Mr. Speaker, one year ago today the Minister of Justice said in response to the special joint committee report “For the Sake of the Children”, “Canadians agree that when families break down, the needs and best interests of children must be the highest priority”.
Sadly, a year has elapsed and this high priority item is nowhere to be seen. The minister has caved in to the bureaucratic insider systems agenda of just leaving the Divorce Act as it is. The concerns are the same wherever I go in Canada about the shortcomings of the Divorce Act for the child-parent relationship.
We need shared parenting put in the law. The act must serve children's needs first and grandparents must be permitted their rightful place in the law. Maintenance should reflect the principle of ability to pay and demonstrated need. There must be easier access to the superior courts and all orders must be easily enforced, especially child access terms and parental guardianship. The act must respond to false allegations.
On behalf of parents, grandparents and most of all the children, I pray that the House of Commons does not have to hear a similar plea for action on May 10, 2001 but rather, that the Canadian Alliance government will have already acted.