MP Casson speaks to PMB Bill 252 during debate stage in the House of Commons.

OTTAWA - Today, Bill C-252, a Private Members’ Bill (PMB) sponsored by Lethbridge MP Rick Casson, became law after receiving Royal Assent from Governor General Michaëlle Jean at Rideau Hall. Bill C-252 establishes the terminal illness or critical condition of a divorced parent as a “physical change in circumstances” for the consideration of variation or rescission custody orders. In short, the bill will give divorced parents who are terminally ill or in critical condition the chance to see their children as long as such access is judged by a court to be in the best interest of the children concerned. First introduced in the House on May 4, 2006, C-252 successfully cleared the final legislative hurdle in Parliament on Tuesday when the Senate unanimously passed the bill through Third Reading in the Upper House. “It is a great honour to see this bill become law today after a year of Parliamentary review and debate. I believe that the unanimous support of both Houses reflects the bill’s balanced approach to providing some degree of relief for children and parents facing difficult circumstances,” said Casson. “Throughout all stages, I have had the honour of working with MPs and Senators from all parties who joined me in debating this issue and developing this legislation which will both clarify and enhance the Divorce Act.” Previously, there were no such provisions in the Divorce Act providing such access rights for parents who were terminally ill or in critical condition. Although Casson has undertaken PMBs in every Parliament since being elected in 1997, this is the first time that one of his bills has received Royal Assent. In the ten years that have passed since Casson was first elected, some 1,937 PMBs have been tabled in the House of Commons of which a mere 24 succeeded in receiving Royal Assent. Casson attributes the Bill’s success to all-party support that he was able to negotiate throughout the various stages of review, most notably at Second Reading in the House of Commons and at Third Reading in the Senate when the bill advanced with unanimous support. “It has been an honour to work on this bill and it is very satisfying to see it go the distance to become law today,” said Casson. “I believe that this bill illustrates the sort of effective and responsive results that cooperation through dialogue in Parliament can produce for all Canadians.”