Mr. Speaker, December 1 is World AIDS Day.
AIDS has been a part of our collective reality since the early 1980s. Who among us does not know or know of someone who has contracted the virus?
Every day some 11 people become infected with HIV in Quebec and Canada. Of course, the face of AIDS is changing, and today it is more closely associated with intravenous drug use. But make no mistake. When AIDS strikes, it strikes hard and indiscriminately.
That is why, on this occasion, I want to reiterate that prevention remains our best ally against transmission of the AIDS virus.
In addition, the network of community groups, which support, comfort and help those infected and their families on a daily basis, is the cornerstone on which we can base our actions and interventions.
To all those who are involved in this fight, I say a big thank you—