Status of Women Committee on Feb. 7th, 2008

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Thank you, ministers, for coming here. The issue of human trafficking is very important to us.

My first question is for Ms. Finley. Education and awareness play a fundamental role in ensuring that temporary foreign workers who are at risk are aware of their rights while in Canada. What steps are government officials taking to inform immigrants to Canada of their rights both prior to entering the country and once they have arrived?

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

That is a good question. To stop traffickers and others from committing crimes, information must be disseminated. People arriving in the country receive several pamphlets. For example,

for live-in caregivers, we have a pamphlet that we give them concerning the program and their rights under it, and there's information available on our website, and we have information that's distributed at our Canadian missions overseas.

For exotic dancers we provide materials that outline their rights as workers and the obligations of their employers, because many times they're not aware of them. We make sure these are distributed by visa officers at the point of entry.

In the case of all temporary foreign workers, we send them a letter when we give them their permit that explains their rights to them.

We have numerous brochures and posters to raise awareness, not just for the victims as they enter the country but also for the law enforcement officers, such as the immigration officers and the RCMP, to remind them and make them aware of the importance of this. We even have a booklet called Don't Become a Victim of the Illegal Trade in People. It's available in 14 languages and is distributed around the world. There are many others.

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Thank you.

My other question is for Mr. Nicholson. Earlier, you mentioned the work of the interdepartmental task force on human trafficking. What exactly is the role of this task force?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

Thank you very much, colleague.

The interdepartmental task force is a coordinating agency for 16 federal departments that in one way or another touch upon the problem of human trafficking. It's a way of helping to coordinate our response and to make sure there isn't overlap, or that everyone understands what everyone else is doing. I think it's good to have one group that helps to coordinate our response.

So we have a wide response, and as you can tell just by your invitation to have three different ministers here, this isn't confined to one particular department; it affects a lot of different departments, and within departments, different sections.

Again, we felt this was an expeditious way of handling this. It's purely for purposes of efficiency in coordinating our response. That's the reason for it, Madame.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Mr. Stanton, would you like to carry on?

[Bruce Stanton, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you to our ministers here for joining us.

Through our report we've talked about the three Ps of protection, prevention, and prosecution related to human trafficking. It's good to see we have the front line in every one of those departments here.

I really like the way you've bridged the gap there, though, with the fourth P. We recognize bringing all these elements together as being critical.

My first question is to Minister Day. We talked about some of the resources in place here in Canada to assist in identifying and protecting some of the victims of crime. Are any measures being undertaken abroad in the same way to try to screen out or prevent the situation whereby victims are literally arriving at our borders, which complicates our ability to address the issue and move forward? Is there something happening abroad that would be useful?

[Stockwell Day, Conservative, Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC]

At the G-8 meeting of public safety and security ministers, we made this a priority. We've done this for the last two years, first in Moscow and then in Munich. There's been agreement among these countries. We are also vitally tied in with the United Nations and their protocols regarding human trafficking. That's why we've increased our own capabilities.

In Canada, we've increased not only the number of officers but also the training programs. We can't tell another country how much funding they should commit, but it is helpful when we point out that our funding is increasing. It encourages our partners to do the same. We contribute, as do many other nations, to Interpol, and we work closely with Europol.

I can tell you that the level of concern about this problem is genuinely shared. It's not something that we needed to alert people to. But there are countries that could be more aggressive in letting it be known, through sanctions, that they take this seriously.

That's why I appreciate some of the recommendations having to do with sanctions and assistance to victims. This should be reflected in our legislation, our training, and our funding. We communicate this freely and share information with other policing agencies, and this high level of cooperation is helping to push back this area of trade. In certain parts of the world, it's fair to say that it exploits young people to a degree that makes it almost epidemic.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Thank you.

Ms. Mathyssen.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you, Ministers, for being here today.

The Canadian Council for Refugees alerted me to a situation that occurred late last summer. It involved a woman who was apprehended at the U.S.-Canada border. Despite being identified by Canadian officials as a trafficked person, she was held in detention and deported. She was never offered a temporary resident permit. She was simply sent back.

We have discussed the three Ps: prevention, prosecution.... We know the current legislation favours that. I'm wondering, is the government planning any amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act or the Criminal Code that would protect victims of trafficking and keep them from being arbitrarily sent back to their countries of origin?

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

Minister Day and I will both address that because we're both involved.

We set up the TRP program to remedy exactly the kinds of situations you describe. It was meant to give women the opportunity to take some time and figure out what they want to do—with some safety, with some security, with health benefits. This would put them in a better position to decide where they want to go.

We're trying to get Bill C-17 through Parliament as a means to prevent trafficking and keep these women out of situations in which they could be abused. Right now it's being stalled. The committee is not addressing it. We were due to hear from several groups, including the Stop the Trafficking Coalition, the Salvation Army, and the Future Group. This week, they were mysteriously de-invited from attending, and the issue was dropped from the agenda.

We'd like to see the legislation put through as quickly as possible, not just for the Olympics. We need it now, for the situations you're describing. These women—and in some cases men—need protection now, and we'd like to see the opposition move forward with it.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

In addition to what you've told me about protection and health care, I'm concerned about a missing piece of government action—the provision of housing. A Justice Canada research paper notes three or four times that housing is a key part of allowing trafficking victims to secure services and feel protected. This is missing.

Can you tell me whether there are plans in place to provide this key missing piece?

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

There are a number of aspects to the program. I mentioned that under the federal program these women and men on the temporary resident permit have medical services made available to them.

We have arrangements with the provinces whereby they provide social services such as housing and other support mechanisms to people like these individuals, as well as to refugees who come into the various provinces. There's funding in the Canada social transfer, the CST, to each province to assist with exactly those kinds of programs.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Do you know how much funding, how many accommodations have been made available? We know that in Canada housing is in a crisis—not just for people seeking refuge but also for our own citizens. Do you have any idea how well the provinces are doing? What money is available?

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

No, I'm sorry, I wouldn't have any of that information. It would vary from province to province. But every year we allocate billions of dollars to each province for provision of services, and housing for these individuals would certainly be one of the services they'd provide.

[Stockwell Day, Conservative, Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC]

There's a component under Minister Solberg for young people who are homeless. It's $293 million for this year, just for that component of housing for homeless youth.

In north Vancouver, we recently gave some funds, and they deliberately looked for youth at risk, especially those who could be exploited for various reasons. So there are funds for this. We'll get you more information, but there is an envelope under the homeless category for youth at risk.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

The government created the interdepartmental working group on trafficking in persons. The purpose was to develop a national strategy. There's been some concern from the Future Group in particular that this strategy, or national plan, is not in place

I wonder, is it in the works? When will it be announced, and how much funding will be available to make sure the plan has teeth and substance?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

As you pointed out, we have an interdepartmental working group. It covers a number of areas and comes with a number of initiatives. I indicated our support for the victims of crime, and the $50 million that we are prepared to put into it.

Indeed, part of our approach was revealed last spring with the appointment of a federal ombudsman for the victims of crime. Now there is a single office that actually looks at the issues as they relate to the victims of crime, a sort of central coordinating agency.

I can tell you as well that the interests of the interdepartmental group are not confined to issues within Canada. This problem is an international one. It goes beyond Canada's borders. In the few minutes the chair allowed me, I touched on our cooperation with the United Nations agencies and the development of manuals that will assist people in other countries.

One of the initiatives that I'm particularly interested in is designed to help other countries to develop trafficking legislation. I've always said that Canada has been the beneficiary of two of the world's great legal systems, and that we now have an obligation to help others, just as we have been helped in the past. So this is one of the initiatives.

Again, we have this interdepartmental group that helps to coordinate our response across all government departments, and indeed throughout the world. As you can tell, I'm quite excited about some of the things we are doing to address this.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Thank you, Minister.

For five minutes now, Madam Neville.

[Anita Neville, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

Thank you.

Ministers, thank you very much for coming here this morning. The fact that three of you are here for two hours underscores the importance of this topic, and I think all members of the committee certainly appreciate it.

We all know human trafficking is really a modern-day global slave trade, and it's estimated, I understand, to be a $12 million industry annually. I want to take a slightly different tack and I want to talk about trafficking in Canada.

But before I do that, I want to get some clarification from Minister Day. I'm not sure whether I heard you correctly when you said that international sporting events are not magnets for human trafficking, because if that's the case, it's contrary to all the evidence we had before the committee and all the preparations we know are going on in other jurisdictions when there are soccer tournaments, formula racing events.... So I'll give you a minute to answer.

I want to talk about the trafficking of women internally in Canada and I want to focus particularly on aboriginal women. When I looked at the response to the report that we put in--we identified issues of poverty for aboriginal peoples as a priority--I didn't see an adequate response from the government on that issue. The response referred to the Status of Women research that's been done on trafficking, and some of it is specific to aboriginal women, but we know that funding is no longer available. So I'm curious to know whether there's any makeup on it.

We know there is a substantial amount of trafficking of aboriginal women in this country. I know it emanates from my community of Winnipeg. I know that women are held hostage by those who are trafficking them. I've met with women's groups in British Columbia frequently, and I know the issues there.

The committee heard from Sergeant Lori Lowe that the RCMP's national aboriginal policing service had an interest in examining the trafficking of aboriginal women for the purposes of sexual exploitation, but the RCMP lacked both the funding and the human resources to be able to carry out such research. So what's being done to address the needs of research, specifically with the victimization of aboriginal women? I'm interested in knowing from you, Minister Nicholson, what particular initiatives are under way.

I'm familiar with the Sisters in Spirit program, so don't refer to that. But what initiatives are under way to identify the lost women and to assist aboriginal groups to prevent the trafficking of aboriginal women? We heard unequivocally, whether it's international or national, the overriding catalyst for women to be trafficked is poverty.

I'm a little over the map, but I would welcome some response on the domestic trafficking of women.

[Stockwell Day, Conservative, Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC]

Thank you, Chairman.

On the policing and security side, I've also met with Sergeant Lowe and discussed these issues. She's very focused and attuned to the challenges.

It does happen to the degree that it happens, and the aim on the policing side is to try to investigate, find out, expose, and bring to justice those who would perpetrate this activity. Recently there was a case of six individuals that the Peel police were investigating, and there were four others in the Toronto area.

In our view, and I know the view is shared by committee members, I can't think of something much more despicable than a human being enslaving another one, literally, through drugs, fear, extortion, or whatever it might be to get them to perform certain services. That's why we show, and want to show, no sympathy whatsoever to the perpetrators and those who are involved in this.

A component of the funding that, in terms of the increase, has gone to the RCMP over this last year is directed to the challenges with aboriginals. It can be broken out in different departments and different packages. I could ask officials to send those to the committee in terms of exact amounts.

I can tell you that with the national crime prevention strategy, which deals with youth at risk, I have personally overseen the direction of considerable dollars on a specific basis to specific areas, again to groups, sometimes women's groups, reaching out to youth at risk, especially those who have been exposed to the drug trade for the purpose of being enslaved. There are funds directed to that, and that is one example.

I can give you a further breakdown. It covers a number of different areas. Those dollars are directed--

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

What I'd like to do, Minister Day, is give Minister Nicholson one minute to respond, because I've been cutting him off. Thank you.

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

Ms. Neville, in conjunction with that and the program that you indicated we are involved with, between the aboriginal justice strategy and in terms of...that is one of the focuses we have at the justice department with respect to aboriginals and making sure they get sensitive treatment within the criminal justice system. It's a program that I very much support.

We know that the drug trade is very much involved. Addiction is a particular problem in this. I'm a big supporter of our drug court system, which involves most of the major cities in this country, to provide an alternative to get help to these individuals so they can break this cycle of exploitation.

In addition--just before I'm cut off--I want you to know that there is a federal-provincial-territorial working group on missing persons that is studying this particular subject. They will be reporting back to us shortly.

Thanks.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Thank you very much, Mr. Nicholson.

We go now to Mr. Stanton for five minutes.

[Bruce Stanton, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Minister Finley, I want to get back to this issue of Bill C-17, which is currently in committee. I just want to get your sentiments or thoughts on why this bill is being held up. You mentioned that there were some witnesses who were denied access to the committee or who were turned away.

Could you give us a bit more information on your understanding of this predicament?

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

Well, I'd very much like to be able to answer those questions. Unfortunately, as I mentioned earlier, there were no reasons given.

What happened was that key groups that have a very strong interest in preventing human trafficking--for example, Future Group, Salvation Army, Stop the Trafficking Coalition--had all been invited to appear before committee to present their views. That was supposed to have happened this past Monday. They received notice on Friday that they were no longer invited to attend on Monday, and that in fact no date had been set for them to return at all. The committee dealt with other business.

I think it's most unfortunate that these views.... These obviously are people who have a lot of expertise in this field, who have a very strong interest and have been very active in combatting human trafficking. I think their views need to be heard by the committee. I think the issue is an important one, and the committee should be addressing it.

The bill is at the stage where it is officially before committee. I'd very much like to see the committee honour that and deal with the bill, move it forward, listen to the key stakeholders, and pass it on so that we can get it through the Senate and we can enact this piece of legislation that will help protect vulnerable foreign workers and children.