The Tories are calling on the provincial government to take action in the wake of rising incidents of intimate partner violence.

Helen Conway Ottenheimer, the critic for justice and public safety, points to statistics from the RCMP for 2023 which show a staggering 51 per cent increase in the number of incidents from the year before. Not only that, but more charges are being laid by police.

The MHA for Harbour Main notes that 70 per cent of incidents involve repeat offenders, something which underscores the need for a comprehensive action plan. She told VOCM Open Line with Paddy Daly that such a prevention plan has not been in place since 2019.

“It’s important to have one because it will address supports for victims of violence, enforcement activities—it’s all encompassing which will address all aspects of the violence,” says Conway Ottenheimer.

She would also like to see gender-based violence addressed through education, starting as young as kindergarten.