Justice committee  First of all, repealing section 43 would send a message indicating that these things were wrong. Personally, I have known about this article since I was young, but most of the people around me do not. They have no idea. Even in the field of social work, we talk to people about it and they are surprised to learn that it still exists.

Justice committee  I don't believe that there will be any overrepresentation if section 43 were repealed. Will it enable us to do more on the prevention side or to draw a much more defined line to determine if force used on a child constitutes a violent act or if it is justified?

Justice committee  Apart from the legacy aspect, it's really about drawing a line to break the cycle of violence that has been established due to corporal punishment being meted out to children in Canada. Those values are still being passed on, because there is a very large grey area that allows that to happen.

Justice committee  Do you mean specifically in an indigenous context?

Justice committee  You have to go back to our colonial history to understand that contrast. According to the Augustine doctrine within Christianity, Catholics baptize children at birth because they are born in a state of sinfulness. When children are born, they are seen as bad with madness in their hearts that has to be beaten out with the rod.

Justice committee  First of all, I would say that it is a chicken-and-egg situation, where we try to determine which of the two comes first. If the right to use corporal punishment were removed, over time, children would be raised in environments that are less and less violent and would be less likely to engage in such behaviours as adults.

Justice committee  First of all, I think section 43 needs to be removed because of its legacy, because it justified the use of force to correct a child. Second, I'm a parent myself and I'm also a former correctional officer. My current life partner is a special needs teacher. So I am very aware of the reality of having children and the need to use force.

Justice committee  Actually, I was finished.

Justice committee  There are three things I would like to say. First of all, I was subjected to violence. Despite all the efforts I have made in my life, I am still scarred on the inside and this has had profound consequences. I have been diagnosed with mental health issues and my life is limited.

Justice committee  Thank you. My name is Marc Levasseur. I am Canadian by birth, descended from Western and Indigenous ancestors from the Algonquin and Mi’kmaq nations. As an adult, I was traditionally adopted by an elder of the Atikamekw nation, and I have been living in relation to the Wemotaci community since then.