MP wants action on human trafficking

By Dave Flaherty/The Oshawa Express

Oshawa’s MP is calling for changes to how Canada’s justice system deals with human traffickers.

Colin Carrie has tabled a private member’s bill seeking amendments to both the Criminal Code of Canada and the Judges Act.

First, Carrie wants to remove a requirement for the Crown Attorney to prove a victim of human trafficking fears the accused in order to obtain a conviction.

This would align Canada’s laws with the Palermo Protocol, which was adopted by the United Nations in 2000.

He also wants new Canadian judges to be educated on human trafficking.

Earlier this year, Carrie hosted a community roundtable with survivors of human trafficking, Durham Region Police and representatives of local shelters and human trafficking awareness groups.

Carrie says he became aware of how serious the issue is in Durham Region after speaking with Darla Griswold, an Oshawa resident who is a survivor of human trafficking.

“As a father, her story and that of other local survivors motivated me to look for solutions to this problem,” he said.

Griswold is in full support of Carrie’s bill.

“I think we need to stop being afraid of what we do not know. We are not talking to each other and expressing to each other what is going on in our community,” Griswold said. “We need to start educating each other, our children, and everyone in the community about human trafficking. All the warning signs are kind of a taboo to talk about and we need to start addressing it.”

Carrie hopes MPs of all parties will be on board.

“This is an issue we can all agree that we can do better as a country,” Carrie said while presenting his bill in Parliament. “Human trafficking does not discriminate and as a father, I want to ensure our country is a safer place for our children.”