Its what id expect sheers office to put out. I may be mistaken, but they are crowing what they have done before, and current, and no word on supporting any changes or even to highlight areas of concern.

it's a white wash. Basically the system works as is. I want to reply but haven't figured out what to say yet. 

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Response from Andrew Scheer:


On behalf of Andrew Scheer, thank you for your correspondence regarding the Divorce Act.


We have reviewed your thoughtful perspective on the Divorce Act. Please be assured that Conservatives support the protection of the best interest of the child in divorce proceedings.


The Divorce Act contains numerous measures to protect and promote the presence of both parents in the lives of their children. The Act includes a maximum contact principle, which highlights that children should have as much contact with each parent as is in their best interest. The Act also stipulates that the failure of a parent to foster such contact is a consideration in access or custody determination.


The court focuses on the best interest of the child. Factors considered in the best interest of the child test under the Divorce Act include:


· A child’s physical well-being;

· a child’s emotional well-being and security;

· the applicant’s plan for the child’s education and maintenance;

· the child’s financial needs,

· the child’s religious and ethical upbringing;

· the parent’s understanding of the child’s needs;

· the child’s wishes (increases in importance with the child’s age);

· the benefit of keeping siblings together; and

· the bonding between a child and his caregivers.


The application of this test is fact driven. It focuses on the child’s needs rather than the parents’ rights.

Our previous Conservative Government provided significant funding to the provinces and territories for family justice services, such as parental education and mediation. We also renewed funding for legal aid with a 37 percent increase compared to the previous government. Please be assured that Conservative Members will continue to advocate for a strong partnership with the provinces and territories on family law issues. We want to ensure that these laws are as fair as possible to all parties, especially children.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to share your concerns on this important issue.

Sincerely,


Correspondence Unit

Office of the Leader of the Official Opposition
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1th contact email:





Good day Sir,

I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate you on your many achievements in politics and your desire to work for the people. I appreciate your use of humor while pointing out areas of concern.

One thing that I have yet to see mentioned by any party is the need for family law reform. In recent history there have been numerous studies regarding the importance of both parents in children's lives. It has been shown that children that lack the value of both parents, specifically a father, are more prone to substance abuse, difficulty in school or dropping out of school, the majority of youth offenders are from fatherless homes etc.

I am aware there is already a principle in legislation referred to as "tye maximum contact principle" however statistics show that, by a very large margin, custody is giving to one or the other (and the majority of those are the mother).

I am not questioning the role of a mother, however we as a society should not discount the importance of a father. Tye vital role he plays in teaching children to grow and develop in ways a mother may not be able to.

A child does not "belong" to either parent, and certainly not one moreso than the other based purely on gender. These statistics represent an old and outdated stereotypical family model that is very rare in today's society. It is not commoplace these days for tye father to work while the mother stays home. Today, with work, or maybe the father stays home, or you mat have 2 moms or 2 dad's, it could even be possible to have a dad or mom that used to be the other (Bruce/Katlyn Jenner).

The point is, unless there is an immediate and substantiated reason to limit a child's contact with one parent, the starting point needs to be a 50/50 shared custody relationship. It should be the children's right to have an equal relationship with both loving parents.

This would take, what is currently an adversarial situation and force a cooperation that is rare in a separation situation. When neither party has control it forces them to work together for the children's best interest and not their own.

These are just a few of the advantages of this type of system. I would very much like to see this as being a priority for my government.

This is something that is not discussed often but it should be. Think about the long term advantages. Children that are better developed whether thier parents are together or separate, less school drop outs, meaning better educated society, less strain on the welfare system, less youth crime, etc.

This is a worthy cause and I implore you to do some of your own research to verify what I have presented to you, and then I am confident that you will see the need for change.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I wish you good luck in the coming election.

If you wouldn't mind responding so that I know my words did not just go into a junk folder, that would be great.

Enjoy your day Sir.