Peace River-Westlock MP, Arnold Viersen will continue to co-chair an all-parliamentary committee.
Viersen is one of four co-chairs returning to the All-Party Parliamentary Committee Group to End Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking (APPG).
He is joined by Liberal MP, John McKay, Andréanne Larouche of the Bloc-Quebecois and independent Quebec Senator, Julie Miville-Dechêne.
“Over the past year, the APPG has worked with colleagues in both Houses to raise awareness about human trafficking and advance solutions,” says Viersen.
“The APPG is making a difference in the fight against human trafficking in Canada and abroad and I look forward to continuing our work in this new Parliament.”
Viersen adds he appreciates that all parties are working together to try and put an end to human trafficking.
“It’s one of the most rewarding experiences I have in Parliament,” explains the Tory MP.
“It’s an issue that all the parties come together and work hard on and you see everyone pulling their weight to end an evil in our country.”
Viersen tells the Trending 55 Newsroom that his motion introduced in Parliament (M-47) in 2016, which called for the federal Health Committee “to examine the public health effects of the ease of access and viewing of online violent and degrading sexually explicit material on children, women and men.”
He mentions that raised his awareness of the issue of human trafficking.
“The most glaring piece of that was the human trafficking and how modern pornography is marketing tool for that, so it kind of morphed from my private-member’s bill, to this committee.”
M-47 received unanimous support in the House of Commons.
Viersen also stresses that sex trafficking can happen even in rural and remote communities.
He referenced a case that is currently before the courts in which a male suspect was arrested in High Level and charged with trafficking a youth twice in a matter of days.
“This happened right here in our backyard so it really brings the point home that it can happen anywhere,” points out Viersen.
“The other problem is we arrest someone for human trafficking, release them on bail 12 hours later, and then the victim is back with their trafficker.”
The Committee also released its APPG-2019-2020-Annual-Review.
– Kenny Trenton, Trending 55 Newsroom
