Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his very interesting question.
As a matter of fact, thanks to the then Prime Minister, the Right Hon. Brian Mulroney, Canada led the way to the adoption by the United Nations of the convention on the rights of the child. Under that convention, every country in the world was to do its very best to eliminate poverty, stand up for children and, most of all, defend them. Children have no voice. We should be a strong voice for them, protect them, defend them and ensure that they have the best conditions possible in order to develop properly.
I wish to remind the House, for the benefit of some people, that for 35 years I have taken care of children at preschool and elementary school levels. As everyone knows, children are not born criminals. If a child becomes an offender, he is more a victim than a guilty party.
The minister is the father of young children. He should understand that when parents get up in the morning the first thing they say to themselves is that they will do everything they can to give the best to their children. Sometimes along the way there is peer pressure. Some parents are not always able to adequately supervise their children, to provide them with adequate education and support. This is why some children are led into deviancy by their peers and become uncontrollable.
When parents find themselves in such a such a situation, it is very important for them to find support for the sake of their child's protection. It is important to help parents solve their problems and avoid complicating even more the existence of their children.
I think the government should reflect seriously before proceeding to second reading because the future of young Canadians is at stake.