Last week I took the opportunity to inform you about the ‘National Election for the Rights of Youth’ and how this vote is another step towards the government directing parents on how to raise their own children. This week I want to offer a constructive alternative, which I hope you will give me some feedback on.

The government’s Child Rights vote asked children to choose from a list of ten rights the one they think is most important. By doing this, the government gives the impression that rights are automatically bestowed on everyone without having to meet any responsibilities. In order to conduct this election the federal government used the excuse that they were educating children on our electoral process. By the way, education is a provincial responsibility.

The biggest concern I have with the Child Rights vote was that only rights were discussed. Rights should not be discussed without first discussing responsibilities. One of the reasons the fabric of our society is eroding is because we focus on our rights. Our cherished rights and freedoms will disappear if equal emphasis is not also put on our responsibilities. Focusing on responsibilities first would affect the quality of life in our society. When people make decisions their choices would not just be based on the fact that something is their right or entitlement.

Would it not be more productive to promote positive responsibilities that children must adhere to? Instead of voting on a list of 10 rights our children should have been given a list of responsibilities for them to study and discuss.

Below is a list of 7 responsibilities that children could have reviewed. Is any one of the following responsibilities not important for our children?

• You have the obligation to obey parents, teachers, policemen and others in authority.
• You must respect the property of others.
• You must respect the beliefs and cultures of those around you even if they are different.
• You must respect the life of others and their right to pursue their dreams and aspirations.
• You have an obligation to be truthful in every circumstance.
• You have the responsibility to maintain integrity in intimate personal relationships.
• You should set time aside to spend with family and reflect on the most important aspects of life.

Students could then be asked if there are other responsibilities that are not mentioned and explain why each obligation is important?

One of the main problems I have identified in my work as a Member of Parliament is there are legal documents which describe the rights of a Canadian Citizen in great detail, but no legal document which describes our responsibilities. For example, Section 6 of the Citizenship Act states that Canadian citizens are subject to all obligations, duties and liabilities, but it never mentions what they are. Consequently, year after year, Canadians are becoming more and more preoccupied with their rights. This creates an unhealthy focus on entitlements in our society.

In my opinion, our communities would be better to live in if we focused less on our rights and concerned ourselves more with our responsibilities to those around us. Giving of ourselves beyond the minimum obligations listed above would create a society with fewer problems. We are depriving our children of the joy of living by focusing on rights rather than responsibilities. Obligations give meaning to life and make for a positive lifestyle. If we continue down this road of discussing rights rather than responsibilities, will we not develop an even larger legal system and big government to defend those rights?

Human rights are not something you select from a menu nor are they something given to us by government. Rights naturally belong to all citizens that meet their responsibilities to society. Our government’s recent actions with the "Child Rights" vote gives Canadians the impression that the state is the one who awards people their rights and freedoms. This is completely backwards. In a democracy, government is given the power to govern by the people and we must be constantly vigilant to keep government in check.

I hope this has given you some food for thought. We wrestle with these issues in Parliament and your thoughts on this issue would be greatly appreciated. Please write to me at: