Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to speak today about a very significant and disturbing issue here in the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, family violence continues to plague our Territory. In 2010 there were 640 reported incidents of spousal assault. This is 20 percent higher than last year and, incredibly, 107 percent higher under this government’s watch than it was four years earlier, in 2006.
A parliamentary committee recently visited the Northwest Territories to discuss abuse against Aboriginal women. The root causes of abuse should come as no surprise to Members of this House: poverty, addiction, poor housing situations and a lack of services in our smaller communities.
Mr. Speaker, I know our government is live to the statistics. We have developed action plans, we’ve brought in the Protection Against Family Violence Act back in 2005 and we were spending millions of dollars in an effort to lower the incidence of family violence. However, if we are doing all of these things, why do the numbers continue to climb? Why do we have five times the national average of violence against women?
We have only five family violence shelters to serve our 33 communities, Mr. Speaker, and our shelter usage rate is four times the national average, even despite the travel factor to get to these shelters.
I’d like to share some further evidence that we need to take immediate action. We have the highest crime rate in Canada, the second highest rate of violent crime in this country. In 2008, close to 70 percent of all adults in custody in the Northwest Territories were sentenced for violent crimes compared to 49 percent in 2001-2002; a staggering 43 percent increase over seven years.
As if the statistics are not bad enough, it seems in the Northwest Territories perpetrators of family violence continue to get woefully inadequate sentences. For example, how could an individual with over 40 prior convictions -- almost half of them of a violent nature -- beat up his partner and get five months in jail? What message does this send to the victims and what message are we sending to people out there inflicting violence in the home?
I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
The Northwest Territories is in desperate need of more awareness and education about family violence. Later this week I will be highlighting V-Day, a global movement to stop violence against women and girls.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
