As Parliament rises for the last time in 2024 today, we can’t help but be struck by how much is left hanging in the balance for children in Canada. With the dissolution of the Liberal-NDP supply and confidence agreement, the election of Donald Trump in the United States, and the resignation of several ministers, politics on Parliament Hill has shifted focusing on the political futures of one party and politician over another, and even the survival of this Parliament itself. What has gotten lost in the process is the tremendous amount of work still waiting to be done and the broken promises made to end violence against children in Canada and internationally.
There are two Bills in particular that risk falling victim to the present politics. The first is Bill C-273 An Act to amend the Criminal Code (Corinne’s Quest and the protection of children), a private member ‘s bill by NDP MP Peter Julien, which would ban corporal punishment. Bill C-273 is a direct response to Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action #6 and asserts that children are entitled to live in an environment free from physical punishment, violence, and fear. Canada has the obligation and duty under international law to respect, protect and fulfill human rights, labour and environmental norms and laws. You can follow the link to the study of the bill here: https://www.parl.ca/legisinfo/en/bill/44-1/c-273
At the first-ever Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children that took place in Bogota, Colombia on November 7-8, 2024, many countries pledged changes that would ensure that all children would live free from violence. As a pathfinding country on ending violence against children, the hope was for Canada to announce its repeal of section 43 of the criminal code, which violates children’s rights to protection, dignity, and physical security. However, this did not happen. If this Bill falls with the government, we’re sure to see another version in the next Parliament: close to 20 Bills have been previously introduced on this topic in the past. But in the meantime, Canada will remain one of the shrinking number of countries in which it is legal to strike a child.
The other Bill we’ve been watching closely is Bill C-63 The Online Harms Act. Introduced in February of this year and is currently at second reading, has been in the works since 2021 (closely related is Bill C-11, The Digital Charter Implementation Act, a crucial Bill introducing important child and consumer protections on privacy and the use of artificial intelligence, which has been on the table since 2022). Use of the internet is a part of most children’s daily lives, and can be a tremendous tool for them to learn, connect, and play. But those positives don’t come without significant risks. Children are being relentlessly targeted by algorithmic profiling and unchecked AI. Companies are intentionally designing social media to monopolise children’s attention and hold a massive sway over the self-esteem of millions of children in Canada, as a national child and youth mental health crisis only grows. The frequency and complexity of attempts to use the internet to sexually exploit children is also growing every year.
The internet has been in homes in Canada for well over three decades now, and children and their parents have largely been left to navigate these risks on their own. Unlike peer countries like the United Kingdom, Canada has so far failed to establish a legislative framework for protecting children’s rights and privacy online. Even if both of these online harm Bills passed tomorrow, it would still take many months for the proposed oversight mechanisms to come into effect. Further delay could mean that another generation of children will grow up using the internet without adequate protection. Safe, equitable access to the internet should be a right for all children in Canada. Neither of these Bills are a perfect solution–but they are a major step forward in making that a reality. As child rights advocates, we would like to see a greater emphasis on the positive right of children to access the internet and to have their views and rights given due consideration in discussions of internet regulation. We also think these Bills should require online service providers to adhere to internationally-agreed standards on child privacy, AI, and the use of surveillance and algorithms to profile children’s behaviours.
As we enter 2025, we are calling on all parties to work together to pass these Bills and send a clear message that children’s rights are a top priority for all parties. Further Bills are also pending including but not limited to citizenship rights and a National Strategy for Children and Youth. It will take a lot of determination and cross-party collaboration in the coming months to give these Bills the consideration they deserve. If we fail, it will be many years before some of these issues reach Parliament Hill again. For many children, that means growing up in a Canada that isn’t giving them their best chance to be heard, to survive and to thrive. A whole generation of children is counting on us!
Terence Hamilton and Hala Mreiwed, co-chairs of the board at the Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children.