Close X
Monday, November 18, 2024
ADVT 
National

Battle over Canada's controversial prostitution bill spilling into the Senate

Darpan News Desk Canadian Press, 09 Sep, 2014 11:38 AM

    The second stage of the federal government's race to pass a bill governing prostitution by the end of the year begins today.

    The Senate legal and constitutional affairs committee is set to start hearings into Bill C-36, which proposes to change the rules that surround buying and selling sex in Canada.

    The new law was introduced in June, after the Supreme Court struck down Canada's existing prostitution laws as unconstitutional. The high court gave lawmakers until December to establish a replacement.

    The law went through a special sitting of the House of Commons justice committee earlier this summer and though the Commons still hasn't voted on the bill, the Senate committee is embarking on a study of its own, lining up close to four dozen witnesses to speak over the course of three days.

    Among those set to testify this week is Jean McDonald, who works at Maggie's Toronto Sex Workers' Action Project. 

    She also appeared before the Commons and said she felt the first hearings were stacked against people whose lives will actually be affected by the bill.

    She's not optimistic about the second round.

    "It's not pointless but I don't feel like we are going to be listened to by the Conservative government," she said.

    "I don't think that our concerns with the bill are being taken seriously." 

    The Supreme Court struck down Canada's old prostitution law last year because it exposed sex workers to undue risks which the court found constituted a violation of their basic Charter right to security of the person.

    The Conservatives responded with the new bill, which creates new offences for clients and pimps, but does not generally criminalize prostitutes themselves.

    One exception to that rule had been a provision in the first draft of the bill that made it a crime to communicate to sell sex in a public place where children might be found. 

    Concerns that the wording of that section was vague enough to prompt a second Charter challenge led to an amendment at the Commons committee.

    It specifies that communicating to sell sex next to a school, playground or daycare centre will be illegal.

    But opposition to the bill remains widespread, with many arguing that any legislation that turns sex workers into criminals violates the Supreme Court ruling.

    The Conservatives have acknowledged they expect the new bill to face further judicial scrutiny, but haven't explained in what way.

    Justice Minister Peter MacKay is the first witness expected to testify Tuesday.

    He told the Commons in July that decriminalizing prostitution was never an option.

    "The government does not accept the proposition that prostitution is inevitable and therefore that we must decriminalize and regulate it. This is not the position," MacKay said.

    "On the contrary, the government maintains that prostitution's inherent harms and dangers would only grow and be exacerbated in a regime that perpetrates and condones the exploitation of vulnerable individuals through legalized prostitution."

    Other opponents of the bill argue that the criminalization of any element of sex work, including going after those who buy sex, further marginalizes prostitutes and puts them in harm's way.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Vancouver Park Board Commissioner endorses free Wi-Fi in Vancouver Parks

    Vancouver Park Board Commissioner endorses free Wi-Fi in Vancouver Parks
    Vancouver Park Board commissioner Trevor Loke, will introduce a notice-of-motion at the regular board meeting tonight asking the city to monitor the possibility of providing free Wi-Fi at public parks. 

    Vancouver Park Board Commissioner endorses free Wi-Fi in Vancouver Parks

    Husband arrested in Jagtar Gill Slaying in Ottawa

    Husband arrested in Jagtar Gill Slaying in Ottawa
    The husband of an Indian-origin woman, who was found dead in her house in South Ottawa in Canada's Ontario province, has been charged with the first-degree murder of his wife.

    Husband arrested in Jagtar Gill Slaying in Ottawa

    900 Social Insurance Numbers stolen from CRA website due to Heartbleed bug

    900 Social Insurance Numbers stolen from CRA website due to Heartbleed bug
    Canada Revenue Agency says that approximately 900 social insurance numbers were stolen from its system due to Heartbleed bug. The federal tax agency stated in a press release Monday that the "malicious breach of taxpayer data" occurred over a period of six-hours.

    900 Social Insurance Numbers stolen from CRA website due to Heartbleed bug

    Vancouver celebrates a colourful and joyful Vaisakhi

    Vancouver celebrates a colourful and joyful Vaisakhi
    The annual Vaisakhi Nagar Kirtan celebrated with much joy and vigour in Vancouver once again displayed the generosity and togetherness of the Sikh community. Hundreds of thousands came out to celebrate the harvest festival that also marks the New Year and the birth of the Khalsa in 1699.

    Vancouver celebrates a colourful and joyful Vaisakhi

    Vancouver mother guilty of infanticide of two new born sons

    Vancouver mother guilty of infanticide of two new born sons
    Sarah Leung, 28, has been convicted of two counts of infanticide in the separate deaths of her two newborn sons.

    Vancouver mother guilty of infanticide of two new born sons

    Double dose of joy for Brampton couple who won 18.7 million lottery after having baby

    Double dose of joy for Brampton couple who won 18.7 million lottery after having baby
    Brampton residents, Jaspreet and Gurbhej Sran are on cloud nine. In merely three weeks, the couple's world has completely transformed from being new parents to also becoming millionaire.

    Double dose of joy for Brampton couple who won 18.7 million lottery after having baby