Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member opposite for giving me the opportunity to restate the commitment of the Government of Canada to addressing this important matter, as expressed most recently in October's Speech from the Throne opening this current session of Parliament.
The government is deeply concerned about the disproportionate level of violence faced by indigenous women and girls in Canada and about the disturbingly vast number of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. This concern is shared by Canadians from coast to coast to coast and I am sure by members on all sides of this House.
Simply put, it is unacceptable that any women or children in Canada should have to face violence in the course of their daily lives. I stand here now to say that using violence against another person is wrong. As parents, we tell our children to find better ways to express anger and frustration. It is even less acceptable when adults who have not learned to take responsibility for their own needs and emotions seek instead to take them out on someone more vulnerable.
I fully agree with the member opposite that concern and words alone are simply not enough. More needs to be done to build on the important work of awareness and prevention of this problem. Public awareness campaigns like “Don't Be That Guy”and “Be More Than a Bystander” and other demonstrations of leadership on this issue, such as the personal pledge to live violence free taken by the chiefs of the Assembly of First Nations, emphasize that there can be no observers in this struggle. Everyone has to play a role in ending violence.
The Government of Canada is keenly aware that leadership through action is needed before more lives are lost and more families and communities are devastated. The government has answered that call for leadership in four ways.
First, using violence against another person is more than socially unacceptable and morally reprehensible; it is a crime. As part of its responsibility for the criminal law in Canada, this government has made a number of changes to ensure that offenders are held accountable for their crimes against others. For example, amendments made by the Safe Streets and Communities Act promote safety and security to ensure that criminals are held fully accountable for their actions through increased penalties for violent crimes, restrictions on the use of conditional sentences and house arrest for serious and violent crimes, and increased penalties for child sexual offences.
Next, the member opposite asked if the government will support the plan of the opposition to take concrete action to end violence against indigenous women.
I would remind the House that the government already announced a plan to take concrete action in this area in October 2010 with the seven-step strategy, totalling $25 million over five years, to reduce violence against indigenous women and children and to increase community safety as a criminal justice priority.
The current strategy ends in March of next year, and the government has already announced its intention to make renewed efforts in this area.
The current strategy has produced some significant results. They include, first, a new national centre for missing persons and unidentified remains, responding to a resolution of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police asking for federal leadership. The centre has done an incredible amount of work to help improve police responses, launch a new national website to encourage tips, and much more.
Second is extensive work with aboriginal communities toward the development of community specific safety plans. Third is support for culturally appropriate victim services in seven provinces and territories, including for families of missing and murdered aboriginal women. Fourth is support for awareness activities by community organizations and for novel approaches aimed at reducing the vulnerability of indigenous women and girls.
Last is a new online resource for aboriginal communities looking to address specific challenges, which highlights some of the more innovative measures to reduce violence, designed by aboriginal communities in Canada.
These targeted actions were based on recommendations from many of the more than 45 studies, commissions, inquiries, and other reports that already exist on this issue and that emphasize the need for action. These studies and inquiries also form the basis for other work, including significant investments by the Government of Canada over recent years to address some of the underlying factors identified as the root causes of greater vulnerability to violence, including economic development, education, family violence programming, policing, and other relevant areas.
The concrete actions in the October 2010 announcement also complement other coordinated action taken by federal, provincial, and territorial partners working with aboriginal people and other stakeholders. For example, a dedicated police task force has been established in several jurisdictions to address unsolved murders, such as Project Evenhanded and Project E-PANA in B.C., Project KARE in Alberta, and Project Devote in Manitoba.
