Bill No. 104 - Interjurisdictional Support Orders Act. - 2nd Reading

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : I'm pleased to rise and speak to this bill. Changes in the Act that facilitate the process of obtaining child or spousal support across jurisdictions are, of course, welcome. In 2018, the Auditor General found that recipients of court-ordered spousal and child support payments in Nova Scotia were owed $60 million in unpaid amounts over the lifetime of the province's program. There have been some improvements in the Department of Justice since that report, but Nova Scotia still has the highest child support arrears rate in Atlantic Canada, $52.7 million owing in arrears.

As we look at changes to this legislation and what more needs to be done, we must keep in mind that barriers to obtaining child or spousal support are also a significant contributor to the feminization of poverty and the reason why so many women and families persist in poverty-like conditions. We look forward to learning more about this bill at the Law Amendments Committee, and we are happy to have the opportunity to speak more at third reading.