Madam Chair, I really wanted to speak tonight in this debate on violence against women because the fight to end violence against women is not just a women's issue.
I was moved by many of the testimonies I heard from my colleagues this evening. It is important that we make the fight to end violence against women a social issue, and we must ensure that everyone gets involved.
What prompted this debate, as we all remember, was the murder of not one, not two, not three, but seven women in Quebec in just over a month—seven women, mothers, who have left grieving children and loved ones behind. This kind of grief is difficult and unacceptable for a society like ours, which claims to be open and modern. Seven women were killed in just over a month, when the province normally averages about a dozen such murders a year, which is already far too many. To get the numbers out of the way, 160 women died as a result of violence in Canada in 2020, which is one woman killed every two and a half days. That is completely unacceptable.
I am sick and tired of this reality, which has only been aggravated by the pandemic. However, the pandemic did not cause this violence, which is present in so many men still today. It just exacerbated it.
After these events, today I called shelters back home to find out what was going on in the Mégantic—L'Érable region. I have been in regular contact with many of them for a long time. Since the beginning of the week, I have had a lot of questions about the people back home. When you live in a smaller community, word gets around when domestic violence occurs, and it is often blamed on a temporary fit of anger, emotion or whatever. Although surprising when they occur, these actions are then quickly forgotten because, unfortunately, far too many of us turn a blind eye.
I have been told that since the second wave of COVID-19 hit, the shelters are always full of women who have nowhere else to go. One of the shelters I contacted told me that it provides many services off-site because it does not have enough room. Incidents of violence are apparently becoming increasingly serious, and danger levels are rising. More cases are being reported to police, and I am told that action must be taken more quickly to get children to safety. I just cannot fathom it.
I cannot accept that a shelter that can usually accommodate people must turn them away for lack of room. Our office had to get involved with another shelter to help a woman who had problems with the system. I will not provide further details because our community is small, but it was a very difficult situation. I was also made aware of the difficulties posed by smart phones and social media, which some violent men use to monitor their partners 24 hours a day.
Obviously, these places want and ask for more money, but they especially want to see more prevention in schools, and not just starting at age 15 or 16. Even relationships among young people have the potential to be violent, and I was surprised to learn that similar behaviour can start at such a young age. We need to better educate our sons. Parents have a role to play. As a father, I have a role to play. Although my children are older, I want to do this for my grandchildren.
The legal process needs to be simplified. Enough with the lenient sentences that do not always reflect the severity of the crime committed. Sometimes, a thief will receive a harsher sentence than someone who assaults a woman, and this is completely unacceptable. Stakeholders are also calling for lawyers, judges, police officers, the directors of youth protection in Quebec, and the various stakeholders to work together. Greater awareness is needed.
I now want to talk to men and implore them to ask for help before hitting or controlling a woman. These men are not alone, and violence is not a solution. As men, we must always remember that love is not controlling and love is not violent. Love is supposed to be loving. We cannot confound the notion of domestic violence with love. Men do not express their love to women through violence.
If a man hears this message this evening, if he feels as though he is trapped in a straitjacket and he wants to talk, I would ask him to seek professional help or to call a friend but to please never again harm a woman.