Status of Women Committee on Oct. 7th, 2024

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, witnesses, for your courage once again. I start my questions with Ms. Dhillon.

Ms. Dhillon, you spent a fair amount of time advocating for education, so if we can talk about the education for children and youth on coercive control.... We all know that many vulnerable young people may not have examples to follow and may not be aware of what coercive control is.

Are you aware of any provincial programs that already exist in Canada? Are school districts implementing them?

[Kamal Dhillon]

There was one in British Columbia—I forget what it was called because it was a number of years ago—but in all honesty, no, unless there's a guest speaker. When I go to high schools, I speak on schoolyard bullying and on dating violence. I speak to both girls and boys, and I tell them to recognize controlling behaviour: What does it look like when, say, your boyfriend keeps calling you, checking up on you, doesn't want you to have other friends and takes you away from your family?

These are some of the examples, but I have a whole list. These are some of the things that they need to look out for, “He doesn't just love you and care for you, and that's why he's calling you a hundred times a day. No. Now he's controlling you. He wants to know your movements.”

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

You talked about combatting the cultural aspect. I know that we have the Safe Centre of Peel, where they can get more help and with many organizations in one place to help with children, groceries, legal, job-finding—a one-stop shop where you can get help in one spot. You talked about language barriers and that people don't know what their rights and legal protections are.

Do you think those kinds of services can help women who don't know what their rights are?

[Kamal Dhillon]

Yes, that's a great idea. However, when a woman is fleeing abuse, her first thing is safety and trying to ground herself. She needs support in legal services, in getting custody and in, say, housing and counselling, so I think that finding a job comes way down.... However, yes, that would be very helpful. Transition houses...and I worked in one for many years. The job for that immediate place, for the shelter, is the safety of the women and the children.

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

My next question is for Witness 1.

Thank you for sharing your heartbreaking testimony about the reunification camp therapy. What was the rationale from the judge for recommending this therapy in the U.S.? You said that even though parents are recommending the therapist, the judge is not admitting that. What is the rationale from the judge for recommending this therapy in the United States?

[Witness 1]

Thank you for question. It's a hard one to answer, to be honest.

The non-preferred parent, like I said, did put forth a reunification camp in Canada, as well as the one in the States. The provider of the one in the States was called as a witness to testify. There were two other American witnesses who were called to testify as well, as a way to convince the judge that this would be a positive solution and the right choice.

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

I want to follow up on this question.

Therapists are regulated by provinces and territories. For example, in Ontario it is the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario. Are you aware of whether the provincial professional colleges are taking steps to stop the use of reunification therapy, and are you aware of the work being done in provinces, such as Ontario, to regulate this?

[Witness 1]

I did reach out to the Ontario College of Social Workers to let them know I was experiencing this. The individual from the U.S. providing the therapy was indeed not regulated with the Ontario College of Social Workers to provide telepractice or in-person therapy to our children. The Ontario College of Social Workers did provide a letter. They asked me to give that to the judge and opposing counsel in my case and the service provider herself, but that didn't carry any weight.

[The Chair, Conservative, Shelby Kramp-Neuman]

Thank you very much.

Ladies and gentlemen, that concludes our panel for today. On behalf of the entire committee, I would like to thank all of the witnesses for their appearance.

This also concludes our witness testimony for the study on coercive behaviour. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this very disturbing but important study.

At this point, we will be excusing our witnesses and suspending for five to 10 minutes while we go in camera.

[Proceedings continue in camera]