A new bill wants to criminalize ‘coercive’ conduct in Canada. What is it?

Controlling or coercive behaviour between partners is being explored as a criminal offence in Canada amid growing conversations and awareness of domestic abuse.

A private member’s bill, C-332, brought forward by New Democrat MP Laurel Collins reached its second reading in the House of Commons Thursday.

Both the Liberals and Conservatives have said they would support this bill that seeks to amend the Criminal Code, criminalizing conduct that has a “significant impact” on a person, including a fear of violence, a decline in their physical or mental health or a substantial adverse effect on their day-to-day activities.

“Coercive control is an insidious and often ignored element of intimate partner violence,” said Collins at a news conference in Ottawa Thursday.

“It is a way in which partners are controlled or are prevented from leaving,” she said, adding that “coercive control disproportionately impacts women.”

But Canada’s Divorce Act defines it under family violence as a “pattern of abusive behaviour people use to control or dominate another family member”.

Examples of such behaviour include choosing a partner’s clothing, controlling their money, or not letting them work or see friends, according to the Department of Justice.

The bill, which still has to pass through the House of Commons and the Senate before it can become law, is modelled after similar laws in the United Kingdom. |Read more https://globalnews.ca/news/10084970/domestic-abuse-coercive-control-bill/| globalnews.ca/news/10084970/do…

#cdnpoli #coerce #abuse #torment #control #partner #divorce #couples #social

Fears of gang war in Edmonton after child slain during targeted attack on criminal father

He said the lunch-hour shooting in the crowded suburban shopping plaza, with other businesses, including a daycare, is the latest example of escalating gang violence in the city.

“There’s no longer any respect for children, families, innocent citizens amongst our rival organized crime groups, our gangsters when they carry out violence to further their own interests. That’s changed in the wrong way.”

Daniel Jones, a 25-year EPS veteran who is now a criminologist, agreed.

“That’s just another level of evil, right? You’re going after innocent children that have nothing to do with the game, as you will.”

He’s worried this is the start of more violence in public places like what has been experienced in B.C.’s Lower Mainland.

Shootings in broad daylight, vehicles burned beyond recognition, and homes peppered with bullets have been common occurrences in recent years.

Jones said other parts of Canada saw family homes being shot up during gang wars in the 1990s, but to the best of his knowledge this is the first time Edmonton has seen an incident like this.

“When you start going after families, it’s just another level of violence. And unfortunately, what that does is that old saying, ‘Violence begets violence.’ If you go after someone’s family, I would suggest that there’s a high likelihood they’re going to come after you and yours as well, and you’re going to see this escalate potentially,” Jones said.

Police are certain the shooting had to do with drugs and gangs but the exact motivation for the shooting — whether retribution or a turf war — wasn’t immediately clear, said Derksen. The targeted nature of the shooting was.

“We absolutely believe (Uppal) was followed with the intention of finding him and ending his life. With the young boy, we don’t know yet. What we do know already is that once the shooter or shooters learned the son was there, they intentionally killed him.” |Read more https://globalnews.ca/news/10086213/edmonton-targeted-attack-gang-war/| globalnews.ca/news/10086213/ed…

#abpoli #murder #gangs #violence #children #yeg #safety #drugWars #OrganizedCrime

Rising tuition rates are increasing the labour shortage

Barriers to education can in turn create barriers to work

University students across Canada held a national day of action to fight rising post-secondary tuition fees in the country on November 8. Led by the Canadian Federation of Students, protestors were joined by many labour allies in their call for free and accessible education.

Among the labour organizations supporting this call was Unifor, which represents more than 300,000 private sector workers in Canada.

“Our members, just like yours, feel the pressures of Canada’s current affordability crisis on a daily basis,” Unifor wrote in a public letter to the Canadian Federation of Students. “It is why our union believes that universal public services, including health care and education, are the best way to provide working people with the social supports they need to learn, live, and provide or care for their loved ones.”

Students who took to the streets also received support from organizations like the Canadian Association of University Teachers and the Ontario Secondary School Teacher’s Federation.

Rising tuition fees create more barriers for low-income youth who may need a university degree to break into certain sectors. According to Statistics Canada, the unemployment rate for Canadians aged 15 to 24 sits at 11.4 per cent. For people aged 20 to 24, the unemployment rate is 9.5 per cent.

Unemployment for young workers outpaces general unemployment rates, which is currently at 5.7 per cent for all ages. For workers aged 25 and older, the number of unemployed people drops to 4.8 per cent.

While explanations are numerous for why young people experience higher rates of unemployment, one factor that often comes up is the price of schooling. |Read more https://rabble.ca/labour/rising-tuition-rates-is-increasing-the-labour-shortage/| rabble.ca/labour/rising-tuitio…

#cdnpoli #students #university #cost #barriers #income #politics #unemployment #protest #UNIFOR