Mr. Speaker, between January and November of last year 193 women and 278 children took refuge in the Camrose Women's Shelter in my riding and home town. The number of women and children coming through the doors of this shelter and many others throughout Canada has been increasing yearly.
Last year the former Tory government commissioned a report on violence against women. The report listed a number of recommendations, one of which is a zero tolerance policy, violence is not accepted in any case.
As this is the International Year of the Family we all need to put a stop to the senseless abuse of women and children. Awareness and thinking are a start. However only a positive, collaborative effort on behalf of all government agencies and individual Canadians will protect the most vulnerable people in our society and re-establish the family as the cornerstone and mainstay of this country.
I concur with my constituents that we need action now.