By Julia Beazley
There’s been a lot of muscle flexing in Ottawa lately. Many of us have watched (perhaps, with amusement… and some measure of bewilderment) as the media published images of MP Justin Trudeau (Lib – Papineau) and Senator Patrick Brazeau (CPC – Quebec) flexing their shirtless muscles and talking smack as they prepare to face off in Saturday’s Fight for the Cure main event. All in good fun. All for a good cause.
But today Ottawa witnessed some political muscle-flexing of a less noble, and far less endearing kind.
This afternoon, MP Joy Smith’s Bill C-310 was to be read for a third time in the House, voted on, and then sent to the Senate. The bill has, from its’ introduction, received strong support from all parties. And why wouldn’t it?
Bill 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 exploitation in s.279.04 of the Criminal Code.
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. So Canadians who are concerned about and committed to working towards an end to the trafficking in persons at home and abroad were anticipating today’s third reading and vote, ready to celebrate the bill being sent to the Senate and taking that great big step few private member’s bills do towards becoming the law of the land.
There was little question that the step would be made. The government has begun work on a national action plan to combat human trafficking. They are studying and consulting. MP Smith’s bill was an important piece of what will necessarily be a puzzle of many pieces and many players. And all parties in the House, including the NDP, had indicated – right up until ten minutes prior to today’s vote – that yes, they would continue to offer their support for the bill.
Instead, to the surprise of everyone but the NDP, MPs from the party rose as a unified block to vote against Bill C-310. As a result, Parliamentary procedure requires that the bill will be voted on next Wednesday at report stage, and will drop to the bottom of the Order of Precedence, possibly returning to the House sometime in May.
So why the change of heart?
I suspect the move had very little or nothing to do with human trafficking, or with the bill itself. I can only speculate, and this – admittedly – from a position of great disappointment. But if I had to guess, I would think that this was a cynical flexing of political muscle by a party with a newly elected leader against a private member’s bill expected to form part of a broader government initiative, an initiative largely taking place because of the recognized efforts of that same private member. Political maneuvering and a showing of ‘strength’ appear to have taken precedence over doing the right thing.
It’s kind of the crude political equivalent of Trudeau and Brazeau facing off for charity – except in this case, it was an unfair fight. Unless the Conservative and Liberal parties’ support for the bill wanes it will pass. But the NDP sucker punch gives Canadian traffickers operating outside our borders another month or two … and then potentially the summer Parliamentary recess before the Senate can process the bill … to traffic women and children for sexual exploitation without fear of facing penalty at home for their actions. And no one wins, no worthy cause is advanced, and a just law is needlessly delayed.
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Mr. Trudeau won the match with Mr. Brazeau on Saturday night, but the big winner was cancer research as the main event and the 6 “white collar” and amateur bouts that preceded it raised ove $230,000 for cancer research.