Cassandra Harvey at the Senate: Speaking on Bill S-235 and Canada's Human Trafficking Strategy

Venue: Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights | Date: November 2, 2026 | Bill: S-235, National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking Act | Format: Committee hearing video | Subject: Cassandra Harvey, Advocate, Diamond and Diamond Lawyers

Cassandra Harvey, an advocate with Diamond and Diamond Lawyers and a survivor of human trafficking, appeared before the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights on November 2, 2026. The committee is studying Bill S-235, which would turn Canada’s National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking into a legal obligation.

Watch Cassandra at the committee

Cassandra speaks from 16:10:37 to 16:16:24 in the recording, and again at 16:29:08 and 16:32:36.

Watch the November 2 meeting on Senate ParlVU

This page is a summary, not an official record of the proceedings. The Senate of Canada’s recording and transcripts are the official source.

What Bill S-235 would do

Bill S-235, sponsored by Senator Salma Ataullahjan, would require the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness to maintain and update the National Strategy. As introduced, it would also require a review within two years of coming into force and every five years after that, along with an annual report to Parliament on progress.

The bill puts people with lived experience at the centre of that work. As introduced, the strategy would have to include measures to:

• Help people with lived experience regain their independence and reintegrate into their communities
• Promote sufficient investment in services that support them
• Provide federal government employees with ongoing, trauma-informed training
• Ensure that members of the Survivor Advisory Committee, and the Chief Advisor to Combat Human Trafficking, have lived experience of human trafficking

The review process would also require the Minister to consult people with lived experience.

As of November 4, 2026, the bill remains at committee in the Senate. It must still clear report stage and third reading in the Senate, then every stage in the House of Commons, before it can become law.

Her work on survivors’ debt

Cassandra also initiated House of Commons petition e-7839, which calls on the federal government to create a clear way for survivors of human trafficking, sexual violence and domestic violence to seek relief from federal debts, tax liabilities and benefit overpayments that result directly from their exploitation. The petition is open for signature until February 19, 2027.

Read petition e-7839 on the House of Commons website

About Cassandra Harvey

Cassandra is a survivor of human trafficking and an advocate at Diamond and Diamond Lawyers, where she raises awareness about sexual assault and human trafficking through education and empowerment. Read Cassandra’s profile.

Support is available

If you are in immediate danger, call 911. The Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline is confidential and available 24/7 at 1-833-900-1010.

If you have experienced sexual assault or exploitation, you deserve to understand your rights. The team of lawyers at Diamond and Diamond have experience handling sexual assault claims. Call our 24/7 hotline at 1-800-567-HURT to speak with someone in confidence. We offer free consultations, and our team of lawyers represents clients across Canada.