SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — Support for Children

Honourable senators, I am honoured to rise for the first time in this new Parliament. While the Senate was suspended, I was given the opportunity to participate in parliamentary diplomacy and engage with parliamentarians from around the world. Perhaps the most common theme I saw and heard was the global plight of children.

Nearly one in five children lives in a conflict zone. According to UNICEF, since the start of the war in Gaza in 2023, at least 15,000 children have died. Tens of thousands have been displaced, and countless children will be left with permanent disabilities, amputations, PTSD and other mental health issues.

Food security organizations report that 93% of children in Gaza are at risk of famine while humanitarian aid continues to be blocked and disrupted. Children in Sudan and many parts in the Global South are also suffering from famine and malnutrition, resulting in stunted growth and death.

During Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, Russia abducted at least 20,000 Ukrainian children in areas under their control, although this number is likely much higher. These children have been assigned Russian citizenship and forcibly placed in Russian homes, and some will never see their families again. They have been stripped of their heritage, their language and their connections to their lands. Many of these children have been subjected to maltreatment, violence and sexual exploitation.

I cannot help but reflect on my own family’s experience. My father, like many other Indigenous children of his time, was taken from his home. He and others were stripped of their identity, culture and language. Because of my father’s experience with residential school, he never taught me Cree, and I live with the reality of that loss to this day.

I have shared some international examples of children suffering, but we as Canadians are not immune from these challenges. A new report from UNICEF ranked Canada nineteenth with respect to child well-being. Children continue to live below the poverty line and face food insecurity and inadequate housing, and Indigenous children continue to be removed from their families by child and family services at disproportionate rates.

So, colleagues, what can we do as senators? In my world, we often use the phrase “for the next seven generations.” How will my actions impact seven generations from now?

When we meet in this hallowed chamber, let us be mindful of how our decisions will impact children in Canada. Each time we meet in committee, let’s ask ourselves this question: How will this study or bill impact a child living in my community? Thank you.