Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I am pleased to rise in the House today to present a petition signed by a number of Canadians.
These petitioners wish to draw to the attention of the House matters about which they are deeply concerned, namely that as grandparents and as a consequence of death, separation or divorce of their children, they are often denied access to their grandchildren by their guardians; that the relationship which exists between grandparents and grandchildren is a natural, fundamental one; and that the denial of access can constitute elder abuse and can have a serious detrimental and emotional impact on both the grandparents and the grandchildren.
The petitioners wish that legislation would be introduced which would in fact amend the Divorce Act to include a provision as proposed and provided for in Bill C-340 regarding the right of the parents of spouses, the grandparents, to access or to custody of their grandchildren.