Mr. Speaker, I rise in this House to speak in support of Motion M-273 put forward by my colleague, the hon. member for Don Valley
North, to designate the second Sunday in September of each year as "Grandparent's Day" in order to acknowledge their importance to the structure of the family in the nurturing, upbringing and education of children.
As the official opposition's critic for seniors organizations, I have always supported similar initiatives to designate a national grandparents' day, because seniors' organizations across the country, and in my riding of Argenteuil-Papineau in particular, are in favour of this kind of acknowledgement.
Grandparents play a crucial role for their grandchildren, providing a degree of stability and continuity that is so essential to them. Unfortunately, the situation is sometimes complicated by mariage breakdown and remarriage, with values often being disrupted in the process. But grandparents can help insofar as they are able and available during the transition period.
Seniors and grandparents can be instrumental in improving cohesion within the family. Grandparents act as the thread connecting the past, the present and the future. Many teenagers feel they stand alone against the problems of daily living. In 1993, in Quebec, seniors from Le Pélican seniors club, in co-operation with the Villeray local community service center, in Montreal, and the Regroupement inter-organismes pour une politique familiale au Québec, founded La Maison des grands-parents, or grandparents' house.
Grandparents welcome their children and grandchildren in this house, which is a co-ordination centre for family action. The house's goals are to foster social involvement, help prevent problems inherent to disadvantaged and isolated families, and promote reconciliation and co-operation within and between families.
Then, other seniors from various golden age clubs in Quebec founded centres with similar goals. In my riding of Argenteuil-Papineau, teenagers from the Vert-Pré drop in centre in Huberdeau and seniors from the gold age association in Saint-Adolphe-d' Howard worked together on a self-help project.
In June 1993, the general meeting of the Quebec Federation of Senior Citizens came out in support of bringing grandparents and their grandchildren closer together. It was the federation's contribution to the International Year of the Family. There are also groups of caring grandparents in various regions of Quebec. The purpose of these organizations is to put grandparents or seniors, both singles and couples, in touch with families with young children.
Their goal is to promote intergenerational contact, to help and support young families, to recognize the experience of grandparents and allow them to play an active role in society. This description of some projects is not restrictive, and I urge all seniors to take the steps required to create similar projects.
As a representative of seniors' organizations, I have always sought to ensure that the government does not penalize seniors. I took part in the debate on Bill C-54, which has a special impact on seniors' pensions through the Canada pension plan and old age security. We in the Bloc Quebecois proposed a series of amendments to protect seniors, who would otherwise be penalized by Bill C-54. Unfortunately, these amendments were rejected by the government.
I also spoke to Bill C-232, an act to amend the Divorce Act. The purpose of this bill is to exempt grandparents from having to obtain special leave of the court to apply for an interim, standing or variation order with respect to custody of or access to their grandchildren.
I am personally very concerned about the old age pension reform announced by the government, which will take effect in 1997 and possibly earlier.
In 1994, the government announced the production of a document to be tabled. It delayed the release of that document, preferring to wait until after the Quebec referendum. Thanks to the hearings held by the Commission des aînés sur l'avenir du Québec, our seniors had an opportunity to express their views regarding their future. That consultation process showed that the concerns of seniors are similar everywhere in the country, and have to do with their social and economic situation.
We are all convinced of the major influence that grandparents and seniors have on the development of children and on the well-being of families. We must give grandparents the place that should be theirs in the family context, and we must make all Canadians aware of the importance of their role.
Grandparents are an essential source of affection, understanding and experience which strengthens the family. They must be integrated to the family life.
In conclusion, the official opposition supports the motion of the member for Don Valley North asking the government to designate the second Sunday in September of each year as Grandparents Day, in order to acknowledge their importance to the structure of the family in the nurturing, upbringing and education of children.
I thank the hon. member on behalf of all the organizations representing the elderly, and also on behalf of all grandparents, young and not so young, for emphasizing their contribution to our society.
Finally, I want to point out that, should Quebecers vote in favour of sovereignty on October 30, Quebec might also recognize the
contribution of its elderly and designate the second Sunday in September of each year as Grandparents Day.