Take Action: Shocking Vote Against Human Trafficking Bill
EasyMail Action Item (for those with NDP MPs only): On Friday, March 30th, MP Joy Smith’s Bill C-310 was to be read for a third time in the House of Commons, voted on, and then sent to the Senate. The bill has from the very beginning received strong support from all parties. And yet, for a reason not yet sufficiently explained, the NDP rose as a block and voted against Bill C-310, against a law that would prosecute Canadians who traffick humans outside of this country. Instead of this law being passed quickly, it is now delayed in the House for at least two months and possibly won’t pass through the Senate until the fall.
C-310 amends the Criminal Code by adding the current trafficking in persons offences [s.279.01, s.279.011, s.279.02, and s.279.03] to the list of offences which, if committed outside of Canada by a Canadian or permanent resident, could result in prosecution of the Canadian upon return to Canada. The Bill also adds an interpretive aid for courts to provide greater clarity of the definition of human exploitation.
Originally, the Bill was jointly seconded by MPs from the Liberal, NDP and Green parties. The Liberal Party and the NDP were fully supportive of the Bill at Second Reading and in Committee. In fact, it sailed through committee in one day, with unanimous support. The current delay imposed by the Official Opposition will delay Canada’s ability to prosecute criminals who continue this horrific practice of international human trafficking.
If your Member of Parliament is a member of the NDP, we encourage you to use our Easy Mail to contact him or her and the leaders of the Official Opposition to ask for an explanation and to suggest that the NDP trade one of their Private Members’ Bills so that Bill C-310 can be bumped back up the order paper.
If your MP is an NDP Click here to send him or her an Easy Mail letter in a matter of a few minutes.
Sample Letter
Dear [Name of MP]
I am saddened by the vote of the NDP made on Friday, March 30th on Bill C-310. In what seemed to be a display of partisan politics, the Official Opposition voted, en mass, against a law that would prosecute human traffickers when they return to Canada.
I am confused as to why you would support such an important law at first and second reading and then stand and vote against it at third reading, delaying the passage of an especially important law which aims to stem the tide of the international slave trade of women and children. As a Canadian, I would appreciate an explanation.
I am asking that you rectify this if possible by offering to move Bill C-310 further up the Order of Precedence by trading one of the Opposition PMB spots with Bill C-310.
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Sincerely yours,
