Mr. Speaker, as we have seen in recent weeks there is a growing concern that our safe and peaceful communities are being threatened by crime.
To properly address this issue, I believe that we must examine the root causes of crime. Poverty, child abuse, underfunded social services and low levels of education are all issues on which we as a government must focus our attention.
Many of us have groups in our ridings which work toward crime prevention through public education. We must offer our support to these organizations and their efforts to prevent crime in our communities.
The Minister of Justice has stated that we will create a national crime prevention council as part of our integrated strategy for crime prevention.
I urge all members of this House to support this action. Only by addressing the underlying causes can we effectively deal with crime in our communities.