British ColumbiaThe family of a woman killed in Kelowna, B.C., say they are “extremely disappointed” in the B.C. NDP government for not supporting a federal private member’s bill that aims to toughen charges and detention policies for those accused of intimate partner violence. Federal Minister Sean Fraser says Liberal government plans to introduce bill on intimate partner violenceEmily Fagan · CBC News · Posted: Oct 27, 2025 8:45 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour agoListen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesFederal Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Sean Fraser, stands with B.C. Premier Eby and other officials at a press conference about new federal bail reform legislation. (Emily Fagan/CBC)The family of a woman killed in Kelowna, B.C., say they are “extremely disappointed” in the B.C. NDP government for not supporting a federal private member’s bill that aims to toughen charges and detention policies for those accused of intimate partner violence.Bailey McCourt was allegedly murdered earlier this year by her ex-husband in what police called a “highly visible and tragic event” that left another person with serious injuries, just hours after he was released on bail for assault.In a statement shared by the B.C. Conservatives, Debbie Henderson, McCourt’s aunt, said the NDP has not supported Bill C-225 — also known as Bailey’s Law — a private member’s bill put forward by Frank Caputo, Conservative MP for Kamloops-Thompson-Nicola.She also said B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma had yet to follow through on her promise to meet with the McCourt family. “Our family has lived the consequences of a system that fails to protect victims, and we will not settle for lip service from political leaders,” Henderson said in the statement. CBC News reached out to the family of Bailey McCourt, but did not hear back prior to publication.In a Monday press conference, Eby praised the Liberal government’s new legislation that would make repeat, violent offenders sentences tougher and bail more difficult to obtain, and said his government is continuing to call for additional reforms the McCourt family has asked for. He also said he planned to meet with the McCourt family on Monday afternoon.“As we look forward to continued work with the federal government, conversations about intimate partner violence will continue,” Eby said. “We continue to advocate for the reforms the family is asking for related to a presumption around first-degree murder. We raised that with the minister today.”When asked why the legislation did not include some changes the McCourt family had called for — such as mandating first-degree murder charges in cases of intimate partner homicide — federal Minister of Justice Sean Fraser said they are under discussion as part of another bill the Liberal government expects to table in the coming weeks.“That bill is going to include a series of different measures to touch on intimate partner violence, sexual offences, protecting kids online, and a number of others,” Fraser said.He also noted that one of his party’s election promises was instating presumptive first-degree murder charges for femicide cases.MLAs Gavin Dew, Kristina Loewen, and Macklin McCall expressed disappointment with the B.C. NDP’s lack of support for a federal private member’s bill addressing intimate partner violence. (Emily Fagan/CBC)Gavin Dew, B.C. Conservative MLA for Kelowna-Mission, said he feels Eby is “playing politics” by not supporting Bill C-225.He said he feels the federal Liberals’ bail reform legislation is a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done to protect victims of intimate partner violence.“If there’s another bill coming, it is because the federal government is trying to find a way to defang Frank Caputo’s bill, which is Bailey’s Law,” he said. Dew was also critical of Eby for not meeting with the McCourt family sooner.This summer, McCourt’s father and stepmother shared a letter with four key recommendations to the federal government in an effort to prevent future deaths.Eby told CBC News at the time that he gave the letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney.When reflecting Monday on the new bail reform legislation, Eby said he knows British Columbians feel it is “critically important” that changes are made to prevent future killings by intimate partner violence.“We know that the laws have to change,” he said. “We are very grateful that the federal government has heard our concerns, worked with us collaboratively, and has introduced a bill that responds to those anxieties British Columbians rightly feel.”ABOUT THE AUTHOREmily Fagan is a journalist based in Victoria, B.C. She was previously a staff reporter for the Toronto Star. Her work has also appeared in publications including the Globe and Mail, Vice, and the Washington Post. You can send her tips at emily.fagan@cbc.ca.
‘Extremely disappointed’: Family of slain Kelowna, B.C., woman calls for action on intimate partner violence
