Mr. Speaker, on May 8, 2007, 23-year-old Karine Méthot was struck and killed by a vehicle. As if that tragedy was not bad enough, her family soon found out through the media that the driver of the vehicle had eight prior impaired driving convictions.
Despite their tragic loss, Karine's family members have worked tirelessly to collect more than 23,000 signatures in support of stricter sentences for convicted drunk drivers.
Véronique Bélanger and Karine's family want harsher sentences to honour Karine's memory and the memory of other victims like her.
I am proud to be part of a government that is working to protect innocent people from drunk drivers.
When the Tackling Violent Crime Act comes into force on July 2, 2008, a person arrested for driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol will face stiffer sentencing.
Our government will continue to do whatever it takes to keep our streets and our communities safe.
In memory of Karine.