(Ottawa) An NDP MP hopes the House of Commons continues to put partisanship aside to pass her bill to criminalize coercive conduct this week, after hearing hundreds of personal stories about domestic violence.
Posted at 8:16 a.m.
Stephanie Taylor
The Canadian Press
Laurel Collins says MPs from all parties have supported her private member’s bill, which aims to criminalize the types of behavior that experts say are used by abusers to isolate and instill fear in their victims.
“The House of Commons has become incredibly divided and this is an example of MPs putting aside their partisan politics to try to improve the lives of survivors and victims of domestic violence,” she said in a recent interview.
“That’s what politics should be.” »
Mme Collins, who represents the riding of Victoria, shared some of what her own sister endured when introducing her bill last November. She told how her sister arrived at her door in tears after her partner confiscated her mobile phone, bank cards and keys to try to stop her from leaving.
The congresswoman says she has heard from hundreds of others who have shared their own experiences or those of someone they love.
“The common thread I hear over and over is that survivors of coercive control and domestic violence don’t want this to happen to other people,” she related.
“It has been very moving to hear their stories and the devastating impacts this has had on their lives. »
Congresswoman Collins’ bill was amended following a study by a parliamentary committee earlier this year, which included testimony from legal experts and activists.
Insidious form of violence
It seeks to define coercive control as patterns of behavior ranging from threatening to use violence against a partner, or their child or pet, to attempting to control a partner’s work, appearance and behaviors. opinions.
Threatening suicide or self-harm was another behavior reported.
“It’s such an insidious form of violence,” said M.me Collins.
Many don’t recognize coercive conduct, and experts say it is one of the most common factors in cases of physical abuse and domestic homicide, she said.
The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police has previously stated that the laws used to prosecute domestic violence focus on physical incidents and do not allow police to intervene in cases of coercive control.
A widespread situation
Saskatchewan and Manitoba had the highest rates of police-reported domestic violence in 2022, according to Statistics Canada.
Federal statistics from 2018 show that 44% of women in relationships reported experiencing some form of violence from a partner.
Laurel Collins introduced her bill after fellow New Democrat Randall Garrison introduced his own private member’s bill two years ago.
She said she is working to gain support from other parties to speed up the process, in hopes it can be passed quickly and sent to the Senate.
