Thank you, Madam Chair.
I'd like to begin by thanking Ms. Minna for drawing attention to my new provincial colleague and the fact that she is a woman of courage who was able to change her life and emerge from the life of a street child into a United Church minister's role and finally a legislator's.
I think if anything her experience affirms the work we do on this committee and the importance of Status of Women Canada: that we can speak on behalf of Canadian women and ensure they have the opportunities to have secure and productive lives. So thank you for that.
I wanted to draw attention to my motion and speak to it briefly. My rationale is this. I understand absolutely how very important both issues are, and I saw this as a way to deal with both in an expeditious way. Again I come back to my original argument: if we were going to look at trafficking in human beings, it would take an inordinate amount of time.
We know from the experience of the previous committee that it undertook a very extensive review of the situation. They had a great deal of work on their plate, a lot of travelling, and they had to bring in witness protection. It was just very complex, and I fear that kind of complexity precludes our doing a good job if we try to do both in the main committee.
My objective was to find a compromise, but I want to reiterate that I believe absolutely that looking at economic barriers and impacts is essential. It's a starting point that I think this committee must pursue.