All right. This will be a recorded vote.
Okay, we have a tie. I have to tell you, I searched every single piece of this thing to see if the chair really did have to vote. I think it is a difficult issue.
I don't have to give you the reasons why I vote the way I vote, by the way. I like to do it because I like people to know. I always have a reason for what I do; I work it out in my head.
On the weekend I received a personal call from Suzanne Laplante-Edward, who is the mother of Anne-Marie Edward, one of the women killed in the massacre. This woman is 70. She was 50 years old when her daughter was killed. She begged me—she sent a letter to everyone in the House—as a mother and as a woman and as a parliamentarian, to please ensure that this law that was passed on December 5, 1995, remains.
I will give you her words, which she said to me very clearly. She said she wanted me to repeat them. She said, “Nothing will bring my daughter back, nor the daughters from other families who were killed. We know this will not bring them back. But we believe this law will stand as a memorial and a testament to support and protect mothers, daughters, grandmothers, sisters, and nieces who are threatened in the future: women who are going to be killed purely because they are women. This was meant to be a legacy so that our daughters did not die in vain.”
I believe it would be very difficult for me to vote against this motion. I have read the statistics. I spoke to Madame Laplante-Edward personally. I was very moved by what she said. As she said, nothing will bring her daughter back. The statistics did say that since that bill was passed there has been a one-third decrease in the number of women killed with guns in this country. She said, “It doesn't matter if it saves only one woman. I think it is important.”
I believe I will have to vote for the motion in honour of Madame Laplante-Edward and the families who wish to see this become a legacy for their children.
(Motion agreed to: yeas 6; nays 5)
The motion is now passed, and we can enjoy the food.
Those who want to call adjournment, please do so.
Ms. Duncan moves it.
The meeting is adjourned.