---

I've been waiting patiently to see what this Government plans to do with the Law Reform Committee report on Bermuda's Family Law, carrying with it strong recommendations on how best to clamp down on deadbeat parents.

And I am happy to report that finally that report has reached Cabinet and is bound for the House of Assembly for consideration. It's about time.

I can't tell you how many parents - men and women - in the predicament of receiving no financial support from the other parent have come to me seeking advice or just a listening ear.

A lot of it has to do with choices they made, but the children are here, and they're costing an increasing amount of money for things we as taxpayers are not responsible for.

So let's talk about responsibility - in this case the responsibility of the powers that be to address this growing problem.

A vast number of the country's laws are antiquated. Family Law is just one area of many in need of reform. It is not the courts' job to straighten out personal relationships but that's what it ends up being in the case of feuding parents.

A figure I have yet to obtain is the total amount of funds in arrears due to non-payment of child support.

Way back in the '80s it was millions. And because that figure has yet to be made public, I am left to guess that it's still millions.

So now we have a government that has seen fit to fast track parental responsibility legislation while dragging its feet on the non-payment of child support issue.

Parliamentary debate

All this while businessmen and women who own heavy and light trucks must pay their payroll tax if it's outstanding before they can re-license their vehicle.

And yet nothing, to date, on the enforcement of court ordered child support payments. You can do it for payroll tax and nothing for the babies? Is that it? If that's the case I say shame on all of you!

Finally, there's going to be a Parliamentary debate on something we're already very late on. Under a raft of proposals, deadbeat parents whose payment is in arrears may not be able to get their passport renewed if they owe child support.

I say good; if you don't have money to sustain your child, you don't have money to go away. Right now we have a disproportionate number of women being arrested for non-payment of bills when compared to the arrests of their male counterparts.

And when you put mom in jail, what happens to the children? Are taxpayers paying for that, too? Do we need more bailiffs? Maybe we need court marshals equipped with the power to make arrests and not get paid until they appear in court. I know a few who could use the money.

I understand that MPs will debate not allowing people to re-license vehicles (apart from heavy trucks and light vans) if they have an outstanding child support bill. I say good. You have money to re-license your car or bike but you can't feed your child? I don't think so.

I commend the Government for having the foresight to implement the Child Care Allowance Programme. It is needed and it is a big help to those in need.

But, and there's a but - before baby gets to nursery, he needs a roof over his head, he needs food, and he needs Pampers!

The parents of these children - particularly the ones with large sums of money owed to them and who believe the powers that be have turned their backs on them - are voters too. And the question on their minds today, is 'what does my vote mean in terms of real help for them, their children and the day to day struggle to make ends meet'?

Three cheers for putting forward the recommendations contained in the Law Reform Committee Report on Bermuda's Family Law.

We pay for bailiffs who apparently cannot find deadbeat parents in 21 square miles. We have a new $600,000 computer system for the courts but we can't track down the people who owe the cash? What exactly are we as taxpayers paying government to do, or more accurately, not to do?

The system is obviously broken. On behalf of those feeling the brunt of it all I say fix it. You're already very late.[[In-content Ad]]

---