Justice committee  Thank you very much for the question. I appreciate that you're bringing in the best interests of the child. First of all, I would say that parental rights are not in conflict with children's rights. Parents have a duty and they are responsibility bearers. They need to uphold children's rights.

Justice committee  It's a frustrating one for me too. I believe when we tell children that corporal punishment is still legal in Canada, we're saying that their humanity is valued less than that of adults, that our convenience trumps their rights, that they have to bend their self-expression to the will of adults.

Justice committee  Sure. Children are rights holders under the convention and also under Canadian law. We don't allow for any other group in Canada to legally face violence in the home, but we do for children. This is a gross violation of children's rights. I'm here to remind all of you that you represent constituents who are under the age of 18 as much as you do the adults, even if they can't vote.

Justice committee  Thank you so much, Madam Chair, for having me today to speak about Bill C-273. I'm so sorry not to be there in person. Instead, I'm calling from Toronto, which is on the traditional lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit—

Justice committee  In these opening remarks, I’m going to speak about why Bill C-273 is an important step toward Canada meeting its international human rights obligations. This colonial law allowing corporal punishment dates from 1892 and is a clear violation of children's protection rights, yet it remains in the Criminal Code.