Mr. Speaker, as all members are aware, this week the crime bill received royal assent. On average one woman is killed every six days in Canada, often with a firearm at home by someone she knows. The weapon of choice in most cases is a legally owned firearm and 80 per cent of the time the firearm is a rifle or a shotgun.
A study released this week estimated the economic cost of violence against women in Canada at $4.2 billion per year. The recent passage of new gun control legislation is an important step in dealing with the problem of violence against women.
Mrs. de Villiers, the president of CAVEAT, has requested that I thank the Minister of Justice and the government for passing the gun control legislation despite the often hysterical and ill informed opposition.
The new gun control legislation will help to reduce the scourge of violence against women. However it is only a first step. More needs to be done. The government has been providing valuable leadership but all parts of society must co-operate to eliminate violence.