Mr. Speaker, the scar left from December 6, 1989, has never fully healed. The pain, sadness, feeling of loss, and this waste of precious human life still weigh heavy on our hearts. Every December 6, all Quebeckers sigh together in sadness. This is our burden.
Before the tragic events at École Polytechnique, we thought that that kind of tragedy was impossible. We thought that equality between men and women had been achieved long before that. Those events were a cruel and brutal wake-up call. We have a duty to remain vigilant because that tragedy taught us that nothing can be taken for granted.
Today, December 6, we remember those women. We continue to condemn all violence against women with the same vigour and the same rage in our hearts.
We must never forget and never accept what happened; we must never allow the pain to disappear, and always ensure that December 6, 1989, never happens again.