Bill No. 95, Parenting and Support Act - 2nd Reading

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in support of this bill and to follow on the words of my colleague from Queens-Shelburne. As we were listening to the minister open debate on second reading, we were just having a little side conversation here and saying it's difficult to even listen to the contents of this, because we know that divorce is such a difficult time, even in the best-case scenario, if there is such a thing. So the easier you can make the parenting and support arrangements the better it is for everyone.

We are really pleased to see the consultations that went into this. To see the changes in this legislation, in any legislation, when it can be updated to reflect changing family structures and to centre the needs of children. We talk a lot about changing family structures, and we know often in this Chamber we are playing catch-up and here is a place where we are doing that and we are trying to do it. The government has done it, we would say in this bill, really with attention to the needs of the child, which is of course as it should be, and as it is in family law.

It also brings our Act into alignment with changes made by the federal government and, notwithstanding the consultation that was done, we certainly look forward to hearing from stakeholders at the Committee on Law Amendments and anything further they may have to say.