Mr. James Moore (Port Moody-Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam, Canadian Alliance): Mr. Speaker, in recent years a new kind of violence against women has reared its ugly head at parties, on campuses and in nightclubs. Date rape drugs have become a violent weapon used to victimize women in cowardly assaults. It is long overdue for the government to act.

Starting today, and over the next two weeks, 48 Canadian Alliance campus clubs across Canada are involved in a campaign to raise awareness of date rape drugs and to encourage the government to classify them as a weapon in the Criminal Code.

From the University of Victoria, to York University, to Acadian University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, and all points in between, the Canadian Alliance is pushing the need to protect women and students from the dangers of date rape drugs and to encourage the Liberal government to act to protect women from this ugly, and sometimes deadly, assault.

Awareness is the first line of defence for young people targeted with this cowardly assault.

Second is the strong arm of the law.

Date rape drugs should not be treated the same way in the Criminal Code as heroin or cocaine because they are used to victimize other people involuntarily.

Young Canadians deserve laws to protect them sexual assault.

It is time for the Liberal government to step up and fight this cowardly use of these drugs and the sexual assault of women.