Continued fight for sensible gun laws important to end violence against women

TORONTO, Dec. 6, 2012 /CNW/ - As December 6 marks the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, it is important that Ontarians support the continued fight for sensible gun laws in Canada.

"It has been 23 years since 14 women were tragically murdered at École Polytechnique, and one of the best things we can do in their memory is to continue the fight for sensible gun laws in Canada," said ETFO President Sam Hammond. "Gun control has been severely weakened by the federal government over the past several years. We cannot let that deter efforts to make this country a safer place for women."

In addition to ending the long gun registry, the federal government has destroyed the records on 5.6 million rifles and shotguns registered outside Quebec, and forbade provinces from requiring gun dealers to maintain records of sales, according to the Coalition for Gun Control (www.guncontrol.ca). This has made it impossible to trace guns if they are stolen or used in crimes such as spousal homicides.  Long guns are used in 72% of cases where women are killed by spouses according to the Coalition.

"From gun control to proactive education, stopping violence against women must be a priority for all levels of government," added Hammond. "As teachers, we are gravely concerned about this issue because we see the impact of violence against women on our students, some of whom may witness violence or become its victim themselves."

The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario represents 76,000 elementary public school teachers and education professionals across the province and is the largest teacher federation in Canada.

SOURCE: Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario

Valerie Dugale, ETFO Media Relations: Cell: 416-948-0195