Petition to the house of Commons
To accelerate vital change in Canadian federal law, the Canadian Campaign for Equal Shared Co-Parenting has launched an e-petition to the House of Commons. This initiative is sponsored by the Honourable Member of Parliament Larry Brock for Brantford—Brant.
Your signature matters! Once this petition reaches 500 signatures, the federal government is obligated to provide a public written response within 45 days. The more signatures, the clearer the signal to the government that Canadians are ready for change. The petition was launched on July 16th, 2025 and we have until November 13th, 2025 to collect as many signatures as possible.
Please read the petition below and join us in bringing about this critical change. Add your name and be part of the solution!
Text of the Petition
Whereas:
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Extensive and consistent social science research shows that children of separated or divorced parents experience significantly better physical, emotional, social, and academic outcomes when they spend equal or near-equal time with both parents, barring safety concerns;
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Many countries with strong equal shared parenting legislation report improved child and family outcomes, including reductions in parental conflict, litigation, and domestic violence;
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In Canada, public opinion polling since 2007 has consistently shown that 70% or more Canadians—across all genders, regions, and political affiliations—support legislation that establishes a presumption of equal shared parenting in child custody matters; and
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A rebuttable presumption of equal shared parenting allows for judicial discretion and ensures that exceptions can be made where it is not in the best interests of the child due to abuse, neglect, or other safety concerns;
We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the House of Commons to amend the Divorce Act to establish a rebuttable presumption of equal shared parenting—defined as joint decision-making responsibility and equal or maximized practicable parenting time—is in the best interests of the child, except where evidence demonstrates that such an arrangement would not be appropriate due to concerns for the child’s safety or well-being.
Important note: for your signature to count, you must complete the verification step using the link in the email you will receive after you fill out the form.