very personal issue. It relates to family responsibilities and to the well-being of our children.
Accordingly the government is committed to broad consultations with those Canadians most affected. That is why as task group of MPs has been formed to conduct a series of open round table discussions on child support.
As many of you will have noticed, the subject of child support payments raises, when it comes to parental responsibilities and the well-being of our children, questions which are deeply felt and which in many respects are very personal.
This is why the government is committed to broad consultations with those Canadians most affected. It has, therefore, set up a task force of members to hold a series of open round table discussions on the subject of child support payments.
As a member of that task group I welcome the deliberations of the House. They constitute a thoughtful and highly valued source of advice. At the same time I am confident that whatever the results of our current debate, the House shares my eagerness to hear what Canadians will say to the task group.
Over the coming weeks we will be asking Canadians to share their experiences and make suggestions with respect to the tax treatment of child support. The task group will provide feedback and advice on this issue to our government colleagues.
We have worked out a schedule to reach a cross-section of Canadians, including representatives of custodial and non-custodial parents, child advocates, women's organizations, lawyers, accountants, community groups and others concerned about this issue.
We have set out a schedule of meetings in Regina, Montreal, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Moncton, Toronto and Ottawa and are providing ways for those not in those cities also to participate and make their views known to the task group, to the government, and to the House.
The task group will listen to Canadians with an open mind, guided by a number of clear principles. Our over-arching principle is that the child's needs come first. Tax rules for child support must place paramount importance on the welfare of children.
Second, we are committed to the principle of fairness. That includes fairness between custodial and non-custodial parents as well as fairness to other taxpayers. We must treat all family situations equitably whether there has been a marriage breakup or not.
Third, while tax equity demands that tax be paid on income, this exercise is not at all about increasing government revenues.
The issue surrounding child support payments encompasses more than just their tax treatment. Questions relating to levels of support and enforcement are critical as well. It is a sad fact that a great majority of single mothers in Canada receive no support payments at all for their children and that the great majority of support orders are not obeyed.
Our goals therefore are broader than those of the current motion. We want to create a more equitable system for child support determinations. That includes generally increasing the value of child support awards, simplifying the process, providing similar awards in similar family situations.
I can understand that Canadian women affected by the Thibaudeau decision may be sceptical of the government's intent. I want to reassure them that although the decision is being
appealed the government recognizes the need to improve the child support system.
The fact remains, however, that the court's ruling has led to tremendous uncertainty and possible chaos in Canadian family law. As well, in dealing with only the income inclusion and not the deduction the ruling has created an unbalanced system.
We expect to achieve significant progress toward a better system by the end of this year. That includes reviewing the tax system, legislating child support formulas to simplify the system and finding more effective ways to enforce support orders.
We hope to be able to make significant improvements by the end of the year, specifically through revision of the tax system and legislative measures on child support formulas in order to simplify the system and with a view to finding more efficient means of enforcing support orders.
I am confident that the insights Canadians will provide the task group will make a major contribution to this important work.
I thank the hon. member for her motion and the House for the opportunity to speak today.