Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt that people wanting to work with Canada's most vulnerable populations must be thoroughly screened. None of us would entrust the care of our children or failing parents to anyone whose background had not been thoroughly checked.
That is why vulnerable sector screening is now required for teachers, social workers, taxi drivers, daycare workers, sport coaches, and many more.
However, instead of supporting these people who are providing a valuable service to our community, the screening process is so under-resourced that all too many are losing their jobs and losing their interest in becoming volunteers.
In my office alone, I heard about someone who lost his job at a nursing home because his VS check took too long to meet the employer's needs. In another case, the provision of residential care for autistic children is on hold because of delays in processing. For some volunteers, the 120 days it now takes to get a reply means that the sports season is over before he or she is cleared to coach.
That is simply unacceptable. This is not rocket science. The backlog is due to a lack of resources. If the government is going to implement a new policy, it must provide the means to carry it out effectively. Canada's most vulnerable deserve nothing less.