Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the Minister of Justice for taking a bold approach, for her leadership and for finally putting into law what has been a long awaited response to an injustice.
I want to speak about one aspect of the bill, which is the element that deals with children. This is an omnibus bill which will amend a number of acts. As part of the bill there is an element which is dear to the hearts of many of my colleagues on both sides of the issue, that is, children. Whether people are in married relationships, common law relationships, whether they are single mothers or fathers, children are very important to all of us.
To that extent I would say that I am exceptionally happy that the minister is implementing an initiative which I introduced in parliament quite a few months ago, which deals with the removal of any reference to illegitimacy in Canadian law. When I approached the minister and her officials on the issue the answer was yes, without any debate whatsoever. It was only that it would be a matter of time to implement it. I was given the assurance that at the most opportune time it would be done.
I cannot say how happy I was when this bill was first introduced and the minister and her officials indicated to me that the amendment to the bill was in place and that from here on we would treat all children across Canada on an equal basis, without reference to whether a child was born within a marriage, a common law relationship or out of wedlock. We will look at children as children and treat them as such, and in whatever we do we will always look to the best interests of the child in every decision we make as a society.
With that element alone we have moved another step toward ensuring that justice will be done for all.
The bill is another step toward ensuring that we respect the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and that we are in compliance with that convention, which clearly states that governments at all levels have to review their laws to ensure that they are in compliance with the UN convention and that they respect the best interests of the child and ensure that the child's interests are always paramount in everything we do.
The bill has taken another step toward ensuring that we respect the charter of rights and freedoms that treats all Canadians equally regardless of age, sex, place of origin, religion or their abilities or disabilities.
This is a flowery day, as it is for my colleague from Alberta whose parents are celebrating their 65th anniversary. It is also a rosy day for a lot of children across the country, in excess of two million children, some of whom are sitting on both sides of the House of Commons. They came up to me after I introduced a bill last year to thank me for doing something about it because they did not know that under Canadian laws they were considered to be illegitimate.
As hon. members know, everyone here in the House is a legitimate individual who has the right and has earned the right to be here and to speak out. I would say it is a happy day for all of them.
At the same time, it is a happy day for all of those moms and dads who will be able to look back and say that they corrected an injustice that existed in our laws. It took this minister and this government to show leadership and take the bold approach to do something about it.
Everyone will now be equal under the law and our children will be equal under the law. Whether a child is born to a married couple or an unmarried couple will not longer matter. When some of my colleagues stand up in the House of Commons and give lectures about the importance of family, what about the importance of the child? Why would we not stand up in the House and make that priority number one? Notwithstanding the background or the economic condition of the family, why would we not stand up and ask what is in the best interests of the child?
What the government has done is in the best interests of the child. It is not right for us to turn around and say that only in a family situation where the mother and the father are married will we have a happy situation. That is not always the case. Many children do live in families where there is abuse or they are not receiving the proper attention and care that they deserve. If it was up to me, I would rather see a child without a family than living in a situation where the family is abusive to the child.
To that extent, it is hunky-dory for some of my colleagues to stand up and give us lectures about the fact that it is important to ensure the family unit without taking into consideration the importance of ensuring the best interests of the child in that family unit. Never mind whether it is same sex, opposite sex, single sex, double sex, quadruple sex, the bottom line here is that we have to do what is right.
With this legislation, the government has done what is right. We had a decision by a court. I am embarrassed that we had to wait until a decision was made by the court for us to do what we should have done a long time ago, which is to bring justice to the floor of the House and to society.
Mr. Speaker, there is a gentleman, we both know very well, who said something exceptionally good and respectful. It was Pierre Elliot Trudeau, my idol. What he said continues to ring in my ears every time this debate surfaces inside or outside the House of Commons. He said that the government has no business in the bedrooms of the nation.
For my colleagues over there to stand up with their homophobic attitude and lecture us about what is and is not civil and what is or is not morale constitutes an immoral intrusion into the bedrooms of the nation. They have no business trying to tell people how to live their lives.
We were elected to enact legislation and laws that provide equality for all citizens regardless of their relations, backgrounds, religions and physical or colour differences. It is our responsibility to ensure that we have laws that treat everybody equally. The legislation that was introduced by the minister does just that.
My colleagues should not concern themselves about the possibility of two people of the same sex, whether they be two males or two females, lying about about having conjugal relationships because the law is quite clear on that. It constitutes a fraud under Canadian law and they could be prosecuted.
We already have legislation in place that governs people in common law relationships. To turn around and start twisting the whole issue from what it is, an issue of fairness, into a question of an offence on the institution of marriage, is total rubbish. Frankly, that is skirting the debate in the wrong direction. It takes it from one end of the spectrum and puts it in the bush where it does not belong.
We must continue to focus on what is before us. The institution of marriage is not affected. If members opposite want to define a marriage between a single man and a single woman, great, but our society today is different from our society of 100 or 200 years ago. Our society is a modern society that tolerates differences and takes into consideration the needs of the people. Our government has to reflect the needs of society.
If we move ahead with some of the suggestions by my colleagues we will be a troubled society. We must move forward and in order to do that we must be the mirror of society and respond to the needs of the people.
This bill is great news for two million children across the land who will be waking up tomorrow with a smile on their faces knowing that justice has finally been done.
I am honoured to have been given the opportunity to speak in support of this legislation. It is my hope that when it goes to the Senate it will pass quickly.
I have received a number of letters from across the country referring to this whole notion of differentiating between children, those born out of wedlock and those born of a single man and a single woman. Some of them felt terrible. Some are national journalists, politicians and prominent business people. Some of are members of the House in very prominent positions. These are good people and we have to treat them with dignity and respect. We have to do what is right for them.
I am quite honoured to be the member of parliament who introduced the bill, but I am more honoured to be associated with a minister who finally had the guts to stand up and correct the injustices that existed for such a very long time.