• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

House of Commons Debates VOLUME 146 Ï NUMBER 065 Ï 1st SESSION Ï 41st PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Monday, December 12, 2011 Speaker: The Honourable Andrew Scheer CONTENTS (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) 4281 HOUSE OF COMMONS Monday, December 12, 2011 The House met at 11 a.m. This problem about human trafficking is horrible and something should be done about it. Young innocent girls and boys being taken into the sex trade is a major problem. The presentation I heard today made me feel like this should not be left aside. Everyone should help to make human trafficking be put to a stop. I know that if anyone I know, or in my family, got taken away to be human trafficked... It would Prayers kill me! I would be devastated. No family should have to go through this; losing a child and not knowing where they are. I strongly hope that something will be done to stop this! PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS Well, something is being done. I encourage every member to Ï (1105) support this very important bill. [English] [Translation] CRIMINAL CODE Ms. Charmaine Borg (Terrebonne—Blainville, NDP): Mr. The House resumed from October 25 consideration of the motion Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House today to speak to Bill that Bill C-310, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (trafficking in C-310, which would amend the Criminal Code to address the cruel persons), be read the second time and referred to a committee. and serious problem of human trafficking in Canada. The Speaker: The hon. member for Langley has four minutes left to conclude his remarks. I congratulate the member who sponsored this bill for introducing Mr. Mark Warawa (Langley, CPC): Mr. Speaker, it is a real a bill that will have the support of all parties in this House. This is honour to speak to this bill from the member for Kildonan—St. Paul. the first time I have supported a government initiative and I I describe her as “Canada's Wilberforce”. Bill C-310 is an important congratulate her on it. I hope that in the future the opposition parties private member's bill that would impact modern-day slavery, or and the Conservative government will have many opportunities to human trafficking. The bill would push it back into its dirty corner work together. and hopefully kill it for all time, in Canada and in the world. The member for Kildonan—St. Paul has been on this journey for years. This bill proposes two very important amendments to the Criminal Her whole family has been very involved, through the police, in Code that will make it easier to prosecute perpetrators of human trying to stop this horrific crime. trafficking. This heinous crime has destructive effects on the victims, which reminds us that in a not-too-distant past, slaves were treated I am amazed that Canada is blessed to have Miss Canada come similarly by Canadians and by our neighbours to the south. from my riding of beautiful Langley, British Columbia. Tara Teng is Unfortunately, at a time when human rights and individual freedoms that person this year. We will be passing the torch on to young, new should prevail and at a time when we would have thought our leaders such as Tara Teng in years to come. We wonder what these attitudes had evolved enough to eliminate this abominable crime, leaders are working on. She is working with this member of there are still people in this country who can deny their own Parliament to stop human trafficking, a noble cause. It is humanity and sell people who are just as deserving of freedom as understandable that we want to end this horrific evil. We have any other person. some of Canada's brightest lights taking on this problem. I want to thank both the member for Kildonan—St. Paul and Tara Teng. We Therefore, I believe that the House has the duty and the power to encourage them to never give up. As individuals, as the Government hold these individuals accountable by proposing and adopting a legal of Canada and as parliamentarians, we do not give up until the job is framework to eliminate this form of slavery and severely punish the done. perpetrators, so that we can set an example for the rest of the world. I recently received 245 letters from students at Walnut Grove Secondary School. They were horrified to find out that slavery This bill targets the real criminals—the traffickers. This bill would actually exists today. They found out about this private member's extend Canada's jurisdiction beyond our borders, which means we bill, Bill C-310. I would like to read a letter for the record so could go after traffickers with Canadian citizenship or residency members can understand what our young adults think about the regardless of where they are in the world. I would once again like to problem of human trafficking. This is a letter from Emma. She is a congratulate my colleague opposite for developing a bill that targets grade 9 student who says: the real criminals and not the victims. 4282 COMMONS DEBATES December 12, 2011 Private Members' Business However, since there is a distinction made between human would add evidentiary foundations to enable courts to give clear trafficking and human smuggling, I have to wonder about Bill C-4, examples of exploitation, such as threats or use of violence, coercion which targets the migrants instead of the smugglers in cases of and fraudulent manipulation. This would update the legal terminol- human smuggling in Canada. Migrants are the victims in this ogy and would give courts the legal tools they need to successfully fraudulent scheme, and the real criminals are those who deceive prosecute these criminals. these people by promising them a better future. I would have liked to see the government use Bill C-310 as an inspiration and to withdraw Once again, I congratulate the member on her wise and well Bill C-4 from the Order Paper. thought out bill. The first section of the bill amends the Criminal Code in order to apply Canadian extraterritorial jurisdiction to the offence of human I will conclude by talking about human trafficking in Canada. In trafficking. This will give the Canadian government the legal means Canada it is tragic to see that aboriginal women and girls are to prosecute a Canadian or a permanent resident of Canada involved disproportionately more likely to be victims of human trafficking. in human trafficking, regardless of where he or she works, lives or This tragedy is the result of a number of factors, and to address this, operates. Introducing extraterritorial jurisdiction using the nationality our government will have to combat it from all sides. We absolutely principle in international law is compatible with our international must recognize that poverty, lack of housing and very difficult living obligations under the United Nations Convention Against Transna- conditions for aboriginal women and girls are factors that explain tional Organized Crime, the Palermo convention. Given the why they are disproportionately more likely to be victims of human international nature of human trafficking, extraterritorial jurisdiction trafficking. is crucial. We simply cannot allow Canadian traffickers to live a comfortable life without any fear of being held responsible for their crimes just because they can hide behind international borders. I would like to point out a coincidence. Today, the Standing Committee on Status of Women will present its report on violence Thus, I am convinced that our government has a responsibility to against aboriginal women. This report is the product of two years of ensure that our legal system can prosecute those responsible for such study on a very serious issue and an unfortunate tragedy in our crimes to the full extent of the law through this extraterritorial country. Over the course of this study, the committee heard from jurisdiction. We have the right to hold our citizens to a certain about a hundred aboriginal women and people working with victims standard of behaviour, even those who are outside our borders. and their families. I had the opportunity to listen to some of this testimony when I sat on this committee. It is clear that to fight In her introductory speech, the sponsor of the bill said that it violence against aboriginal women and girls, including human would ensure justice in cases where the offence was committed in a trafficking, we must acknowledge the poverty and economic country without strong anti-human trafficking laws. I agree with her marginalization they experience. completely, but I find it unfortunate that this government did not live up to this standard during the previous Parliament with regard to Bill C-300, An Act respecting Corporate Accountability for the I truly hope that this report will lead to concrete recommendations Activities of Mining, Oil or Gas in Developing Countries. Once for improving the economic conditions of these women and again, I hope the government will learn something from this private decreasing their vulnerability to violence and human trafficking. I member's bill. strongly encourage all of my colleagues in the House and the general public to listen to the presentation of this report today. Once again, I Coming back to Bill C-310, before 2005 the only legal action that thank my colleague for this wise and necessary bill. could be taken against human traffickers was based on charges of kidnapping, threats or extortion. Section 118 of the Immigration and [English] Refugee Protection Act prohibits anyone from bringing someone into Canada by means of abduction or fraud.

Load more

  78

Copy Link