The Senate of Canada Standing Committee on Human Rights Hearings to

"Examine and report upon Canadas international obligations in regards to the rights and freedoms of children."

The Senate of Canada Standing Committee on Human Rights started hearings on December 13th 2004 to "examine and report upon Canada's international obligations in regards to the rights and freedoms of children."

November 3, 2005

Interim Report on Children's Rights by the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights

"WHOS IN CHARGE HERE?

EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTION OF CANADAS INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN"

[english html]  [english pdf] 790 kb)

Rapport provisoire Comit snatorial permanent des Droits de la personne

QUI DIRIGE, ICI?

MISE EN OEUVRE EFFICACE DES OBLIGATIONS INTERNATIONALES DU CANADA RELATIVES AUX DROITS DES ENFANTS

 [français html]  [français pdf] ( 816 kb)

April, 2007

Final Report of the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights

Children: The Silenced Citizens
 
EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF CANADAS INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN

html  pdf

Rapport final du Comité sénatorial permanent des Droits de la personne

Les enfants: des citoyens sans voix
 
MISE EN ’UVRE EFFICACE DES OBLIGATIONS INTERNATIONALES DU CANADA RELATIVES AUX DROITS DES ENFANTS 

html   pdf

From the third witness session of The Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights, dated November 18th, 2004 -

"...the Senate on Wednesday, November 3, 2004, to examine and monitor issues relating to human rights and, inter alia, to review the machinery of government dealing with Canadas international and national human rights obligations, respectfully requests for the purpose of this study that it be empowered to engage the services of such counsel, technical, clerical and other personnel as may be necessary."

The Canadian Children's Rights Council believes that a truthful complete review of the rights of Canadian children would be embarrassing to the government of Canada.

Interestingly, the issue of the lack of enforcement of Canadian children's rights is fast becoming the focus of the hearings.

The failure of the provincial, territorial and federal governments to provide for the rights of Canadian children is quite evident.

This committee's Deputy Chairman, who chaired the 2nd meeting of the hearings, is Liberal Senator Landon Pearson, Special Advisor on Children's Rights to Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs.

She was also the Co-Chair of the 1998 Special Joint Committee on Custody and Access.  The government of Canada and the provincial governments have done next to nothing to support the rights of children of divorce to an ongoing relationship with both parents after divorce. The Liberal government has, in our opinion , done nothing since the 1998 hearing which resulted because of some courageous Senators holding up passage of then Justice Minister Alan Rock's child financial support bill which made child financial support not taxable in the hands of recipients and removed any limits of child support.  It is the opinion of the Canadian Children's Rights Council that such unlimited amounts of "child support" ( the Canadian record is approximately $70,000 per month tax free ) undermine the authority of the support paying parent and have little to do with child support. These amounts just cause more fighting between parents to "win the prize of custody and financial reward".

Although the Special Joint Committee's report "For the Sake of the Children" called for punitive measures to be taken against parents disobeying court ordered residency schedules, no legislation has ever been passed since 1998 by the government of Canada regarding family law.  None has been announced (as of February 9, 2005).  The current criminal laws as provided for in the Criminal Code of Canada regarding criminal contempt of a court order or abduction by a parent are virtually never enforced by police anywhere in Canada.

Children's rights to their relationships with both parents in cases of divorce, separation or for parents who never lived together, have been ignored.

Highlights

Senate of Canada - Members of the Standing Committee on Human Rights - 38th Parliament

Hon. Raynell Andreychuk, Chair C (Saskatchewan)
Hon. Landon Pearson, Deputy - Chair Lib. (Ontario)
Hon. George Baker, - ; Lib. - (Newfoundland and Labrador)
Hon. Sharon Carstairs, Lib. - (Manitoba)
Hon. Marisa Ferretti Barth, - Lib. - (Repentigny - Quebec)
Hon. Marjory LeBreton, - C - (Ontario)
Hon. Rose-Marie Losier-Cool, - Lib. - (Tracadie - New Brunswick)
Hon. Donald H.Oliver, - C - (Nova Scotia)
Hon. Vivienne Poy, - Lib. - (Toronto - Ontario)

The Leader of the Government in the Senate, or, in the absence of that Leader, the Deputy Leader of the Government, and the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, or, in the absence of that Leader, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, are members ex officio in addition to the number of appointed members, of the Committee of Selection and all select committees of the Senate.

Hon. Jack Austin, ( or Rompkey, William ) Ex-officio- Lib.
Hon. Noel A. Kinsella, ( or Stratton, Terry ) Ex-officio CPC

Senate of Canada - Members of the Standing Committee on Human Rights - 39th Parliament, 1st Session

(April 3, 2006 -   )

Canadian Senate Human Rights Committee - 39th Parliament - 1st Session (April 3, 2006 -

April 24, 2005

Senator Sharon Carstairs stated:

"....we know that this is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the denial of educational opportunities to children in this country, whether it is because they have fetal alcohol effect, whether it is because they have autism, whether it is because they have attention deficit disorder, the whole gambit.

Those children are not given an equal opportunity within the Canadas education system. I recognize that education is a provincial responsibility.  No one recognizes that more than I.  I taught for 20 years.  However,  I also feel that we have a responsibility under our equality provisions to say that there are essential guarantees for Canadians, and they cannot achieve that guarantee if, at the first moment of  entering a school system, that guarantee of equality  is not recognized."       Senator Sharon Carstairs' website

Senator Nancy Ruth stated: 

"I wanted to continue also with the children's support.  I did not know if we were actually looking at it again and you have talked about how it will flow, but two of the issues that really concern me are issues that girls face are or can be fundamentally different from the ones that boys face.  I would like that to be somehow reflected in the report.  Also, the issue of children who live in single‑parent families, and how that is different from those who live in two‑parent families and others.  I am also curious to know, and you have raised the issue of Aboriginal children, how race is a factor in Canada around children's rights and should we be looking at that. 

The second idea that I am really keen on is that Allan Rock has been spending a lot of time picking up on Stephen Lewis's idea about a multilateral agency for women.  Rock is going to go and there will be a new guy in town and I would like to find out Rock has done, find out what we can do to support the new ambassador to the United Nations and encourage the idea of a multilateral agency for women with the strength, power budget staffing of something like UNICEF.  Senator Andreychuk has already talked about conventions.  This is a huge issue for me.  Canada does not do anything.  It needs its ass kicked." More ..

Senator Nancy Ruth's website