Justice Committee on April 30th, 2009

[John Weston, Conservative, West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC]

Ms. Young, you talked about citizenship, and that was a very interesting thing you brought up. I wonder if you might elaborate on that a little bit. How could we build, as part of our citizenship process--and this is something Jason Kenney has been talking a lot about in and outside the House--things that would inoculate people against being tempted into gangs?

[Wai Young]

I think the people who come to Canada choose to come to Canada and love it and want to be here. However, having been raised in Canada for the last 40 years and knowing the language, etc., I do not have a thorough understanding of the justice and police system myself. It has been a huge learning curve for me in the last couple of years. I've been involved in a seniors abuse case quite intimately, which I've been working on, and I've learned all kinds of very interesting and disturbing things.

So I wonder, for the 250,000 immigrants who come every year, where they will gain this knowledge, how they'll gain this access, how they'll become contributing members to our society to keep our neighbourhoods safe. That's why I was saying that many of the programs and services are not integrated; they're a patchwork, and they're not sustained in terms of core funding and everything. I would like to see a focus on that to help our newcomers gain a greater insight as to how they can know their rights and responsibilities.

[John Weston, Conservative, West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC]

Thanks, Ms. Young, and thanks, Ms. Miller.

[Robin Wroe]

I just had a comment in respect of GHB.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Fast]

Hold on. We're trying to get enough questions in here, because we lost some time in the middle there.

[Robin Wroe]

It's apropos.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Fast]

What we're going to do is go to a two-minute question and answer from each of the parties, so there are four more. Please keep it to that two minutes, including the answer.

Mr. LeBlanc.

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Thanks to all of you for your presentations.

The chair has asked that we be very precise and brief. I have one question for Ms. Humphreys.

I have heard about and know a little bit about S.U.C.C.E.S.S., the organization you represent, and some of the great work they've done. I share your view that by investing in programs like yours, in terms of effectiveness both for the taxpayer and for reducing crime and some of the after effects of a criminal past, we get a lot of value.

You referred to your relationship with Service Canada. You went quickly over some numbers, which I think make a very cost-effective argument. You also said you were angry that funding was cut off or was reduced or threatened. Can you explain again your relationship with Service Canada? Is it a relationship that's productive for S.U.C.C.E.S.S., or are there things that need to be changed in terms of what the Government of Canada can do to support your organization?

[Evelyn Humphreys]

I just mentioned that we ran a program in Vancouver, called A Chance to Choose, in the downtown east side, and it was cut after one year. It was very successful. We did an amazing job of working with young people and working with the community in developing it. It was cut because the funding was cut in the downtown east side. I really believe that's where the funding should be, that's where the youth are who need it. We were part of the community and we worked very hard with all of the other community members to develop a program in one year. You cannot establish something in a year; however, we had the same success rate as we did in Port Moody after four years. We really showed that the young people moved forward in their lives, and that's going back to school or working.

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

I don't want to interrupt you, but what reason was given for the cut to the funding?

[Evelyn Humphreys]

That there were no youth in the downtown east side who needed help. It was more in rural B.C.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Fast]

The next question is for Monsieur Ménard, for two minutes.

[Réal Ménard, Bloc, Hochelaga, QC]

I would like to follow up on the question asked by Mr. LeBlanc. What department are we talking about, Service Canada or Health Canada? How come you have been unable to offer your services? When did that happen? Please explain the background. I want to know more because this seems rather incredible.

[Evelyn Humphreys]

It does seem incredible. I've been on a mission for about three months, and I've gone to every level of government and I've written letters to the minister saying we really need this in the downtown east side. We've got tremendous results. Within 15 weeks we had young people who were homeless go to work, and if you look at the cost for homelessness to work in 15 weeks, it's phenomenal.

[Réal Ménard, Bloc, Hochelaga, QC]

Was it the federal or the provincial government that cut funding?

[Evelyn Humphreys]

It was the federal government, Service Canada.

[Réal Ménard, Bloc, Hochelaga, QC]

Was the funding cut by the federal government or by the province?

[Evelyn Humphreys]

It was Service Canada.

[Réal Ménard, Bloc, Hochelaga, QC]

So it is Service Canada and not Health Canada.

What did they tell you, in real terms, when they cut your funding? In what riding do you offer your services?

[Evelyn Humphreys]

We go across ridings, so it was Service Canada, the youth strategy. They cut funding. There was only a limited amount of funding, and we were one of the cuts. We were the only program running for youth under Skills Link in the downtown east side. In case you've never been to the downtown east side, I can tell you that the downtown east side severely needs this program.

[Réal Ménard, Bloc, Hochelaga, QC]

I might bring forward a motion later asking the Committee to write a letter supporting the services you have described to us. I will not do it today because this is not what we are here for but we will follow up on this. You could leave your business card with us and we will keep in touch.

[Evelyn Humphreys]

I will do it. Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Fast]

All right. We're going to go to Mr. Comartin. Then we'll do two quick questions on--

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Ms. Miller, I think it was in February of this year that the UN put out a major study and report on prostitution, specifically on human trafficking. One of the findings I found almost shocking was that across the globe, more than 50% of the criminal charges relating to human trafficking were actually against women, not men. Have you seen that report? Do you have any understanding of why we'd end up with that phenomenon?

I suppose the reason I'm raising it is that when I see that kind of result, I begin to think that your idea of getting tough on the johns doesn't appear to be working in the rest of the globe.

[Michelle Miller]

I'm actually not familiar with the piece of the report you're speaking of, but I could make a very educated guess. Often it's one way that women are allowed to exit. If I've been recruited in when I'm 14, I've serviced thousands and thousands of men. My pimp has threatened to kill me and says, “You know what? One way you can get out of this and stop having to do this is that you can become a trafficker. You recruit me two girls, and you're out. You become an enforcer.” For women, often the only route they're given out is to become a trafficker, so it's what I would attribute it to.