Honourable senators, I rise to continue the celebration of National Child Day in Canada. National Child Day is a celebration of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was adopted by the UN on November 20, 1989. By signing that convention, we committed here in Canada to ensure that every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential through respect of their rights.

More than just an international convention, it represents a statement of values for Canadians, one that we — as parliamentarians — must work hard to uphold.

As part of yesterday’s celebration, I joined with Senators Audette, Burey, Francis, Greenwood, Martin and Pate to host a breakfast along with UNICEF Canada and Campaign 2000. We were fortunate to have had a very successful event featuring our Honourable Speaker Gagné, as well as Saeed Babalola and Shennel Simpson, advocates from Campaign 2000 and UNICEF Canada, respectively.

We had about 150 guests yesterday, so next year, we’ll probably be looking for a new venue. Thank you to all colleagues who attended, and I want to especially acknowledge Senator Marty Deacon of Ontario, who led an impromptu seminar in the chamber for dozens of youths who attended the event.

To all the young people who joined us, you made the early morning worth it. Thank you for being with us.

In the afternoon I joined UNICEF Canada for a round table on health, along with other parliamentarians and officials. Once more, I was inspired by the youths’ thoughtfulness and hard work in advocating for the needs of children and youth in our health care systems. I am very thankful they shared their time with me.

Colleagues, National Child Day is a great opportunity to engage with children and youth, but it does not have to be only on that day. I encourage us to continue to reach out to young people in our communities, to ensure that their voices — the voices of children — and their rights are respected and upheld throughout Canada every day of the year.

Thank you, meegwetch.