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e-1124 (Parental rights)

E-petition
Initiated by Étienne van Steenberghe from Montréal, Quebec

Original language of petition: French

Petition to the Government of Canada

Whereas:
  • for several decades we have been witnessing a shift in family models, with more and more families separating;
  • children have the right to spend equal time with both of their parents who love them and whom they love;
  • many studies show that children must spend as much time as possible with both parents to prevent relational disengagement;
  • it’s important to recognize the key role and commitment of each parent toward their child(ren);
  • the justice system often gives primary custody to the mother, if the parents disagree;
  • most parental conflicts involve the child’s care and, if care is shared equally by default, the parents could focus their energy on their child(ren) instead of on the conflict;
  • it would be necessary to rethink the situation to ensure greater balance (especially for shared parental time) between both parents, in the best interests of the child;
We, the undersigned residents and citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to update legislation dealing with divorce and parental separation so that:
- if the parents are able, shared custody be the default option for children if their parents separate;
- if geographic distance means that shared custody is not an option (and if the parents are able), any solution to ensure the most contact possible with the “non-guardian” parent be prioritized.
Government response tabled on January 29, 2018 (Sessional Paper No. 8545-421-193-01)
Open for signature
July 28, 2017, at 10:06 a.m. (EDT)
Closed for signature
November 25, 2017, at 10:06 a.m. (EDT)
Presented to the House of Commons
Sylvie Boucher (Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d'Orléans—Charlevoix)
December 4, 2017 (Petition No. 421-01933)
Government response tabled
January 29, 2018
Photo - Sylvie Boucher
Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d'Orléans—Charlevoix
Conservative Caucus
Quebec