Ms. Koutrakis, thank you for your tireless work and your very important question.
I completely agree with you. In the riding of Vimy, and elsewhere in Canada, there has always been spousal violence and violence against women.
However, during the crisis and the accompanying lockdowns, we've observed a tragic increase in such violence. The lockdowns were and continue to be particularly dangerous for women and children. That's why it was very important for our government to invest in helping women who were victims of violence to find a place where they could take shelter. This was very important and I'm proud of our efforts so far.
However, Ms. Koutrakis, I completely agree with you that we need to continue with this essential work. Everyone has made sacrifices during the lockdown, but some people have been put directly in harm's way. We have an obligation to help them.