Mr. Speaker, while many of us were affected by the tragedy at École Polytechnique in Montreal 13 years ago, the real pain was and always will be felt by the families and the friends of the victims.
Violence against women touches every Canadian community. It takes away their dignity, breaks the strength of our communities and fosters unacceptable social attitudes and behaviours toward women.
I call upon all my colleagues and all Canadians to join in National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women to end the cycle of violence against women.