I would say that supporting and maintaining the PCEPA, and enhancing the legislation as it is, would be valuable for Canadians. Women, girls, youth and children, and a disproportionate number of indigenous people, are lured into the sex industry. The PCEPA addresses this issue. By enhancing measures within the act, the PCEPA can be made more effective.
In the brief I submitted to the committee, I outlined a number of steps that I would recommend.
More focus should be placed on prevention within the act. I've heard in previous testimony that you can't legislate prevention, but we're actually seeing the exact opposite happening in the work we're doing in Alberta. When the act is applied as it was intended, we see prevention being one of the main mechanisms that are triggered.
Resources and additions should be made available, within the act, for re-education and vocational opportunities for survivors. My friend, Ms. Trisha Baptie, who has also testified before this committee, talks about how, for her, it was not a choice—it was the lack of choice. We're really seeing, in the client-centred approach we're taking in Alberta, that it is all about choice. Additions to the act to enhance access to addiction and trauma resources, I believe, are key.
Next is strengthening the act to encourage and support the PCEPA as a bridge among all levels of government, including municipal, provincial and federal levels. We're just starting to get to a place now, in Alberta, where we're seeing those connections happen through a newly formed community response model and the creation of coalitions across the entire province, where all levels of government are being engaged and working together.
Next are requirements and provisions of resources within the act to ensure the use of shared definitions in relation to trafficking. This is extremely important. Consistent approach and training, universal branding and public messaging, and universal and consistent ongoing training, I believe, are key.
Finally, although it's not available because it has not been released by the Government of Alberta yet, a study has been turned in to the Alberta government recently by the human trafficking task force. I would suggest looking at suggestions within that report on trauma-informed, most promising practice detail. I would suggest that you contact the Government of Alberta to review the report, called “The Reading Stone”. I think this committee might find some of the suggestions within that report very helpful.