Honourable Senators, I rise today to speak to Bill S-216, an Act to enact the Modern Slavery Act and to amend the Customs Tariff.

I would like to thank Senator Miville-Dechêne for reintroducing the modern slavery bill in the Senate. I would also like to acknowledge the hard work of the members of the All-Party Parliamentary Group to End Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking.

The Modern Slavery Act lifts the veil on the prevalence of modern slavery around the globe, impacting approximately 40 million people, 71% of whom are women and girls. These numbers are considered conservative, since women and girls are less likely to report victimization for fear of reprisals or mistrust of authorities.

Before I proceed, it is important to clarify exactly what modern slavery entails. Modern slavery is the severe exploitation of other people for personal or commercial gain, which encompasses many forms of exploitation, such as human trafficking, descent-based slavery, forced and early marriage, as well as forced and child labour. The latter is particularly troubling and is defined as work that is mentally, physically, socially or morally harmful to children, and it interferes with their ability to receive an education. Yet, one in four victims of modern slavery is a child.

Child labour often transitions into adult modern slavery, which is why we need to address the root causes of child labour. Studies show that child labour can be curtailed by tackling poverty, social norms and displacement. However, the major factor is poverty, as children work for their survival and that of their family. This is part of a vicious cycle where education is seen as secondary to earning an income, which in turn prevents child workers from escaping poverty once they reach adulthood.

Of course, this bill cannot solve these root issues alone, but it can force big companies to take steps to prevent the exploitation of the vulnerable. One of the key steps outlined in this bill to curtail modern slavery is the requirement by large entities to submit an annual report. The report sets out the steps taken to prevent and reduce forced or child labour, and any measures taken to remediate modern slavery, and additionally, any training provided to employees on the prevention of modern slavery in any step of the production of goods.

Education is a vital step because many of us are too far removed from the goods we purchase and consume. Personally, I had the unique opportunity to visit the site of the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh. I arrived only three months after the eight-storey building collapsed, killing over 1,100 people and injuring countless individuals. I witnessed firsthand the cost of cheap, fast fashion. These poorly paid workers had been forced to keep producing clothes even after police had ordered the evacuation of the building due to deep visible cracks in the walls.