Mr. Speaker, today I bring awareness to an issue that hits close to home. For the past two and a half years, my constituent, Stephen Watkins, has courageously been working to locate and bring back his two children who were abducted to Poland.
I want this House to know that Mr. Watkins is not alone in this fight. Since learning of the situation, Canadian consular officials have been actively engaging with local authorities in Poland, the provincial authorities, and the York regional police on this case.
Today, the minister of state announced the launch of an interactive consent letter for parents with children travelling abroad. This valuable resource is intended to make it easier for children to travel while preventing their abduction to foreign countries. The minister of state has noted:
Child abductions are among the most distressing circumstances for Canadian parents and are among the most difficult and complex cases faced by consular officials.
Our government stands with Canadian families at home and abroad. We take cases involving children extremely seriously. We will continue to work with our partners toward a positive resolution in the case of my constituent, Mr. Watkins.