Parents in Canada have a right to raise their children in accordance with their beliefs, free from government interference.

The Canada that I grew up in was one where people had different opinions and weren’t afraid to share them. We believed different things about God, about family, about every topic under the sun. And we were free to believe and discuss them.

The last 5 years we have witnessed a rapid decline in our fundamental rights, including the rights to raise our children in accordance with our beliefs.

As Prime Minister, I won’t just stop government encroachment on Canadian families rights: I will enshrine them in a Parental Bill of Rights.

You should not be afraid that someone will report on you for having a difficult conversation with your children.

You should not be afraid of having conversations with your child about something they learned at school.

As well meaning as any public official or teacher might be, nobody will ever be able to love your children as much as you do.

Parents shouldn’t be worried about what the government thinks; the government is supposed to be concerned with what Canadians think.

As I have said many times during this campaign about so many issues, if we can’t discuss difficult issues, we will never solve them. The Government, through overbearing bills like C-16 and C-8, have made people afraid to speak.

This is not just about protecting parents, it is protecting children, who above all else need their parents to feel free to speak to them without fear.

We need to ensure that children have the ability to have healthy relationships with their parents, even in situations that involve divorce and separation.

Children need our protection. They deserve to live a life that is healthy, safe and free. But wherever possible, the government should be seeking to protect children through their parents, instead of from them.

Let’s build a Canada that is built upon strong families and healthy communities. Let’s get rid of the politics of fear that turn Canadians on each other. Let’s protect children by ensuring that parents are free to be their parents.