Yes, I would agree with Mr. Lawton and his “hear, hear!” commentary.
I was speaking about support for an act to amend the Criminal Code regarding assaults against persons who provide health services and first responders. They said that workplace violence in health care is a serious and growing problem for organizations across Canada.
At St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, an academic health sciences centre, four health care workers are assaulted on the job every day. This health care system consists of facilities in Hamilton and also in Brantford. In fact, I was born at the St. Joseph's Hospital. It still stands to this day.
In recent years, racial and sexual assault are among the fastest rising forms of violence. Unlike in other workplaces, health care providers can't refuse service. That's important. How often have we, in our daily lives, gone to either a public establishment or a private establishment, even going through the drive-through—whether that be for fast food, Tim Hortons or Starbucks—and you are inevitably faced with a warning that harassment and verbal abuse will not be tolerated, will not be accepted and will constitute grounds for non-service. That's appropriate, because it's not just health care and frontline workers who are experiencing rising levels of violence.