TORONTO -- Ontario is promising to spend up to $72 million to increase awareness of human trafficking, help investigate and prosecute cases and boost support for victims in the province.

The plan, dubbed the Strategy to End Human Trafficking, includes the creation of a specialized provincial prosecution team to tackle human trafficking cases and advise local Crown attorneys as well as law enforcement.

Premier Kathleen Wynne pledged earlier this year that the province would have a comprehensive strategy to combat human trafficking by the end of June.

She said at the time that the plan would be "much broader" than a private member's bill introduced by the Progressive Conservative critic for women's issues, Laurie Scott.

Scott's bill would give police the power to enforce protection orders against traffickers on behalf of the victims, and to assess punitive measures if breached.

It would also allow victims to seek compensation in court and add convicted traffickers to the province's sex offender registry.

The government says Ontario accounts for 65 per cent of human trafficking cases reported to police nationally.

A report issued in December by a legislative committee found Ontario has become a "major hub" for human trafficking and sexual violence, with most of the victims being local underage girls and young women.