AS reported in last weekend’s VOICE, one of the Bills down for consideration during today’s sitting of the House of Assembly is the Child Care, Protection and Adoption Bill, the purpose of which, among other things is “to provide for the care, protection and adoption of a child and to ensure that the child’s best interest is of paramount consideration.”
And it seems the Bill is set to receive support from both sides of the political aisle…
At last week’s Opposition press conference, Opposition Leader Philip J. Pierre was asked what his Party’s stance on the Bill was.
After stating that “The child protection Bill is not a creature of this government,” Pierre added: “When it will come to Parliament, we will debate it and make our contributions, but, in principle, we support it.”
External Affairs Minister Sarah Flood Beaubrun also spoke about the Child Care Protection and Adoption Bill before the most recent Sitting of the House towards the end of last month stating: “Whereas laws are needed to protect children, what we need to have is an environment in St. Lucia that facilitates respect for children.”
She added: “You can have all the laws in the world, [but] the laws come into play most times, after children have already been violated.”
The madam minister went on to suggest that “What we need to create is a culture that respects children, respects the rights of children, supports families [and] supports parents, so that children would not need to be in the situation where they need to be protected by the law.
“We don’t live in an ideal world.
“We will always need laws because there will always be abuses. But if we have an environment that creates a culture where children are respected, this is where we would have really made tremendous progress.”
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!.
Psalm 133 : 1.