Election Kit - Sample Questions for Candidates

Care for the Vulnerable

God has established families and societies to provide physical, emotional and spiritual care for their members. According to the Bible, parents have primary responsibility for raising their children.

As Christians, we are also called to care for the vulnerable and to uphold human dignity. The Old and New Testaments include instructions to care for “the widow and the orphan,” those who were powerless and vulnerable in their society.

Canada is a signatory to the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights that affirms “[p]arents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their child.”

In 1993, Section 163.1 was added to Canada’s Criminal Codeand has established the world standard for dealing with the issue of child pornography. In March 2011 An Act Respecting the Mandatory Reporting of Internet Child Pornography by Persons who Provide an Internet Service became law.

In June 2010, Bill C-268, whichamends Canada’s Criminal Code by introducing a new human trafficking offence specifically addressing the reality of child traffickers, received Royal Assent and became law. The new law provides a minimum sentence of five years imprisonment for anyone convicted of trafficking a minor in Canada.

In October 2010, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Resources began a study of federal support measures for adoptive families. The committee heard testimony of the estimated 30,000 children awaiting adoption across Canada (a low estimate according to the Dave Thomas Foundation that compiled the data) and the fractured child protection and child placement systems that exist within each province and across the country, often making it easier to adopt a child from outside Canada than from within. Parliament was dissolved before a report was issued.

Some questions to ask on this issue:

• What steps will you take to ensure parents continue to be the primary decision makers in regard to the provision of care for their children?
• What will you do to ensure compliance with Canadian and provincial commitments to allow parents to choose the kind of education their children will receive?
• Do you support maintaining and enforcing the existing laws to provide greater protection for children?
• What new steps will you take to support the protection of children from abuse?
• What new steps would you propose to facilitate Canada’s waiting children being matched with forever families?