SJCA Committee Meeting
Notices of Meeting include information about the subject matter to be examined by the committee and date, time and place of the meeting, as well as a list of any witnesses scheduled to appear. The Evidence is the edited and revised transcript of what is said before a committee. The Minutes of Proceedings are the official record of the business conducted by the committee at a sitting.
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MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
(Meeting No. 30)
Tuesday, May 26, 1998
The Special Joint Committee on Child Custody and Access met at 9:30 o’clock a.m., this day, in the Nova Scotia Ballroom, Sheraton Casino Halifax, Halifax, Nova Scotia, the Joint Chairs, the Honourable Landon Pearson and Roger Gallaway presiding.
Members of the Committee present:
From the Senate: The Honourable Senators Erminie Cohen, Joan Cook, Anne Cools, Landon Pearson and Lucie Pépin.
From the House of Commons: Carolyn Bennett, Sheila Finsetone, Roger Gallaway, Eric Lowther, Peter Mancini and Diane St-Jacques.
In attendance: From the Research Branch of the Library of Parliament: Kristen Douglas, Research Coordinator.
Witnesses: As individuals: Dr. Gene Keyes; Steven Nelson and Brian Parsons. From Parents Without Custody: Nancy Chipman, Founder. From the Nova Scotia Shared Parenting Association: Rick Johnson, Director. From the Family Rights Association of Nova Scotia: William O'Neil, Executive Director. From the Dalhousie Legal Aid Services: Claire McNeil, Staff Lawyer; Elaine Gibson, Faculty Lawyer and Donna Franey, Director. From Reierson Sealey, Barristers and Solicitors: Angus Schurman, Family Law; Julia Cornish, Family Law. From Dalhousie University: Professor R. Thompson, Faculty of Law.
Pursuant to its Orders of Reference from the Senate dated October 28, 1997 and from the House of Commons dated November 18, 1997 the Committee resumed its study relating to child custody and access.
The witnesses made opening statements and answered questions.
At 12:15 o'clock p.m. the sitting was suspended.
At 1:18 o'clock p.m. the sitting resumed.
Witnesses: From Chrysalis House Association: Mary De Wolf, RSW; Ginger McPhee. From Transition House Association: Lyn Barrett, Executive Director of Cumberland County Transition House Association. From Mainland South Committee Against Women Abuse: Dr. Marilynne Bell; Glenda Haydon, Member. From the Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women: Patricia Doyle-Bedwell, Chair. As individuals: Keith Mattinson, RSW; Alan Vokey and Paul Parks. From University College of Cape Breton Children's Rights Centre: Katherine Covell, Director and Associate Professor of Psychology. From Annapolis Valley-Hants Community Action Program for Children: Pauline Raven, Regional Coordinator and Deborah Reimer, Advocacy and Support Worker. As individuals: Sharon Molloy, Darcy Gray and Carlo Martini. From Women's Centres CONNECT: Georgia MacNeil and Bernadette MacDonald. From the Islamic Society of North America: Jamal Badawi, Member of the Shura Council.
The witnesses made opening statements and answered questions.
At 5:30 o’clock p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.
CATHERINE PICCININ and RICHARD RUMAS
Joint Clerks of the Committee