Arbitrary changes to Partner Assault Response program putting women, children at risk

NDP Women’s Issues Critic Peggy Sattler urged the Premier during Question Period today to listen to the advice of violence against women agencies and reverse the arbitrary changes introduced to the Partner Assault Response program (PAR) that shortened the length of the program from 16 weeks to 12 weeks.

“On March 24, shortly after the Sexual Violence Action Plan was tabled, your government received a letter signed by 21 experts and organizations from Building a Bigger Wave, a provincial network of hundreds of agencies working to end men’s violence against women. The letter urged a halt to the changes to the Partner Assault Response program because they are putting women and children at risk. Seven months later, the Attorney General continues to completely dismiss the concerns raised,” Sattler said. 

PAR is a program for court-ordered offenders designed to help them control abusive behavioural patterns toward their partners. Sattler says changes the government has made to the PAR program are putting women and children at risk.  

“Speaker, what will it take for the Premier to listen to PAR providers and violence against women agencies about the crisis her government has created in the PAR program?” Sattler asked.