Mr. Speaker, it is now my turn to speak to this important topic which demonstrates-and I shall, if I may, start my speech by recalling this fact-that in this area, Canadian federalism is hardly the ideal model.
We get married under provincial jurisdiction and we get divorced under federal jurisdiction. The result, in the course of this debate on the motions, on federal guidelines, is that a large part of the population has been overlooked. There is an increasingly widespread phenomenon in our society and I am referring to the increase in common law marriages, common law spouses who are not married. If these people have children, they are not subject to these provisions, which creates a third group. This is rather incredible.
As we keep reminding the House, all this should be placed under the jurisdiction of a single government, the one that is closest to us. Because this is a very vital part of the social fabric, it should under provincial jurisdiction.
People will say: That is the way it is. The fact remains that the situation is there. And just because it is there does not mean we should not try to change it. We wish it would change, except that meanwhile, we cannot object and ask for guidelines that would take into account these different situations.
More and more frequently, people are moving, either from province to province or even out of the country. Today, it would be unacceptable to have standards that would be so different that children who are supposed to benefit under the new system would be penalized with respect to their vital needs because support payments would not follow the same guidelines.
This set of amendments can be interpreted any way you like. In any case, we in the Bloc Quebecois object because this goes against the amendments we proposed previously, those in Group No. 1. We see words like "including" used in the bill to get around the
guidelines. Parties in this House who are against our position are trying to water down the debate, to restrict the benefits and, in the final instance, to penalize those we want to help, in this case the children.
I am not an expert on the topic, but as a parliamentarian who is concerned about the well-being of his fellow citizens and as a former member of the Standing Committee on Human Resources Development, I am very disturbed by all the poverty that exists in our communities. We can never repeat often enough that one child out of five in Canada lives in poverty. This happens most often in single parent families where the mother has to manage the family budget. Unfortunately, throughout the world today, and in Canada as well, the gap between rich and poor is broadening. The incomes of the poorest and the most vulnerable among us are going down, not up. There are children who lack the necessities of life.
Studies, including some major analyses and studies, clearly show that during the first years of his or her life, a child requires not only proper nutrition, but must also the proper emotional environment-not only maternal but also paternal. My opinion as a man is that, when it comes to child support, men must continue to assume their responsibilities. This is more than a financial matter.
However, finances remain an important aspect because when those responsible for managing the family budget do not have the necessary resources, the absolute minimum, the future of our children becomes a concern. This can have serious consequences, not only on their health, but also on the way they trust society.
They may grow up with feelings of frustration, which is not healthy for a society. It is not healthy for the equality of opportunities.
This is why I wanted to address this issue. We can never stress enough that those who must benefit, those who must get our attention, are the children. If we want them to be healthy, to be involved in a healthy way in the future of society, whether it be in Quebec or Canada, social measures are required to ensure them of equal opportunities.