For your information, Minister, I'm going to read out a definition of contemporary slavery: work exacted from a person who is being coerced, physically threatened, dehumanized or deprived of their freedom of movement. We've seen media reports of people who came to Canada on a visitor visa and had their passport taken away from them. They were told that, if they didn't work, they wouldn't get their work permit. For every case of abuse we hear about, there are probably 20 more we will never know about, because people are scared to say anything. Obviously, they don't want to jeopardize their family's financial situation.
You can disagree with what the UN special rapporteur said, but I think the practice of issuing closed work permits creates a breeding ground for this kind of abuse.
I don't know everything and I don't have all the answers. That's precisely why the Bloc Québécois proposed this study to the committee in the first place. I'd like to know what you think. There's no right or wrong answer.
All we know is that the status quo can't go on if a UN special rapporteur says Canada's practices resemble contemporary slavery. Do you agree with me?
It's a straightforward question. Should we keep doing what we're doing and not change anything?