Mr. Speaker, today is a day of national mourning and remembrance for the 14 young women whose lives were cut off in mid-stride six years ago for one reason only: they were women.
As we mourn we should be mindful that over 50 per cent of women in Canada, one in three in B.C., are the object of physical, mental and emotional violence. Battered body and soul, living with chronic helplessness and pain, it is a legacy of bitterness that they pass on to their children, Canada's children.
As parliamentarians, women or men, Liberal, Reform or Bloc, we have a duty to stop this endless nightmare that so many women endure as an excuse for living. The Minister of Justice, the Minister of Health and the Secretary of State for the Status of Women have shown clear leadership on this issue but it is not enough.
We must mobilize our communities, the media and businesses. We must make this issue a cause nationale. Violent crimes cost this country over $4 billion a year in money but the real cost in terms of human life and hope is immeasurable.