(Ottawa) A New Democratic Party (NDP) private member’s bill that would criminalize a type of abuse known as coercive control is on its way to the Senate.
The bill introduced by Victoria MP Laurel Collins was unanimously passed in the House of Commons on Wednesday at third reading.
It defines coercive control as behavior that includes threatening violence against a partner, their child or pet, as well as attempting to control their finances and movements.
When the bill was introduced last fall, Collins shared part of her sister’s story, saying her partner confiscated her bank cards and keys to try to stop her from leaving.
Since then, the congresswoman says she has heard from hundreds of other people who have shared their own experiences of coercive control or that of someone they love.
