Speaks on human trafficking, also advocates for oil and gas

Submitted

Last week, Peace River–Westlock MP Arnold Viersen headed to Washington D.C. after being invited to speak on human trafficking at the 23rd Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum (PISF). It provides expertise and collaboration to parliamentarians and government officials. Viersen serves as a Member of the PISF’s Parliamentary Task Force on Human Trafficking.

The 23rd PISF included sessions on global supply chains, energy security, rare earth minerals, adversarial foreign investments, and trade-based money laundering. Viersen presented to the panel on human trafficking, alongside politicians and survivors from the US and France. The session can be viewed here, starting at the seven-hour 40-min mark: https://youtu.be/hu0ihKJpW_c.

“Today there are over 50 million people enslaved in some form of human trafficking,” says Viersen in a Dec. 7 news release. “Many through the brutal injustice of sex trafficking. We see it in Canada, with young women being sex trafficked across our country – through our communities. Sex trafficking is profitable, it’s brutal and it’s growing. However, we can do something about it. The world must tackle the demand for sex trafficking by confronting the demand for paid sex, elevating the voices of survivors and standing up for the dignity of human life. Through concerted action, we can prevent other young women and youth from being sex trafficked.”

While in Washington D.C., MP Viersen also met with US Senators and Representatives to advocate on behalf of Alberta interests. He points out in the news release the lack of federal government support for Alberta’s oil and gas sector in Washington, which he says has hurt Alberta’s economy.

“I take every opportunity to advocate and stand up for Alberta’s interests in Washington,” Viersen says, “and I was encouraged by the conversations I had.”