Mr. Speaker, tomorrow marks the anniversary of one of the darkest days in Canadian history, December 6, 1989, when 14 young women were brutally murdered at Montreal's École Polytechnique, murdered for no other reason than they were women. This horrendous event has become a catalyst in the Canadian struggle to end all forms of violence against women.
Tragically today in Canada, 13 years after the event, young women are still not safe from violence. In fact, according to a study released this week, women under 25 who have separated from their partner are the most vulnerable, with the murder rate almost double that of other women at the hands of their domestic partners, appalling enough on its own. The horror of this is only surpassed by spousal murder rates for aboriginal women, which are eight times higher.
Personal safety is not a luxury. It is a right and it is a right that half the population of the country cannot realize because the government reserves it Cadillac innovation strategies for profit generation instead of basic needs.
Thirteen years later we are still asking, when will the government do what is necessary to secure the safety of Canadian women?