Minister Carmant,
As you know, the Ex-Placé DPJ Collective’s mission is to involve young people in improving services and facilitating their participation in civic life.
We know that you are attentive to the actions of the Collectif Ex-Placé DPJ since you did not hesitate to support us financially. Moreover, we would like to thank you for your support and your listening. However, we were surprised to hear your statement on March 27, 2024:
“Talking to young people is not necessarily something that we have to do, it is not something that I myself want to do. We are talking about young people who are in Youth Protection. These are not young people we meet in the street, I think we really need to put things into perspective here. »
Allow us to express to you the paradoxical nature of your comments which left us perplexed.
According to Youth Protection Act (LPJ), the DPJ must offer the means that allow the child and his parents to actively participate in decision-making and the choice of measures that concern them and encourage the participation of the child and his parents as well as community involvement.
Few complaints come from children
Let us recall the observation made by the Special Commission on the Rights of Children and Youth Protection: there is a low rate of complaints coming directly from children. Many young people in care do not have residents’ committees and/or users’ committees in their region and few suitable mechanisms are in place to collect their comments or assist them in making a complaint. Young people are isolated and have little knowledge of their rights and recourse when their rights are violated.
For us, it is an aberration that an opposition MP can wait almost six months to visit the facilities of a youth center in his constituency and that he is refused access to young people in care.
This is what we experienced with Paul St-Pierre Plamondon in the case of the Mont Saint-Antoine Rehabilitation Center.
You are aware that politics is the art of defending the interests of all citizens. This is why the Collectif Ex-Placé DPJ congratulates the initiative of Bill 591 proposed by Québec solidaire. This extract from the bill is of particular concern to us, because it reminds us that the meeting of elected officials with the population is part of political functions:
“Considering that these visits (in public establishments) allow deputies to observe a situation, collect information and speak with users, occupants or members of staff of administrative institutions in order in particular to report cases of violation of the law or breach of ethics. »
Good governance and management of social services often require hearing the concerns of young people and professionals on the ground to better understand their reality. Meeting people is the very foundation of politics! Young people in youth protection also have the right to consideration and listening from their MP and minister.
Is it only during electoral campaigns that young people and citizens can meet their elected representatives? In any case, Bill 591 should not be limited to political games, but rather get us out of the institutional neglect that too many young people currently experience in youth protection.
Read “Christine Labrie will finally be able to visit the Val-du-Lac Youth Center”
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reference: www.lapresse.ca