Actually, the Government of Quebec recently mounted a campaign that is in line with the elder abuse prevention plan.
A telephone line was set up for referral purposes. Any senior in Quebec can call a single number if they feel they have been the victim of abuse. Their call is immediately transferred to the health and social services centre in their area. And right away, they come under the care of a social worker.
Last year, the Government of Canada also conducted a big media campaign for the prevention of elder abuse.
Obviously, it is an excellent initiative. Sometimes, elderly people have been abused for so long or do not even realize that what has been happening to them is abuse, so they do not report it. Seeing it on TV or hearing about it on the radio helps them realize what is happening.
The telephone line I am referring to is called the Elder Abuse Help Line. Last year, three times more calls came in than expected. So there is no doubt that these are excellent tools.
The new horizons for seniors program is a Canada-wide initiative that aims to prevent elder abuse. The funding for our senior aware program comes through new horizons for seniors. By the way, I brought some pamphlets that I could hand out later, if you are interested. Senior aware helps us educate seniors. In fact, we tell them what constitutes abuse. We also give them the necessary tools and resources if they feel that they, themselves, a neighbour or a friend is suffering from abuse.