Mr. Speaker, February 22 is Canada's National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, and this is thanks to the hard work of the all party parliamentary group to end human trafficking and modern-day slavery. Human trafficking is a crime that turns people into objects to be used and exploited. It is vicious and it is profitable. It is happening right here in Canada.
In the book of Isaiah, God calls each of us to learn to do what is right, to seek justice and to defend the oppressed. In Canada, the vast majority of human trafficking victims are women and girls who were born right here in our nation. However, we know that human trafficking can happen to anyone.
As we approach National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, I want to encourage my colleagues and all Canadians to do three things: learn the signs of human trafficking; know the national hotline, 1-833-900-1010; and help raise awareness in their communities. May we be relentless, courageous and committed as we seek to eliminate all forms of human trafficking and modern-day slavery right here in Canada.