Mr. Speaker, this week is the YMCA Week Without Violence, an occasion for all Canadians to become more aware of the consequences of violence in our society.
A variety of themes will be addressed in the week's activities, including eradicating bullying and creating more peaceful communities.
Canada may not be one of the most obviously violent of countries, but according to Statistics Canada, there are more than 300,000 violent crimes annually. As well, family violence drove close to 90,000 women and children to emergency shelters last year.
The federal government has taken several steps to help eradicate violence in all of its forms, in particular the legislation against organized crime, firearm registration and the prevention of delinquency.
I encourage all of my colleagues to join in this movement to find lasting solutions to violence, for the good of our communities.