Thank you so much.
First and foremost, give organizations that work with survivors of violence epidemic-level funding and make it ongoing. This came out of the recommendations from the Mass Casualty Commission. If a person who is experiencing coercive control has access to a safe place to escape to and can bring her children and her pets with her, then that is one of the first hurdles. I understand that this bill cannot require funding to be brought forward, but I do think that is an important piece of this discussion.
If you want to bring awareness to what is known as coercive control, then start a very public campaign about it. Teach children about it in school. We need to start early.
Provide financial supports and training—all of the people who have appeared before you have spoken about training—and employment opportunities for people who are escaping coercive control.
Provide adequate funding for legal aid lawyers and legal aid certificates, so that lawyers who are representing criminalized survivors of coercive control can tell their stories.
Finally, we should be utilizing the defence of coercive control much more than we are criminalizing coercive control.
Thank you.