Mr. Speaker, you will easily understand that it makes me proud to rise today to speak to Motion No. 219, which is aimed at preventing tragedies that will mark you for the rest of your life from occurring again.
I am particularly happy to see that on May 29 every member of the House will be called upon to vote on the motion.
If I may I will read the motion moved by my colleague from Rosemont—Petite-Patrie:
That, in the opinion of this House, the government should show leadership on the international stage: ( a ) by taking action designed to increase the number of signatory countries to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction; ( b ) by signing bilateral treaties that include commitments to respect custody and access orders as originally handed down by the courts; and ( c ) by taking the necessary steps within its own borders to combat international child abduction.
In 1999 in Canada more than 350 Canadian children disappeared. The worst tragedy that may befall a family is to lose a child. Children may be lost in a senseless accident or to a fatal disease, be it slow or fast. Families eventually have to overcome their grief. When a child is lost under those circumstances, the wound heals with time.
When a child simply vanishes, I do not think a mother can ever get over the loss, nor a father, although as we well know most children are taken away by the father. The figure in Quebec for 1999 was 61 children.
My colleague from Rosemont—Petite-Patrie has brought forward this motion in part because he is well aware of the situation but also because his partner is experiencing this very trauma. This is a motion anchored in peoples' day to day realities.
A few weeks ago there were news reports of a father being intercepted at a New York airport with his son. He was attempting to return to his country. Why was there success in this case? It was the result of considerable co-operation between police, customs and airport authorities. In these situations, which are always dramatic, time is the child's worst enemy. Effective measures must become the rule.
When parents report that a child is missing and there are good reasons to believe that the child may have been abducted—usually a child does not simply vanish into thin air—we must act quickly. The third part of the motion deals with the need for quick action.
I think everyone knows how important this motion is and how important it is to make it clear to the international community that for Canada the right of a child to be with his or her parents is sacred. Abducting a child, taking a child from one of his or her parents, is unacceptable. The only way to show that something is unacceptable is to make it impossible.
On behalf of my colleague from Rosemont—Petite-Patrie, I am taking the liberty of thanking all parliamentarians who spoke to the motion. I thank the government for saying loud and clear that it will support the motion. What I am reading into this is that we will soon see practical measures because of the government's commitment in this regard.