Mr. Speaker, this weekend Winnipeg mourned the death of Erin Pawlowski, a 35-year-old man viciously beaten on his way home from work who later died from his injuries, a man known as a north end angel.
In coming face to face with his family, I shared the community's outrage at his senseless death and renewed our pledge to do whatever we can to prevent others having to face similar tragedies.
That is why my NDP colleagues and I have been actively working in Parliament supporting and improving measures to strengthen our crime fighting ability on such matters as conditional sentences, mandatory minimums, DNA identification, street racing, money laundering, impaired driving, and reverse onus for bail in weapons offences.
That is why the NDP has been fighting for a balanced approach and demanding action on prevention, policing and punishment, recognizing that in fact Conservative cuts to prevention programs are absolutely counterproductive to building safe and secure neighbourhoods.
That is why we in the NDP will hold the Conservatives to account for their promise to add 2,500 new front line police officers across this country without offloading this responsibility onto the provinces.
The NDP will continue to fight in Parliament and in our ridings for solutions to make ordinary Canadians feel safe in their homes and in their communities.