Citizenship and Immigration committee  I would want to know what his definition for “abuse” is. It's a broad term, so the answer probably lies in that context.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Most definitely. I must say to you also that I worked as a program manager in a shelter for women and children, and I know what abuse is to the most extreme. I would classify what I was told in that allegation from the caregiver that she was experiencing abuse. It takes a lot to

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I have a copy, yes, and the original, here, yes.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I mean that from what the caregiver said to me, I put what she endured in the case in the category of abuse. As I said, I don't know what she told you, but, for instance—

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Well, to someone like myself, who comes from an African ancestry, who knows historically what slavery meant to my ancestors, for someone to put the experience in the category of slavery I think is appalling and is an extreme, hair-raising case, because we live in a developed coun

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I'm still asking for two minutes, if it's okay with the chairman.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Okay, thank you.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Thanks. As you know, the world is now a global village, and Canada is highly regarded on the pinnacle of that village. If we believe that Canada is part of the global village, then no one is a foreigner; we belong in the places where we choose to live and work and which we call

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Okay. Can't handle the truth.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I don't think we are focusing on it. This is a story that happened a year ago. We are responding to your inquiry; I don't think we focused on that particular story. In the report, I said that we've had issues of sexual assault and other issues. So this is not the story we're on;

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I just want to remind you that the idea of coming forward with this particular story did not originate with Intercede. I just want to remind you of that. I still hold that with all the other stories I alluded to, we still have a commitment to privacy—

Citizenship and Immigration committee  —and confidentiality. Had this individual, the caregiver, not come out and chosen.... And everybody has that right; this is still a free country. She has the right to do so and she exercised that right. Had she not mentioned in that presentation, in that forum, that she had con

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I'm not representing—

Citizenship and Immigration committee  No. I just want to correct here. I'm not representing them. In light of the fact that she mentioned that she spoke with somebody from our agency—it happened to be me, at the time—I am responding to this committee in relation to your inquiry about what happened. I still have n

Citizenship and Immigration committee  How do I feel about it? I don't care, frankly. It's her word and she has a conscience. This is one of the occasions when I wish the childhood story of Pinocchio was true.