Moved third reading of Bill S-249, An Act respecting national action for the prevention of intimate partner violence, as amended.

He said: Honourable senators, this day has been a long time coming, but I am extremely happy that we are finally here discussing and debating the third reading of my private member’s bill, Bill S-249.

As I was leaving my office in East Block last night, I was delighted to find the Peace Tower lit up in the colour purple. This was because, yesterday, the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence campaign began. November 25 is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. It will conclude on December 10, which is the international Human Rights Day. The 16 days of activism campaign calls for action against one of the world’s most persistent violations of human rights: violence against women.

The theme for the 2024 campaign is “Come Together, Act Now.” The 16 days of activism emphasize how crucial it is to involve everyone in Canada, particularly men and boys, in changing social norms, attitudes and behaviours that contribute to gender-based violence. It is also a call to action, urging all of us to recognize the signs of gender-based violence and to reach out for support for ourselves and our loved ones.

For the next 15 days, the Peace Tower will be lit by the colour purple. I would suggest that you take a picture and send it out on your social media to remind people of the epidemic that we are facing in this country today.

Before I continue with my remarks on the bill, I would like to take this opportunity to thank several people and groups that have played a major role in getting us to this stage in the process of making Bill S-249 the law of the land here in Canada.

The Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu once said, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

There is no doubt in my mind that the road that Bill S-249 has been on has been quite the journey, but that all-important first step began way back in January 2017 when I received a call from Georgina McGrath of the beautiful and picturesque town of Branch in St. Mary’s Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador.

Ms. McGrath was requesting a meeting to discuss the issue of what we then referred to as domestic violence. A short time later, I visited her home, and she told me in excruciating detail her story of what we now refer to as intimate partner violence, or IPV.

From that day on, I made a commitment to Ms. McGrath that I would work with her and others to see what we could do collectively to address this very real and important issue.

I’m delighted beyond words that she could join us here in the Senate of Canada today, along with her husband, Karen, her sister Kim and her niece Sarah as we discuss, debate and hear from others on Bill S-249 and hopefully get the opportunity to vote on third reading before we finish here today.

All the victims of intimate partner violence are not women, but a large percentage is. Therefore, during my remarks, I will reference women and girls many times, but it does not take away from the fact that there are many other individuals from every walk of life who are victims of intimate partner violence such as men, boys, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, members of the Aboriginal community and many others.

Throughout the past several years, I have met with in excess of 130 individual victims of intimate partner violence. I have held several round-table discussions with victims, family of victims, representatives of the federal and provincial governments, members of law enforcement, members of the justice community and many others.

I have visited women’s shelters in several different places in our country. I have had many discussions with many of you in this room and worked closely with the office of Minister Marci Ien to move this vital and important bill through our legislative process.

During those discussions with the minister’s office, it was agreed that Bill S-249 will carry the name of Georgina’s Law, and I was overwhelmed and delighted with this progress. It puts a personal touch onto this law. It gives the opportunity to others to learn about Georgina’s story, but also for them to find the courage to bring forward their own stories.

Similar to Clare’s Law, Georgina’s Law will hopefully make it across the finish line and become the law of the land.

I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every person who has been part of this, at times, frustrating process, but I am very grateful for where we are today.

We still have a long way to go to see it through the House of Commons process, but I sincerely believe that we will cross the finish line. While this piece of legislation will not stop intimate partner violence in its tracks, my hope is that at least one life will be saved and that, through our continued conversations on intimate partner violence, victims across our country will know that there is help out there, that there are people and services available to assist and that education is the key to success.

Throughout the past few years, many of you have spoken here in this chamber on my bill, whether it was the initial version, which I introduced in April 2018 — yes, I did say April 2018 — or the latest version of the bill, which had its first reading in our chamber on June 8, 2022. I look forward to hearing from several of you later this evening on third reading.

All of those who have spoken have added so much to the formation of the bill as it stands today and more so to the process of educating others on the very serious situation, serious crisis, the very serious epidemic our country and the world are facing today as it relates to intimate partner violence.

Intimate partner violence is behaviour used by one person in relation to control the other. Partners may be married or not married, heterosexual, LGBTQIA+, living together, separated or dating. Examples of abuse include name-calling or put-downs, keeping a partner from contacting their family or friends, withholding money, stopping a partner from getting or keeping a job, actual or threatened physical harm, sexual assault, stalking, intimidation. Violence can be criminal and includes physical assault, hitting, pushing, shoving, et cetera, sexual abuse, unwanted or forced sexual activity and stalking. Although emotional, psychological and financial abuse are not criminal behaviours, they are definitely forms of abuse and can lead to criminal violence.

Whether you were speaking on my bill or to the inquiry into intimate partner violence spearheaded by Senator Boniface, I have listened intently and learned so much and am very grateful to all of you for your continued support.

According to the World Health Organization:

Intimate partner violence has been identified as a major global public health concern, linked to intergenerational violence and detrimental physical, emotional and economic impacts on victims, witnesses and society as a whole.

More than 7 out of 10 victims — 71% — of police-reported intimate partner violence experienced physical force. Physical assault was the most common experience by victims of police-reported intimate partner violence, at 77%, followed by uttering threats, at 8%, and criminal harassment, at 6%. Police-reported data shows that spouses, current or former, and other intimate partners committed approximately 42% of violent crimes involving female victims; other family members and acquaintances accounted for another 43%. Police-reported family violence is defined as all types of violent crime perpetrated by a family member that was reported to the police.

Colleagues, while it may be difficult for some people to understand, studies have shown that 70% of any type of spousal violence is not reported to police. Many victims of spousal violence — and I have talked to many — experience severe forms of violence. Specifically, 25% of all spousal violence victims were sexually assaulted, beaten, choked or threatened with a gun or a knife; 24% of all spousal violence victims were kicked, beaten, hit or hit with something.

The 2017 StatCan information site on its Women in Canada: A Gender-based Statistical Report states that:

Females were over-represented among victims of sexual assault (88% of total incidents) and victims of “other sexual violations” (83% of total incidents) . . . . Other offences reported to police that were committed primarily against females included forcible confinement and related offences (79%), criminal harassment (76%), and making threatening and harassing phone calls (71%). All of the victims (100%) of offences under the “commodification of sexual activity” category were female. . . .

Rates of almost “all types of violent victimizations” were “higher for Aboriginal people.” Specifically, the sexual assault rate of Aboriginal people — 58 incidents per 1,000 people — was almost three times that of non-Aboriginal people, at 20 per 1,000, while the physical assault rate of Aboriginal people, at 87 incidents per 1,000, was nearly double that of non-Aboriginal people, 47 incidents per 1,000. Additionally:

Aboriginal females reported experiencing violent victimizations at a rate . . . 2.7 times higher than that reported by non-Aboriginal females . . . .

And then, we can never forget that 1,181 Indigenous women went missing or were murdered between 1980 and 2012.