Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to the minister for being here today.
I know you're well aware that we're in the midst of the international campaign of 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. That began on November 25 with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. It encompasses tomorrow, which is our own National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, when we're called upon to remember the mass shooting at Polytechnique Montréal.
Mr. Minister, twice, the justice committee has unanimously recommended that the government bring forward legislation to make coercive and controlling behaviour in intimate partner relationships a criminal offence. Two years ago, I introduced a bill to do so, which would recognize that coercive and controlling behaviour is a form a violence, and allow victims to get assistance from the legal system at an earlier point, before there's physical violence.
Frankly, Mr. Minister, your government's response on this has been disappointing. My question is very direct. Let me ask you this.
Can we expect such legislation in this Parliament?