Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today on behalf of the Progressive Conservative Party to speak to the Reform motion respecting Canadian families and the role and responsibility of parents.
We in the Progressive Conservative Party believe that ultimately the raising of children is the responsibility of parents. We believe in supporting families to raise children in the best possible manner so they can become productive citizens in our society. We encourage families to enable the potential of each and every child.
The motion before us today speaks of amending the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in order to allow individuals to pursue family life free from undue interference by the state and to recognize the fundamental right and responsibility of parents to direct the upbringing of their children. If we are proposing to amend the charter to allow this, what exactly is it that we would amend?
Section 7 of the charter of rights states “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person and the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice”.
We believe that this section of the charter does not need to be amended to provide families with the ability to raise their children in the manner they see fit. Section 7 provides parents with the right to liberty, freedom to raise their children as they see fit within the common fundamental values of society. We would argue that existing laws already provide parents with the ability to raise their children without undue interference of the state within the framework of the common public good.
What is undue interference? The member proposing this motion speaks of the concern that parents have that if they spank their children in public their children would be taken away from them by the authorities. This he says is undue interference in family life. Spanking a child as a disciplinary measure is an issue which is hotly debated but to my knowledge most child welfare agencies in the provinces regard spanking a child's bottom as a grey area between discipline and abuse. Ways of disciplining children is an issue that should continue to be debated by our society.
What of the necessity to protect children unfortunately sometimes from their own parents? Would the Reform Party amendment to the charter of rights and freedoms prevent the government from exercising its ability to protect children who are suffering from abuse, sexual and otherwise?
Children should be raised within their families. Families are the basis of Canadian society. Parents should be responsible for their children. But the state must have the ability to protect children in situations where the parents are unable or unwilling to assume that responsibility.
Removing a child from the family under current provincial laws is not as simple as members of the Reform Party would make us believe. Child protection workers must use the least intrusive measures possible and social workers are charged with showing that removing the child is in the child's best interest.
Child welfare legislation is quite specific stating that children can only be removed if evidence of emotional, physical or sexual abuse, or neglect can be proven before the courts. Instead, much work is placed in trying to assist families to better deal with the stresses of everyday life so that children are not neglected, not abused and families can work and live together without abuse or neglect.
Is this an undue interference in people's lives? To me this is trying to strengthen the family unit rather than break it up.
It is ironic that the Reform Party proposes an amendment to the charter of rights and freedoms to allow parents to raise their children without interference by the state. The Reform Party's principles and policies state: “The Reform Party recognizes that child abuse and family violence attack the very foundation of organized society. The party supports enacting, communicating and enforcing laws that protect family members against such acts”. Would the Reform Party's own principle not conflict with the motion before us today? The Reform Party's policies and principles appear to contradict the hon. member's motion.
Reform calls for a lowering of the age at which offenders should be tried as adults. Even though these children would still be considered minors, Reform's policy would call for an intervention by the state into the ability of parents to raise and discipline their children.
In conclusion, we do not need to amend the charter of rights and freedoms to allow parents to raise their families in the manner they best see fit. What we need is a better informed discussion on the issues that prompted the member to bring forth this motion. We also need to ensure that family poverty is not the cause of abuse or neglect of children.
As a society we need to focus on the needs of today's children because they will be the ones representing Canada in this House in the future.
I would like to thank the hon. member for bringing forward an issue which should be debated and should be questioned in this House. The issue is not to change the charter of rights and freedoms to be able to accomplish what the hon. member has suggested. One cannot legislate that and good family values. Those family values must and will come from families and the parents of the children themselves.
I stand before you, Mr. Speaker, very proud of the job that my wife, my family and I have done to make sure that my children are constructive members of society. That was done without legislation. That was done with pride and with obvious dedication from both parents, and certainly dedication from my children.