MLAs endorse CARE in Stormont debate

During yesterday’s debate in the Northern Ireland Assembly on the proposed Conversion Practices Bill, two MLAs highlighted CARE’s positive involvement at Stormont.

During the debate, Peter Martin, Democratic Unionist Party MLA for North Down, raised the issue of Amnesty International’s report which listed various Christian groups, including CARE, as ‘anti-rights’. That report was quickly removed and discredited, and Amnesty International later apologised. The report is cited in the supporting evidence for the Conversion Practices Bill which is currently in its Second Stage reading.

Raising the Amnesty International report, Peter Martin said that the report “also included Christian organisations, including CARE, the Christian Institute, the Evangelical Alliance and others, which strongly objected to being characterised as anti-rights.”

Phillip Brett, MLA for North Belfast, asked Martin to re-familiarise the Assembly with the work of CARE, saying: “It is my understanding that it helped to draft and pass landmark legislation in the House that focused on tackling human trafficking here in Northern Ireland. Any attempt to slur that organisation bears no resemblance to fact or reality.”

To this Martin replied that he is “more than happy to speak for a moment on CARE.” He commended CARE’s work with the Northern Ireland Assembly saying: “CARE is a Christian lobbying organisation, which, as the Member rightly pointed out, pioneered the human trafficking legislation from about 10 years ago.”

CARE worked closely with Lord Morrow on The Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Criminal Justice and Support for Victims) Act (Northern Ireland) which became law in January 2015. CARE continues to work alongside members of the Northern Ireland Assembly, including acting as Secretariat for the All-Party Group on Modern Slavery and Sexual Exploitation.