On February 10, 2022, Québec Ombudsperson Marie Rinfret sent a letter to the Chair of the Committee on Health and Social Services, Mr. Luc Provençal. In it she commented on Bill 15, Act to amend the Youth Protection Act and other legislative provisions.
The Québec Ombudsperson applauds this bill. As she sees it, it opens the door for numerous youth protection advances. However, she pointed out that it will not be easy to implement the proposed changes. Certain problems could hamper their application, namely:
- The legal interpretation of the principle of the child’s interest, which, because it differs depending on the region, hinders uniform practices;
- Deficient parental support due, among other things, to the difficulty accessing services and to high staff turnover.
The Québec Ombudsperson also weighed in on the aspects of the bill concerning First Nations and Inuit. She welcomes the will to integrate the viewpoints and realities of Indigenous people within the various youth protection practices. However, Ms. Rinfret said she was worried about the fact that it will be difficult to put the new provisions into practice. She brought up the issues raised by the Viens Commission, among other concerns. Indicating that the approach must be one of respect for First People’s rights, culture, traditions and skills, the Québec Ombudsperson made two recommendations in this regard to the Committee on Health and Social Services.
Letter by the Québec Ombudsperson concerning Bill 15 (PDF, 201 KiB, in French only)
