Honourable senators, today I rise to acknowledge an outstanding Canadian and former senator, the Honourable Landon Pearson. While in the Senate for 11 years, the Honourable Senator Pearson worked tirelessly on behalf of children and youth everywhere, so much so that she became fondly known as the “children’s senator,” or the senator for children.

Well-known to many Canadians and around the world as a champion for children’s rights, she also held the roles of vice-chairperson of the Canadian Commission for the International Year of the Child in 1979, and again president and chair of the Canadian Council on Children and Youth in 1984.

Following her retirement in 2005, Senator Pearson launched a resource centre in Carleton University to promote the rights of children and youth. I had the great pleasure of sitting down with Senator Pearson earlier this week at Carleton University. Her passion remains as strong as ever and her insight as invaluable. This year, she celebrates her ninetieth birthday and she continues to work fervently and with complete devotion to uphold the rights of children. Her legacy has been inspiring and will be enduring.

Honourable senators, Canada is home to 8 million children. As senators, our role is to work on behalf of those who do not have a voice through our normal political channels. I want to acknowledge that many of you in this chamber have done just that.

We have had many accomplishments, but much remains to be done. Canada has been steadily dropping in global rankings with respect to the well-being of our children. One in three do not enjoy a safe and healthy childhood, and half of the First Nations children live on reserves in poverty.

Senator Pearson and I spoke of the need for an independent voice for the rights of children and youth, someone who would uphold the rights of children according to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, someone who would support Indigenous communities in taking care of their children and youth according to their culture, spiritual value and Indigenous law, someone who would hold the federal government accountable to its responsibilities according to the convention ratified here in 1991.

Honourable senators, the commissioner for children and youth would be an important step in fulfilling Canada’s responsibility as a leader for human rights. As I work toward making this office a reality in line with Senator Pearson’s legacy, I hope I can count on your support and wisdom as we seek to make Canada the best place in the world for a child to grow. Thank you.