Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My statement today reads, Bring my children home. You and your husband separate and you get legal custody of your two children. You agree that your husband can take the children to his homeland, which is the Czech Republic, for a year to visit his mom, who is sick. After a year is up he refuses to bring your children home. You contact the RCMP, who lay charges of abduction and the only legal standing is in Canada. You contact the politicians to see if they can help, only to be told that it is a civil matter. You write to your children and they say we want to come home. Roberta Vaneltsi is a Gwich'in from Fort McPherson who resides in Whitehorse. She is the daughter of William and Joanne Snowshoe of Fort McPherson.
In 1994, she and her former spouse, Peter Currey, were awarded joint custody of their two children, Oman and Pierre, by the Order of the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories. The Order also contained a special provision to allow Mr. Currey to take his children to the Czech Republic for one year. He was required under Canadian law to return the children to their mother as of July 15th, 1995. He has informed Roberta that he is not intending to bring the children back to Canada. The children are Canadian citizens and Roberta is also a status Indian who has not seen her children for three years. Oman is 11 and Pierre is eight. I would like to note that his birthday is January 20, basically, his birthday was two days ago. He just turned 11.
The Czech Republic does not fully recognize the legal -- under the International Child Abduction act and the Canadian Court Order to the Czech authorities. The Yukon Department of Justice has intervened. Mr. Speaker, can I have unanimous consent to conclude my statement?