Editorial

Ruling on the money

Ottawa Sun , Ottawa, Ontario, August 1, 2006

The Supreme Court of Canada rightly decided yesterday that divorced or separated dads who don't boost their child support to keep pace with their income could face hefty retroactive orders.

It seems like one of those rulings that shouldn't have to be made in the first place. After all, "child support" is just that -- money that goes toward paying the expenses associated with having a child.

It has nothing to do with the former spouse or partner and whatever may have gone wrong in the relationship.

However, experts say it's typically an argument over custody, or some other falling-out between parents, that triggers a battle over support money.

"We're talking about separated families, not people who are great at problem-solving," says Diedre Smith, the lawyer for four Alberta fathers challenging support awards imposed on them. "It's usually when something else is happening that the support issue gets intertwined."

Apparently, the four Alberta dads were dutifully paying everything they owed under the initial support orders made by the courts when they divorced or separated. But they never told their ex-partners their incomes had gone up and they could afford to pay Read More ..der federal guidelines.

So who suffers here? The recipient spouse, to some extent, as he or she scrambles to feed, clothe and shelter the kids. But it's the children who may be denied a better education or some other benefit who are the true victims.

Sure, we could set up a fancy system tying support payments to income tax filings, or we could continue to leave the onus on the recipient spouse -- usually the woman -- to duke it out in the legal system. Or we could just expect and hope that paying spouses can keep their focus on their kids, and not need the Supreme Court to remind them of their responsibilities.

And another thing ...

Some government watchers are trying a bit too hard to make something out of some relatively minor pay raises for senior government officials and heads of Crown corporations announced by the Tories on their website last week.

Critics argue the raises were too "quietly stated."

Do pay hikes ranging from 1.1% to 3% -- not far off the rate of inflation -- really warrant a trumpet call? Probably not.

What the issue does flag to this rookie government is how the goals of accountability and transparency could be Read More ..ippery fish than they'd bargained for.